Speed & Agility Training Drills

Most sports require quick movements, side to side movements and speed as a means of success. While practicing the technical skills for any sport is essential for overall growth and development, speed and agility drills take the average player and vault them to the top. The ability to move around players, move efficiently or have break away speed in the field gives well trained players an unparalleled advantage.

  1. Follow the Leader

    • Follow the leader is a simple, yet effective method of training the body and muscles to respond to short and unpredictable movements. To run the drill, player A begins sprinting in any direction, changing his direction at his whim at any time. Player B attempts to follow the movements of player A, attempting to maintain a distance of two yards between them.

    Ladder Drills

    • Ladder drills are some of the most commonly used drills when looking for agility training. Set up a faux ladder using flat materials such as duct or masking tape. The player then practices the drill by making quick steps within the rungs. The drill is practiced by running forwards, backwards, side stepping and even bunny hopping. By practicing the drill, the player will be able to move his feet quickly in many directions, promoting agility.

    Shuttle Run

    • The shuttle run is of the oldest speed and agility drills ever used to train and time athletes. The shuttle run involves two cones, placed 25 yards apart. The participant starts at one cone, sprints to the other, touches the ground and returns to the starting point. While that is only one repetition, it can be repeated several times to train the fast twitch muscles of the legs.

    Box Drill

    • The box drill trains both speed and agility when practiced effectively. The player sets up four cones in a square formation. Once aligned, to run the drill, the player begins at the first cone, runs to the second cone, stops, side steps his way to the third, stops, backpedals his way to the fourth, then turns and sprints back to the first and final cone.

    Three Cone Shuttle Drill

    • The three cone shuttle drill is another example of a drill that can train speed, agility, and body control. Place three cones in an "L" formation, each five yards apart. The player starts at the top of the "L", sprints down to cone two, the closest of the other two cones, and touches the ground. From there, he sprints up, back to cone one, touches the ground and begins to run back down to cone two. Once at cone two, the player must run on the outside, over to and around cone three. Once rounding cone three, the player loops back around the outside of cone two, ending the drill at cone one.