Medicine Ball Throw Test: how to assess upper-body power

While most power tests focus on the legs, the medicine ball throw test fills an important gap: upper-body power. It's cheap, fast, and very useful for sports where explosive pushing power from the arms and trunk is decisive (throwing sports, contact sports, swimming, and more).

What does this test measure?

It assesses explosive strength of the upper body and core, primarily in a pushing pattern (chest throw), although overhead variants exist that emphasize the shoulders and triceps more. Throw distance correlates well with the power generated in this pattern.

Equipment needed

• Medicine ball, typically between 2 and 5 kg (the weight must stay consistent across assessments for the same person)
• Tape measure
• A clear surface of at least 6-8 meters

Step-by-step protocol

Most common variant: chest pass throw, seated or standing

1. The subject sits with their back against a wall (if seated) or stands with feet firmly planted, holding the medicine ball with both hands at chest height
2. Instruct them to throw the ball forward with maximum possible power, in a single explosive movement, without any prior leg drive if using the seated variant
3. Measure the distance from the throwing point to where the ball first lands
4. Perform 3 attempts with full recovery and record the best one

Common mistakes

• Letting the ball "roll" before measuring (you measure the first point of contact, not where it stops)
• Using different ball weights between sessions, which invalidates the comparison
• Not fixing the starting position properly (if seated, lifting the back off the wall adds a leg/trunk component that skews the result)
• Not specifically warming up the shoulders and core before the maximal effort

How to interpret the result

With a 3 kg medicine ball, seated chest pass throw:

Population	Reference distance
Sedentary adults	3.0 - 4.5 m
Recreational athletes	4.5 - 6.0 m
Strength/power athletes	6.0 - 8.0 m
Elite (throwers, contact sports)	> 8.0 m

These values vary a lot depending on the ball weight used: for individual use, what matters most is always keeping the same weight and starting position so comparisons between sessions are meaningful.

Relationship with other tests

This test is often combined with lower-body tests to get a complete picture of an athlete's overall power:

• Wingate Test — overall anaerobic power, a good contrast with an upper-body-specific test
• Force-Velocity Profile — to better understand the athlete's strength profile across different patterns

Track and monitor progress

Since this test heavily depends on keeping the exact protocol consistent (ball weight, position), keeping organized records is key for comparisons to have real value. With Movalytics you can save the ball weight used along with the distance for each assessment, and track how your athlete's upper-body power evolves over the months without losing the test's context.

Frequently asked questions

What ball weight should I use? It depends on the athlete's level and goal, but 2-3 kg for the general population and 3-5 kg for trained athletes are common ranges. The important thing is consistency. Seated or standing? The seated variant with the back against the wall isolates the upper body better. Standing brings in more contribution from the legs and trunk, which can be useful if the goal is a more global, sport-specific pattern. Is it useful for sports that aren't throwing sports? Yes, it's useful for any sport with an explosive pushing component: contact sports, swimming (the start), and even as a general indicator of upper-trunk power in strength programs.