How to Make a Speed Ladder

The speed ladder is an established tool for improving footwork. Athletes from a wide range of sports, including football, basketball, soccer and more, rely on the speed ladder for multi-directional agility training. With a speed ladder, your feet are allowed to move independently in complex patterns that mimic the actions in the sport you are training for, and the end result is faster feet in a wide range of motions. Bypass an expensive speed ladder bought in a sports store and learn how to make one yourself using a few simple supplies.

Things You'll Need

  • 70 feet of thin rope
  • Spool of outdoor canvas thread
  • Permanent marker
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Instructions

    • 1

      Measure two lengths of 20 feet of rope. Make sure the rope thickness is heavy enough to lie firmly on a grassy surface. Too light of a rope will blow away in a strong breeze. These two lengths of rope will form the length of the ladder and are a perfect length for ladder drills.

    • 2

      Mark the rope with a permanent marker every 17 inches. Do this on each length of the rope starting from the same end to make sure the markings line up. These marking will form the area where the rope will be attached across the long lengths of rope to from the ladder boxes. Begin the markings three inches from the bottom of the rope to provide some leeway in case you need to trim the rope later.

    • 3

      Cut a dozen 25-inch lengths of rope to lie across perpendicular to the ladder lengths to form the boxes. The size need not be exact as they technically only need to be 17 inches. Leaving more length will make it easier to fasten the ropes together and can always be trimmed when the ladder is near completion.

    • 4

      Begin fastening the shorter lengths to the longer rope on the points made by the permanent marker. Starting at the bottom, attach the ropes by wrapping the canvas thread in a figure-eight pattern so the rope is attached evenly on all sides. Wrap the intersecting point about a dozen times around on all corners of the intersection or until the rope feels secure. On the last wrap, give the thread some slack, so you can make one more wrap, pass the thread through the slack then tighten the thread so it won't unravel. Clip the thread and move on to the next length.