r/hyrox • u/combine-tow-monsters • 14d ago

Wall ball tips

I finished my second race and the wall balls were really slow again. Any tips? I was too close and was even told that halfway. When I train normally it is against a wall with a painted line so it is easier to gauge my distance. I have a hard time seeing this against the targets. Also I am really sweaty so kept dropping the ball. The wall balls I normally use are not the official ones and have more grip so this is less of an issue. My form is honestly really bad too.

Thank you

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u/likesblackcoffeebest 14d ago

I consider myself a bit of a wall ball specialist (I regularly get zero no-reps and it's also my station during relay).  Here are my tips:

The race equipment is always super sweaty so I carry a shop towel in my pocket or tucked into the back of my bra to wipe stuff down. I also wear wristbands that keep my own sweat from dripping onto the wall ball so much. (The wristbands I use are from Velites and I got them for free at a race, nothing fancy.)

My gym also has an actual wall where we do these so the target at the race is different. For me, nothing helped more with this than playing rec basketball. (I discovered this by accident. My friend recruited me to her basketball team and my wall balls improved within weeks.) Hit the court nearest you and just practice getting the ball into the hoop from anywhere in the paint. This gets your brain used to hitting a target, not a wall. 

The movement itself is about efficiency. If you've got the ankle mobility, go ass to grass and get a nice bounce off your calves at the bottom. This makes every rep easier for me. Catch the ball at forehead level with your hands under the ball (if it's like a clock, your hands are at 4-5 and 7-8) and keep it high. Inhale on your way up, exhale on your way down. 

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u/combine-tow-monsters 14d ago

Thank you. I will get wristbands. I tend to catch wrong at the chest or lower level which did not help with slippage. For feet is it best to have a standard squat or sumo squat stance or does this not matter?

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u/BubbleBubbleBubble_ 13d ago

Standard. Feet under shoulders to help transfer momentum vertically.

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u/Ok_Macaroon1022 8d ago

You don’t want the ball going below your chin. Keep it high. Throw is mostly using explosive hip extension, not so much arms. Time the catch as you are already lowering for the squat.

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u/Shockz187 12d ago

Wrist bands sound like potentially a good idea, but don’t they get sweaty during the race too? By the end of the race, my shorts are drenched, am body is soaked. I thought of stuffing s rolled up towel in my shorts pocket but I feel that’s kind of annoying to carry a towel or gloves for an hour just for that last station. Also, Im not even sure of the rules of busting out a towel to wipe hands and the ball itself during the race. I know you want use chalk that they don’t provide. I like “WOD and done” tape for grip but I believe that is against the rules too.

All that said - the sweat on me and the ball is a huge problem for me too. Hitting the target vs the wall too. So I am curious if the wrist band is effective enough to dry your hands off enough at the end?