Throwing the ball is a sport in ancient China, in which the ball was hit into a hole with a stick. The predecessor may be the step ball in polo in Tang Dynasty. Walking at that time was similar to modern hockey, and it was very antagonistic. In the Song Dynasty, the step-ball competition gradually evolved from the original antagonistic competition in the same field to the non-antagonistic competition of hitting the ball in turn. The goal was changed to the hole and the name was changed to "Blowing Bowl".

Because the activity of pushing pills is not very large, it can "make them feel at ease, nourish blood and please their spirits" (Preface to Pill Hole), so it is also one of women's favorite leisure activities. Du Jin's long scroll "The Lady's Picture" in Ming Dynasty is now in Shanghai Museum, which depicts the leisure and entertainment life of aristocratic women in Ming Dynasty, including playing the piano, watching fish, visiting the park, playing cuju and pounding pills.