Wall Ball: CrossFit technique, drills and fixes

The wall-ball shot is a front squat with a medicine ball held at your chest, followed by a throw that sends the ball to a target high on the wall. CrossFit describes it as a front squat that finishes with a push press or shove: your hips and knees extend fully first, then your arms push the ball up, and you catch it and ride it down into the next squat. The standard targets are 9 and 10 feet, which is why depth, full extension and a consistent throw decide whether a rep counts.

Set up at the wall

Choose a ball and target you can hit with good form for the whole set. CrossFit's common standards are a 14-lb ball to a 9-ft target and a 20-lb ball to a 10-ft target; its lighter options use 6, 10 or 14-lb balls. If you are new to the movement or trying a new weight, lower the target height or the ball weight first.

a ball that is challenging but doesn't change how you move.

Stand facing the wall, about two feet away, with your feet about shoulder-width apart and flat on the floor. Pick the ball up with a medicine-ball clean (ball between your feet, hips extend, then pull under into a squat) or a squat clean; the Open allows a squat clean to start a set.

your whole foot on the floor and the target in view.

Hold the ball low against your chest, cradled in both hands, with your elbows down and in. Keep it there through the squat; don't let it drift away from your body or block your view of the target.

the ball supported on your chest, elbows pointing at the floor.

Squat and drive the throw

Squat until the crease of your hips is clearly below your knees (below parallel), keeping the ball at your chest and your feet flat. In the Open, a squat at or above parallel is a no-rep. If you aren't sure you are deep enough, pause at the bottom to check.

a full-depth front squat with the ball still on your chest.

Drive out of the squat and extend your hips and knees quickly and fully before your arms start the throw. Power passes from your legs to your shoulders and arms; the arms finish the movement, they don't start it.

standing all the way up as the ball starts to rise off your chest.

Push the ball up and toward the target as your arms extend, with only a small roll of the fingers at release. Aim for the ball to touch the target gently at the top of its arc. The rep counts when the centre of the ball hits clearly above the target line; hitting low or missing the wall is a no-rep.

a smooth push, the ball floating up and just meeting the target.

Catch and reload

Catch the ball with your arms outstretched, bring it back to your chest, and descend straight into the next squat. Don't let it drop and catch it off a bounce; that is a no-rep in the Open. If you drop it, let it settle and start again from the chest.

a soft catch that flows into the next squat.

Breathe deeply and match your breathing to your throw rate. Try to make every rep look like the last: the same depth, the same push, the same spot on the target.

a steady, repeatable rhythm.

Break your sets before fatigue changes your form. Take a short break (CrossFit suggests about 10–15 seconds) and come back to smooth reps. If your squat gets shallow or your arms start throwing early, rest or lower the load. In a survey of Dutch CrossFit athletes, shoulders, lower back and knees were the most-injured areas and people training under 6 months were injured more often, so build volume and ball weight gradually.

stopping while your reps still look good.

Feel it

The ball stays low on your chest with your elbows down, you sit into a full-depth squat, and you stand all the way up before your arms push. The ball rises gently to the target, comes back to your hands, and you ride it straight into the next squat. Each rep should look like the one before it. Form and timing come before speed.

Fix-its

Shallow squat (hip crease at or above the knee) Pause at the bottom to check depth until full depth is automatic. A box or ball behind you as a depth target can help while you build range.
Your arms throw before your hips and knees finish extending Practise squatting and standing all the way up with the ball and no throw until full extension feels natural, then add the push.
The ball hits low or misses the target Aim for a gentle touch at the top of the arc, with the centre of the ball clearly above the line. Lower the target or use a lighter ball while you learn, then build back up.
The ball drifts away from your chest or blocks your view Hold it low against your chest with your elbows down and in, so you can see the target and the ball stays close.
Reps fall apart as you tire Break sets earlier (short 10–15 second rests) and keep reps smooth. Lower the reps, ball weight or target height before your depth and timing break down.

Drill

Warm up: a few minutes of rowing, biking, running or jump rope, then a couple of sets of air squats and front squats holding the medicine ball, then 2–3 practice sets of 5–10 wall-ball shots.
Stand tall without throwing: squat with the ball and drive to full hip and knee extension, then stop. Do a few reps, then add the throw while keeping the same timing.
Pause reps: pause at the bottom of each squat to confirm the hip crease is below the knee, then drive and throw.
If wall balls are a weakness, spend 5–10 minutes a day on small sets, linking reps with clean technique. Track progress with a standard set size (10, 20 or 30 reps).
Film from the side to check depth, full extension before the throw, and a catch that flows into the next squat.

Sources

Last checked 2026-10-26.