The organisation in the following exercises is that two players face each other. One ball per pair. The distance can be varied, but players should not practice at maximum distance. Do not let the players stand too 'stiff', they must be able to move freely and relaxed.
Exercise 1
Players throw the ball to each other with two hands and catch with two hands. Position at chest height. Pay attention to either throwing or catching, not both at the same time.
Variations: which pair can throw back and forth 25 times the fastest, who can pass the ball over the most without dropping it.
Exercise 2
As exercise 1, but pass the ball a little higher, not so high that you have to jump, so just above your head. Pay special attention to the catch and the position of the thumbs, a little closer together than in exercise 1.
Exercise 3
Like exercise 1, but the ball is played at knee height. Pay special attention to the pins, slightly closer together and pointing to the ground.
Exercise 4
Have the players stand a little closer to each other and bounce the ball over.
Exercise 5
Players alternately throw the ball high, low, with a bounce or at chest height.
Variations
The same exercises can be performed at a greater distance. A nice variation is to have the players start close to each other and after 3 good tosses take a small step further apart. After a while the players
they will get far apart and the maximum distance will be reached. Let players throw at most 3 times at maximum distance, certainly not more or further.
Exercise 6
One player is the worker and one player is the handler. The worker comes running from 10 metres towards the attacker, the ball is thrown with two hands. The worker stops, catches the ball with two hands, throws it back with two hands and walks back to starting position. Perform the exercise ten times and then change tasks.
Exercise 7
As exercise 6, but throwing back in the run. With experienced players the worker can receive the ball while approaching but also while running away.
Exercise 8
The worker runs at a distance of about 5 metres from the declarer, the declarer throws with two hands when the worker is at the turning point. Pay attention that the ball is thrown in front of the worker and that the body is turned in before the ball is caught. The turning point can be marked, with experienced players this is not necessary. Experienced players must keep running until the ball is thrown, the declarer has the task of estimating the distances.
Exercise 9
The worker moves in a semi-circle in front of the declarer, whereby he can walk towards the declarer, left and right and away from the declarer.
Exercise 10
Opposite players. The players throw the ball with one hand and catch with two hands. Practise 25 times with right hand and 25 times with left hand.
Variations: which pair can throw back and forth 25 times fastest, who can pass the ball over the most without dropping it.
Exercise 11
As exercise 10. Throw with two hands and catch with one, the catcher indicates which hand. Practise 25 times on the right and 25 times on the left.
Exercise 12
As exercise 10. Player throw with one hand and catch with one hand, always the same hand.
Exercise 13
As exercise 12, but the ball will be caught with the left, passed to the right and thrown with the right. The ball will turn 'softly' as it were. After 20 times to and fro catch with the right, transfer to the left and throw with the left.
Exercise 14
The players give each other difficult balls. Throw in such a way that you have to make an effort to catch with one hand. At knee height, slightly past the body, slightly above the head.
Exercise 15
The players move slightly to and fro. The ball must be placed on moving players, so slightly in front of the body of the moving player.
Exercise 16
As exercise 10, but now with an overhand pendulum throw.
Exercise 17
As exercise 16, but the players catch with one hand and try to keep the ball ‘running’. That means that the speed of the ball is converted into the turning movement as described in chapter 5 and immediately thrown back. Catching is immediately the start of the pendulum throw.
Exercise 18
As exercise 17, but now with an underhand pendulum throw. The ball is caught high and thrown back underhand with a turning movement behind the body.
Exercise 19
The players play the ball behind their backs towards each other. Just like the pendulum throw, the body is turned a little (when thrown with the right hand, the left shoulder must be closest to the fellow player), keep the distances small in this exercise.
Exercise 20
The players play the ball to each other in the jump. Just before receiving the ball they jump up, catch the ball, play it back quickly and only then land on the ground.
A tricky exercise where timing is of the essence, most players will jump too early and therefore have no time to throw the ball back. If necessary, only one of the players can jump.
This exercise is not suitable for children with little jumping power.
Exercise 21
As exercise 20, but now catch and throw with one hand.
Exercise 22
Same as exercise 20, but the ball is placed far above the head. This exercise can be done individually against a wall, for example in a circuit.
In the following exercises, the focus is again on throwing and catching. The emphasis can be on learning technique, maintaining technique, but also on fitness. Each pair is organised into a worker and a provider. Each pair a ball and some pawns. After 30 seconds or 1 minute switch functions.
Exercise 23
The worker stands at 10 metres and walks in the direction of the attacker. The ball is thrown and caught with one hand and immediately thrown back. The worker returns to the starting position and walks towards the attacker again. The ball is now caught and thrown with the other
The ball is now caught and thrown with the other hand. Again and again, changing hands each time.
Exercise 24
As exercise 23, but the ball is played at head height. In the jump catch with one hand (perhaps first practise with two hands) and throw back with one hand.
The ball can also be thrown well above the worker, so he really has to jump and stretch to catch the ball.
Exercise 25
There is a pylon 6 metres in front of the passer. The worker runs to the pylon, makes an evasive move and walks backwards. Throw the ball in front of the worker. The ball is thrown to the worker, who then passes to the other side of the pylon. Most players will catch the ball with one hand and throw it back, using the outer hand.
Exercise 26
As exercise 25, but have the ball transferred to the inner hand and throw with it. Pay attention to the shift of the body weight on the inside leg and the good crossing of the other leg before throwing.
Exercises 25 and 26 can also be performed with a pendulum throw, either underhand or overhand. Emphasise technique and differences.
Exercise 27
As exercise 25, but the ball is played back 'creatively'. That means behind the back, behind the head, with a bounce or otherwise. The action must remain functional.
Variations
Exercise 28
The worker moves about 4 metres in front of the declarer in a defensive position, i.e. slightly on the knees. The worker catches and throws the ball with one hand, then slides in the other direction. The thrower catches and throws the ball with the other hand and moves back. The exercise is always performed in a defensive position and therefore puts a lot of strain on the upper leg muscles. Pay attention to good catching and throwing while “paintingâ€.
Exercise 29
The worker lies stretched out on the ground, the declarer crouches a few metres in front of the worker. The worker must throw the ball back to the declarer from his lying position. The exercise is especially meant for back, stomach and upper arm muscles.
Exercise 30
The worker sits on the ground with his knees bent and the declarer stands at 5 metres. The worker catches the ball, taps the ball behind the head lying on the ground, comes back to sitting position and throws the ball back. In fact sit-ups with ball.
Exercise 31
The worker stands diagonally right in front of the declarer at circa 8 metres and walks to the diagonal left in front of the declarer. Straight in front of the declarer the thrower receives the ball after a jump and the ball is thrown back immediately. The thrower has to make a quarter turn in the jump. Then the worker continues to the left.
Hence the same exercise, but now with the other hand.
Exercise 32
As exercise 31, but now the ball is only thrown when the worker is at the turning point, so always oblique in front of the declarer. The worker must make instead of a quarter turn in the jump now almost a half turn in the jump.
Exercise 33
The declarer places the balls in the space with a curve, the worker must catch them and throw them back immediately. It is important for the declarer to estimate how far he can be placed from the worker without catching the ball with a bounce.
Exercise 34
The declarer throws the ball over the worker into the space. The worker catches the ball and immediately places it back. The declarer stands, after the ball has been caught by the worker, right behind the player and he must therefore make a half turn to be able to throw back.
Exercise 35
The worker walks back and forth in front of the declarer at about 5 metres. Every time the worker is in front of the declarer he gets the ball and places it behind his back.
Exercise 36
As 35, but throw back the ball with a sling above the head, the distance can be increased.
Exercise 37
The worker starts three metres in front of the declarer, walks to the left of the declarer at an angle of approximately 5 metres to receive the ball and throw it back. The worker then walks to the far right of the declarant and receives the ball at about 9 metres and throws it back immediately. Then the worker runs to far in front of the declarer and receives the ball at about 15 metres and throws it back immediately, followed by a sprint to the starting position at three metres in front of the declarer. The worker now runs to the right in front of the declarant and repeats the exercise, but now in the opposite direction. Repeat this exercise two times and then change positions.
The following exercises are for foursome and are basic exercises for catching and throwing. Each foursome has a ball and two pawns placed about 10 metres apart. Two players at pylon A and two players at pylon B. The exercises can also be done with threes, but then the ball must start at the pylon where two players are standing.
Exercise 38
The player with the ball plays the ball with two hands to the player at the other pilon, runs after the ball and joins the players at that pilon. A simple and recognisable exercise. Developing speed from the throw is a possible point of attention to keep these exercises attractive for older players.
Variations: which pair can throw back and forth 50 times the quickest, then drop the ball and start counting again? Who can pass the ball over the most without dropping it?
Exercise 39
As 38, but throw with one hand. After a while throw with the other hand.
Exercise 40
As 39 but also catch with one hand.
Exercise 41
Player 1 throws to an oncoming player 2, this player throws the ball on to the pylon where he came from to player 3 (must make a half turn) and joins the other pylon. In case of threes, the pair starts without the ball. Variations like exercises 38 through 40.
Exercise 42
Player 1 throws the ball to the oncoming player 2 who does not walk straight to the ball, but diagonally to the right of the player. Player 1 runs to the other side, receives the ball halfway from player 2 and throws it to the pawn where he came from, player 4, and joins behind the other pawn where only player 3 is standing. Player 2 connects behind player 4.
Player 1 must make a quarter turn to be able to throw the ball from player 2 to player 4, this turn must be done in the air.
Exercise 43
Line up in a square at a distance of approximately 10 metres. With larger groups you can work in fives with pentagons.
Player 1 throws the ball to player 2, runs after the ball and gets it back from player 2. Player 1 throws to player 3, again chasing the ball, receiving and throwing to player 4. At player 4 player 1 has to throw a long diagonal ball to player 2 and player 1 can take his original position. Player 2 continues the exercise.
Let each player do this exercise twice and then throw it the other way.
Who finishes first? Watch out for unequal distances.
Exercise 44
Two players throw to each other and two players try to intercept. The throwing players have a limited space, for example each has a circle with a diameter of 5 metres. In this way, the throwing at a moving player and the dodging of an opponent are trained. When the ball has been intercepted 5 times, change functions.
Exercise 45
A player throws the ball to a team-mate at about 4 metres and immediately tries to prevent the team-mate from throwing. This can be done by jumping in, defending low or moving wide. The thrower can throw directly to 2 other players and tries to obstruct their throwing.