The Hot Feet Rotational Medicine Ball Scoop Toss, a dynamic drill, is designed to enhance an athlete’s ability to explode off the back leg and transfer force efficiently through the kinetic chain, particularly during rotational movements like throwing or hitting. It integrates plyometric footwork (“hot feet”) with a powerful scoop toss, emphasizing both the elastic component of the lower body and effective hip/trunk separation. This exercise is especially useful for athletes who may be slow or feel “stuck” in their back leg during rotational actions.

Setting up for the toss

Medicine Ball Selection: Use a relatively light medicine ball, typically 4-8 pounds.
Stance: Stand facing a sturdy wall, with your feet a little wider than shoulder-width apart in an athletic stance, knees slightly bent.

Initial Ball Position: Hold the medicine ball with both hands using an underhand grip, positioned close to your chest or slightly outside one hip.

Core and Hip Engagement: Actively brace your core and engage your glutes, particularly on the back leg, to prepare for explosive movement.

Executing the “hot feet” and scoop toss

Hot Feet Movement: Initiate a quick, bouncing motion from side to side, emphasizing rapid shifts in and out of the hips rather than just chopping the feet in place. This “hot feet” action helps build elastic strength in the lower body.

Load the Back Hip: As you prepare to throw, actively load the back hip (the hip furthest from the wall) by shifting your weight and creating a powerful coil. The medicine ball moves to the hip on the same side as your loaded back leg.

Drive and Uncoil: Drive powerfully off the back leg, pushing your hips and torso towards the wall. This action initiates the explosive uncoiling and rotation.

Scoop Toss: As you uncoil, scoop the medicine ball in an underhand motion, throwing it forcefully into the wall. The power should come from the ground up, transferring from the legs and hips, through the core, and into the throw. The hands act primarily as a delivery system.

Firm Front Side: As you release the ball, the front leg (the leg closest to the wall at the point of release) should act as a firm block, absorbing and transferring the rotational force efficiently. Avoid twisting your back side or collapsing the lead knee.
Follow Through: Allow your body to follow through naturally after the throw, ending in a stable, athletic position.

Catch and Reset: Catch the rebounding ball, control the rotational force, and quickly reset your stance to repeat the hot feet and throwing motion.

Breathing: Exhale forcefully as you drive and throw, inhaling softly during the hot feet phase.