Purpose The aims of the present study were to: (1) investigate the magnitude and direction of the cross-education effect in a unilateral sport skill (overhand throw) and (2) to establish which practice condition (dominant hand only or alternating hands) would yield the best results. Methods The study involved three experimental groups of 11-year-old children (n = 59). The first group (n = 20) used only the dominant hand to throw the ball. The second group (n = 19) used the nondominant hand only, while the third (n = 20) alternated hands for each throw. A pre- and post-testing of both hands preceded and followed the intervention period. Results The results of our study revealed no asymmetry in cross-education effect between the limbs for children`s overhand ball throwing. It was also shown that training both hands is superior to training the dominant hand alone. Conclusion Our findings would be of particular interest to physical education teachers and coaches of unilateral sports who are advised to review their unilateral skill teaching methods as bilateral training offers a superior approach to augmenting the process of motor learning and performance.
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