Thrower's Shoulder Warm-Up for Team Handball

A team handball warm-up focused on the shoulder and upper back: dowel mobility, shoulder blade activation, and a throwing progression from short to long distance. It gets the arm ready to throw hard and lowers the risk of shoulder overuse.

How to play

1. Pairs with one dowel and one ball. Minutes 0-3: with the dowel across the shoulders, trunk rotations and side bends, then straight-arm pass-throughs front to back, 8 of each.
2. Minutes 3-5: on hands and knees, upper-back rotations reaching one arm to the ceiling, 6 per side; standing, backward shoulder blade circles and 10 wall push-ups.
3. Minutes 5-8: partner passing with growing distance: 1 minute at about 13 feet, 1 minute at 23 feet, and 1 minute at 33 feet, with a high elbow and a step with the opposite leg.
4. Minutes 8-10: standing throws at 33 feet, adding an easy jump pass every third throw.
5. Minute 10-11: 5 throws with the non-dominant arm to balance the work.

Rules

• Throwing intensity builds gradually: no one throws hard before minute 8.
• Use dowels with 6 feet of open space around you.
• If your shoulder bothers you, move back to the short distance and tell the teacher.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: do the whole sequence seated, passing from the wheelchair at shorter distances.
• Visual impairment: use a high-contrast ball and call out before every pass.
• Beginners: fewer mobility reps and a softer ball.

Learning goals

• Mobilize the shoulder and upper back before throwing.
• Apply a gradual intensity build-up that prevents overuse.
• Use a high-elbow arm action with an opposite-foot step.

Equipment for a class of 25

• dowels: 13
• team handballs: 13

Teacher tip

The most common error is throwing with a low elbow, which stresses the shoulder; cue students to show the ball behind the ear. Have every pair throw in the same direction.

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