The wrist tack and spin technique pins forearm tissue with a lacrosse ball and then rotates the wrist through its full range. This breaks up adhesions between the forearm muscles and the underlying fascia, restoring wrist mobility for pressing, front rack, and overhead movements.

Setup

  1. Place a lacrosse ball on a table or desk.
  2. Rest the inside of your forearm (flexor side, palm-up) on the ball, about 2–3 inches below the elbow.
  3. Press down firmly to “tack” the tissue — the ball should sink into the muscle.
  4. While maintaining pressure, slowly rotate your forearm from palm-up to palm-down and back (pronation and supination). Perform 8–10 rotations.
  5. Move the ball one inch closer to the wrist and repeat. Continue until you’ve worked from below the elbow to just above the wrist.
  6. Flip your arm over and repeat on the extensor side (palm-down on the ball).

Coaching Cues

What to feel:

  • The ball anchoring into the tissue while the wrist rotates underneath
  • A pulling or stretching sensation as the tissue slides against the ball
  • Gradual softening of tight spots after several rotations

Common mistakes:

  • Not pressing hard enough — the ball needs to actually pin the tissue for the technique to work
  • Moving the ball instead of spinning the wrist — the ball stays still while you rotate
  • Skipping the extensor side — both surfaces of the forearm need work
  • Going too fast — slow, deliberate rotations are more effective than quick spins

Video and animated demos coming soon.

Programming

Parameter Recommendation
Duration 2 minutes per arm
Sets 1 pass from elbow to wrist on each surface
Frequency 3–5x per week
When to do it Upper body focus, full mobility session

Progressions

  1. Beginner: Tennis ball on a soft surface, light pressure. Slow rotations only.
  2. Intermediate: Lacrosse ball on a hard surface, adding wrist flexion/extension at each position.
  3. Advanced: Lacrosse ball with maximum pressure, combining rotation with finger extension and grip movements.