Beginner Agility Ladder Drills to Boost Sports Performance

Several factors contribute to an athlete’s performance, and each one is trained using a different method. If they want to build muscle mass, they engage in strength training. If they need aerobic endurance, steady state cardio can help. But if it’s speed and the ability to move quickly that they’re after, agility ladder drills get the job done. 

What Is Agility Ladder Training?

Agility ladder drills are training exercises performed with a piece of equipment called an agility ladder. An agility ladder has the same shape as a regular ladder but lies flat on the ground. The “rungs” are generally made of plastic and the “side rails” of nylon. When fully extended, the ladder is often 20 feet or longer. 

An agility ladder workout involves performing different foot movements through the ladder’s rungs and side rails as quickly as possible. For example, a beginner ladder drill might involve running through the ladder as fast as you can, placing one foot in the open square between each rung, and not stopping until you get to the other end.

How Agility Ladder Exercise Can Improve Sports Performance

Ladder drills enhance sports performance by boosting speed and agility. Faster foot speed enables sports players to outrun their opponents. Having fast feet also improves their ability to switch directions quickly. They can better perform movements that require speedy footwork. 

One type of athlete who can benefit from greater speed and agility is a basketball player. They must be able to move quickly, whether to pivot the ball away from an opposing team member or to run to the other end of the court to score a two-pointer before they are blocked. Research indicates that using an agility ladder during training can help provide the agility needed for these movements. 

For example, a 2020 study involved 25 male basketball players. Each engaged in 16 training sessions with an agility ladder over the course of six weeks. After completing the ladder drill training program, their agility had improved over what it was before the study started. (1)

Agility ladder drills are also beneficial for other athletes. This includes soccer players and tennis players. They too must be able to move and pivot quickly to reach the ball before it goes out of bounds. 

Speed ladder training can make these movements happen in the blink of an eye (or faster). It also improves the athlete’s coordination by teaching the feet and body how to move and switch directions as fast as possible without falling down.

5 Agility Ladder Drills for Beginners

When the goal is to improve agility, a variety of ladder drills can help. Here are five to try if you’re new to this type of workout:

• One Step. This basic drill involves stepping through the ladder, placing one foot in each open square between the rungs. Step the right foot in the first opening, the left foot in the second, and so on. Continue to the end of the ladder, then turn around and come back using the same sequence.

• Two-in-One Linear Runs. To do this speed ladder drill, step the right foot into the first open square. Next, step the left foot into that same square. Continue this same movement through each square, placing the right foot in first, followed by the left foot, then advancing to the next square. 

• High Knees. For this drill, move through the agility ladder by stepping just one foot in each opening. However, when taking each step, bring the knees toward the chest. Once this drill is mastered, try doing it with a lateral movement instead of going through the drill face forward. Lateral high knees help boost speed and agility in side to side movements.

• Single Foot Hops. To do this drill, hop on one foot through each square of the ladder. Then turn around and hop on the opposite foot to come back. This ladder drill does require some balance. If this is an issue, skip it and do the other ladder drills instead.

• Two In, Two Out. This drill also involves a hop. Start by hopping with both feet into the first open square. In the next hop, move the feet away from each other so they land outside the square on opposite sides of the ladder. (The right foot will be on the right side of the ladder and the left foot will be on the left side of the ladder.) Hop with both feet into the next square, then continue this pattern.

After these ladder drills are mastered, you can move to more advanced moves such as the ickey shuffle and river dance. These require more complex footwork, making them good ones to work into once you feel comfortable doing more basic ladder drills.

Avoid These Mistakes When Doing Ladder Training

When first performing agility ladder drills, there is a tendency to land on the entire foot. This assists with balance and coordination of the movement. However, during actual sports play, most quick movements are performed on the foot’s ball. Using this same approach when doing ladder drills helps provide better training for real events.

Another common mistake is to lean too far forward during a ladder training session. Proper form is to have either a slight forward lean during the drill or to keep the torso upright. In the latter, the back is straight with the shoulders over the hips. 

Tips for Maximizing Agility Ladder Drills

During the first run through each ladder drill, focus more on mastering the movement than on speed. Once you can do the drill with good coordination, then start to increase the speed. With each pass, try to get through the agility ladder faster than the previous one.

Also, use the entire ladder during an agility drill, whenever possible. Stopping short or only using a limited number of ladder squares may not be enough to experience gains in speed and agility. The only exception, of course, is if you are performing a ladder drill that doesn’t require the use of the entire piece of equipment. If the drill only calls for one ladder square, that’s okay. Otherwise, aim to use the whole ladder when doing agility training.

Don’t be afraid to mix up a drill either. If you normally start with the right leg, for instance, start some drills with the left leg. Changing the lead leg from time to time helps improve speed and agility in all types of movements. It also enables you to go the opposite direction faster, no matter which one is the leading leg.

Trainers: Help Your Clients Maximize Their Speed and Agility

Incorporating agility ladder drills into a client’s workout can help them perform their best on the court, track, or field. But agility exercises are only one way to improve sports performance. 

Learn other effective strategies in ISSA’s Performance Enhancement Specialist certification program. This certification can establish you as an expert in this area of fitness, making you a sought-after personal trainer for athletes who want to perform their best.

References

1. Pradana, R. A., Maulang, I., & Gondo, A. A. (2020). Effect of ladder drill training toward agility level among basketball players. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1529(3), 032038. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1529/3/032038