Wall Ball Height vs. Depth
Hello coaches,
Welcome to the first edition of Just the Tip Tuesday—a weekly dose of coaching insight, delivered straight to your inbox, YouTube, blog, and maybe even your IG scroll hole. Every Tuesday, I’ll drop one tip. Sometimes practical. Sometimes mindset-focused. Always meant to sharpen your edge as a coach.
Today’s tip is about wall balls—but more specifically, the difference between throwing height and squat depth, and why they are not created equal.
Let’s break it down:
In a wall ball, you’ve got two standards:
Hit the target (usually 9 or 10 feet)
Squat below parallel
Now, here’s the key:
Target height is arbitrary. It’s a consistency tool. It gives us something measurable to track progress.
Squat depth is functional. It’s about preserving human capacity and the ability to move well through life.
Throwing to 10 feet? That’s not essential to a high-quality life.
Squatting below parallel? Absolutely is.
That’s the difference between a performance standard and a human function standard.
So when you’re scaling for athletes, keep this in mind:
You can adjust height to meet someone where they’re at.
But avoid scaling range of motion when it comes to squats (or any foundational movement pattern) unless absolutely necessary.
If an athlete can’t squat below parallel, it’s not just about making the workout easier—it’s a signal that their function is limited. And as coaches, we want to preserve and improve function whenever possible.
Bottom line:
Not all standards are equal.
Respect the difference between performance metrics and functional movement.
Scale with intention—and preserve function above all else.
Got questions or want to nerd out more? Drop me a message or hit the comments.
Until next Tuesday—stay virtuous.
– Pat
