Ballistic stretching uses rapid movements and momentum to stretch a muscle beyond its normal range of motion. This type of stretching uses stretched muscles in a spring-like manner at a high velocity.
Although I’ve played sports since age 5, I’ve never come across a coach, trainer, or physical therapist who has referenced ballistic stretching. Dynamic stretching has always been required prior to working out or competing. I even had a coach who would make us jog half a mile before doing dynamic stretching because “there is no point in stretching a cold muscle.”
After doing some research, I realized that I had my first real experience with ballistic stretching two months ago. That begs the question, “Should you use ballistic stretching?”
What does research say?
After reviewing different blogs and coaching websites, it seems that most coaches and trainers would not recommend this form of stretching to the average person. Some trainers recommend ballistic stretching to athletes who participate in sports that often push their range of motion past what is considered “normal”, like martial arts or dance.
However, the common consensus is still that ballistic stretching is not the most effective and not the safest form of stretching.
Although coaches and trainers say one thing, what does the research say?
A 2008 study compared the different effects of static stretching and ballistic stretching in college students around the age of 22. The goal was to see how the two forms of stretching affect the strength and power of the students. Prior to the assessment, all participants were screened and deemed “healthy” meaning they had no prior lower body injuries.
The “control” for the study was people who did not stretch prior to the tests. The study found that both ballistic and static stretching had a negative effect on power as compared with the control. The control was able to produce more power than any participant who used either stretch in respect to their gender.
The study also found that there was no difference in quadricep and hamstring torque between participants who used static and ballistic stretching. In short: Ballistic stretching was similar in power reduction as static stretching.
Another study looked at how ballistic stretching affects muscle and tendon structure. The study compared 48 police cadets that were assigned to either the ballistic stretching group or the control group. The ballistic stretching group took a training program five days a week for six weeks before entering the police academy.
The study found that torque and muscle stiffness were unaffected between the control and ballistic stretching groups. There was a difference in the dorsiflexion range-of-motion measurements. That means that participants who were a part of the ballistic stretching group saw a significant increase in the range of motion of their ankles and wrists.
One bias this study may have is that the police cadets were already considered above-average in terms of physical ability. This would allow them to perform better than the average person during the study.
The bigger picture
A 2018 systematic review also focused on comparing different types of stretching on ankle dorsiflexion. Based on 20 randomized-controlled trials, the study found all three types of stretching increased dorsiflexion when compared to a control group, but ballistic stretching had the least effect.
Two of the included studies gave similar outcomes in terms of torque output and found that ballistic stretching did not increase torque output when compared to other forms of stretching or no stretching. However, one of the studies found evidence that supports what every blog said: Ballistic stretching can help to increase range of motion.
But one study rarely gives an accurate view of a topic. Looking at the bigger picture, the systematic review showed that although ballistic stretching does increase range of motion, it’s not the most effective form of stretching.
Meanwhile, a 2025 systematic review of 17 studies that compared the acute effects of dynamic and ballistic stretching found both had small effects in increasing joint flexibility. All studies examined lower body muscles and found “no significant differences based on age, sex, stretching methods, stretched muscles, or flexibility outcomes.”
However, the researchers noted publication bias in two of the studies that has outlying large effect sizes. “Even when we excluded these studies, the overall results of the meta-analysis were similar, but the effect sizes became smaller,” they wrote.
They added that only three of the studies included middle-age or older participants, and only one paper had female participants.
What is the difference between ballistic and dynamic stretching?
Have you ever heard the phrase, “A square is a rectangle, but a rectangle isn’t a square?” The same can be said for dynamic and ballistic stretching. Ballistic stretching is a subcategory of dynamic stretching.
Dynamic stretching also has a second subcategory called active stretching. Active stretching is more commonly used, especially among athletes and is often found to be safer than ballistic stretching because it avoids sudden — possibly dangerous — movements.
However, you may have done ballistic stretching and not even have known it. One common ballistic stretch is the “butterfly stretch”. Oftentimes, coaches and trainers will sprinkle in small amounts of ballistic stretching into a dynamic stretching routine.
Should you do ballistic stretching?
When it comes to whether or not you should participate in ballistic stretching, there are a few questions you can ask yourself:
- Do I consider myself to be an athlete?
- Do I need to stretch past my normal range of motion?
- Why do I want to use ballistic stretching rather than other forms of stretching?
If you’re unsure, it’s always best to seek advice from a qualified exercise professional to avoid the risk of injury.
Remember when I said I had my first real experience with ballistic stretching a couple months ago? That’s because I recently started jiu-jitsu. We use a very scarce amount of ballistic stretches in our warm-ups. So, my experience seems to be right in line with what other people are saying: Ballistic stretching seems to be used in martial arts, but not most other types of sports.
Riley Sullivan
Riley Sullivan earned her associate's degree in journalism at Palomar College in 2021 and was a staff writer for “The Telescope,” and she is currently attending California State University Northridge.
Riley began playing sports at the age of four, from riding dirt bikes to playing soccer. Immediately after graduating high school, she coached high school basketball and lacrosse, and then worked at the YMCA of San Diego until March 2020.
In her free time, Riley enjoys reading (“A Girl on a Train”), watching movies (“What’s Eating Gilbert Grape”), and has a new-found love for Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
