Ball circles on a table are a gentle shoulder blade control exercise. You stand facing a table with a gym ball on it, rest the hand of the arm you are working on top, set your shoulder blades back and down, and roll the ball in small circles. The ball carries the weight of the arm, so the muscles around the shoulder blade (serratus anterior and trapezius) can practice holding it steady while the arm moves.

How to do the ball circles on a table

Stand tall facing a sturdy table or firm bed, with a gym ball resting on it just in front of and to the side of the arm you are working. Pick a table height and ball size that put the top of the ball about level with your hip, as in the video, so the arm can rest on it without leaning.
Rest the palm of that arm on top of the ball, elbow slightly bent and the arm relaxed.
Gently draw both shoulder blades back and down, so your chest stays open and your shoulders stay away from your ears.
Holding that position, roll the ball in small, slow circles with your hand. Many programs change direction halfway through.
Stop, rest the arm by your side, and repeat with the other arm if your program includes both.

What you should feel

Light, steady work around the shoulder blade and the back of the shoulder. The circles themselves should feel easy. The work is in keeping the shoulder blade still while the hand moves.

Common mistakes

Letting the shoulder creep up toward the ear as the ball moves.
Making the circles so big that the shoulder blade has to travel with them.
Leaning your body weight down onto the ball.
Rolling fast. Slow circles are easier to control.

How often

Many programs use 2 to 3 sets of about 10 circles in each direction, or 30 to 60 seconds of circling, once or twice a day. Your physio will adjust this.

Stop and check with your physio if

Sharp pain or a catch in the shoulder.
Tingling, pins and needles or numbness comes on in your arm or hand while you circle.
Pins and needles in your arm or hand that do not go away after you stop, or part of your arm or hand goes numb. Get medical advice the same day. If one side of your face or body suddenly goes numb or weak, or your speech becomes slurred or muddled, call emergency services, even if it goes away.
A sudden pop or tearing feeling in the shoulder that brings sharp pain, new weakness or trouble lifting the arm. Stop and contact your surgical team the same day, or get medical advice the same day if you have not had surgery.
The shoulder feels as if it has slipped out of place, looks a different shape or suddenly locks so you cannot move the arm, or your hand turns cold, pale or blue. Go to an emergency department straight away, without driving yourself, and do not try to put the shoulder back in yourself.

From the clinic

Because the ball holds the arm up for you, this often appears early in a shoulder program, before exercises where the arm has to support itself. Use a table that will not slide, and keep the ball back from the edge so it cannot roll off. Once this feels easy, wall ball shoulder flexion and the wall ball press ask the shoulder blade to stay steady with the arm raised against a wall.

After shoulder surgery, including a rotator cuff repair, or after a shoulder fracture or dislocation, follow your surgeon's or physio's plan, and do only the movements and range they have cleared. Many plans allow only passive movement at first, where the arm is moved for you and its muscles stay relaxed. Rolling the ball is active movement, even with the arm supported, so ask whether it fits the stage you are at.

Written and checked by the PocketPhysio editorial team. Last updated 2026-09-28.

This page is general education, not a diagnosis or a personal treatment plan. If you have pain, an injury or a health condition, see a physiotherapist or doctor before starting new exercises.

Ball circles on a table