Wall Ball Throwing and Catching

A tennis ball or rubber ball

A sturdy outdoor wall with flat pavement in front

Find a good wall — the side of a building, a garage, or a handball wall at a park. The wall should be solid (not windows!) with flat pavement in front.

Stand about 8 feet from the wall. Throw the tennis ball against the wall with a strong overhand throw.

Catch the ball on the rebound. Start with two hands. The ball comes back fast, so stay ready with hands up.

Count your streak: 1, 2, 3... see how many consecutive catches you can make without dropping. Write down your record.

Once two-handed catches are consistent, try one hand. Alternate right and left.

Switch to your non-dominant throwing hand. Throwing and catching with the weak side is where the real development happens.

Try a ground-wall combo: bounce the ball on the ground in front of you, let it hit the wall, then catch the rebound. Three different trajectories in one sequence.

Add tricks between throw and catch: clap once, spin around, touch the ground. Each trick shortens your reaction time.

Wall ball is the ultimate self-practice activity. Your child can do this alone for hours, gradually building throwing accuracy and catching reflexes.

Tennis balls are ideal because they're small enough to challenge catching skills but soft enough not to damage walls or hands.

Start close to the wall (5-6 feet) and gradually move back. Farther away means harder throws and longer reaction times.

The clap-and-catch trick is a progression ladder. Start with one clap. Then two claps. Then a clap and a spin. Each level builds speed.

This translates directly to baseball/softball, cricket, and any sport with hand-eye coordination. Pros do wall ball drills at every level.