THE EFFICACY OF MEDICINE BALL TRAINING TO IMPROVE UPPER BODY STRENGTH AND THROWING ACCURACY AMONG SHOT PUT PLAYERS – A PILOT STUDY
Keywords:
medicine ball training,, upper body strength,, throwing accuracy, shot put,, sports trainingAbstract
This pilot study aims to evaluate the efficacy of medicine ball training in improving upper body
strength and throwing accuracy among shot put players. The study involved 15 athletes (both male and
female) from Parul University, aged between 19 to 25 years, who had at least 2 years of experience in
competitive shot put. Over a period of 6 weeks, participants underwent medicine ball training for 3
sessions per week. Pre and post-assessment was conducted using measures such as the 1 RM bench
press, medicine ball throw test, and the Functional Throwing Performance Index (FTPI). Results
indicated a significant improvement in all outcome measures. The 1 RM bench press increased from
36.86 kg to 44.46 kg, the medicine ball throw distance improved from 19.06 ft to 26.00 ft, and the
FTPI increased from 58.29% to 82.84%. These findings suggest that medicine ball training can
effectively enhance upper body strength and throwing accuracy, making it a valuable training tool for
shot put athletes.
