Ultimate Guide to Lacrosse Speed and Agility Drills: Boost Your Performance on the Field

How can lacrosse players improve their speed and agility. What are the most effective drills for enhancing footwork and quickness. Why is conditioning crucial for success in lacrosse.

Essential Lacrosse Speed and Agility Drills for Peak Performance

Lacrosse demands quick reflexes, rapid direction changes, and explosive bursts of speed. To excel on the field, players must develop their agility, footwork, and overall conditioning. This comprehensive guide explores a variety of effective drills designed to enhance these crucial skills.

NFL Agility Drill: Mastering Lateral Speed and Body Control

The NFL Agility Drill is an excellent exercise for lacrosse players looking to improve their short-distance lateral speed, balance, and body control. Here’s how to set it up and execute the drill:

• Place three cones 5 yards apart for a total of 10 consecutive yards
• Start in a three-point athletic stance, straddling the middle cone
• On command, sprint to one of the outside cones
• Touch the line with your outside hand, then change direction
• Run 10 yards to the opposite outside line and touch it with your outside hand
• Finish by sprinting through the middle starting line

This drill simulates the quick lateral movements often required in lacrosse, helping players develop the agility needed to evade defenders or make crucial defensive plays.

60-Yard Shuttle: Perfecting Acceleration and Deceleration

The 60-Yard Shuttle focuses on accelerating, decelerating, and redirecting within a 15-yard zone. This drill is particularly beneficial for lacrosse players, as much of the game takes place in close quarters. To perform the 60-Yard Shuttle:

1. Mark a starting line and place lines every 5 yards for 15 consecutive yards
2. Begin in a two- or three-point athletic stance behind the starting line
3. Sprint to the 5-yard line, touch it with either hand, then return to the starting line
4. Touch the starting line with the opposite hand
5. Repeat the process for the 10-yard and 15-yard lines

By practicing this drill regularly, players can improve their ability to quickly change direction and maintain control in tight spaces, a vital skill for both offensive and defensive play in lacrosse.

Enhancing Agility and Quickness with the T Drill

The T Drill is an excellent exercise for lacrosse players looking to improve their ability to accelerate, decelerate, and change direction rapidly in a compact area. This drill mimics the quick movements often required during gameplay.

Setting Up and Executing the T Drill

To set up the T Drill, follow these steps:

• Arrange cones in a T shape
• Place three cones at the top of the T, 10 yards apart
• Position the start cone at the base of the T, 5 yards from the middle cone
• Begin in a two-point stance on one side of the start cone

To perform the drill:

1. Sprint to the top middle cone and perform a 90-degree turn
2. Touch the top of the outside cone with one hand
3. Run across the base of the T to the opposite cone and touch it with the opposite hand
4. Sprint around the top middle cone and return through the starting cone

To add variety and challenge to the T Drill, consider these modifications:

• Change the starting location (e.g., left or right sides of the cone)
• Alter the starting position (e.g., lying down, kneeling)
• Modify the sequence of movements along the top of the T (e.g., shuffle, carioca)

By incorporating these variations, players can continuously challenge themselves and improve their overall agility and quickness on the lacrosse field.

Mastering the Illinois Agility Drill for Lacrosse

The Illinois Agility Drill is a comprehensive exercise that combines acceleration, deceleration, foot speed, and body control. This drill is particularly beneficial for lacrosse players as it simulates the multidirectional movements and quick transitions required during gameplay.

Setting Up the Illinois Agility Drill

To set up the Illinois Agility Drill, follow these steps:

• Use four cones to create a rectangle 10 meters long by 5 meters wide
• Inside the rectangle, set four more cones 3.3 meters apart in a line
• Ensure the top and bottom cones align with the outside cones of the rectangle
• Start in a two- or three-point athletic stance behind the bottom left starting cone

Executing the Illinois Agility Drill

To perform the drill effectively:

1. On command, sprint to the cone 10 meters from the starting point
2. Touch the level of the cone with your left foot
3. Sprint to the first cone in the middle
4. Weave through the cones down and back in a specified pattern
5. After completing the weave, sprint to the cone 10 meters away
6. Touch the level of the cone with your right foot
7. Sprint to the final cone to complete the drill

To keep the drill challenging and prevent monotony, consider these variations:

• Alternate starting locations (e.g., bottom left or bottom right cones)
• Change starting positions (e.g., lying down, kneeling, lateral stance)
• Modify the weaving pattern through the middle cones

By regularly practicing the Illinois Agility Drill and its variations, lacrosse players can significantly improve their overall agility, speed, and body control, leading to enhanced performance on the field.

The Power of Jump Rope Training for Lacrosse Players

Jump rope training is an incredibly effective and versatile exercise for lacrosse players looking to improve their footwork, agility, and overall conditioning. This simple yet powerful tool offers numerous benefits that directly translate to better performance on the lacrosse field.

Why Jump Rope is the Ultimate Lacrosse Training Tool

Jump rope is often hailed as one of the best exercises for lacrosse players due to its comprehensive benefits:

• Enhances agility and foot speed
• Improves stamina and cardiovascular endurance
• Strengthens muscles in the legs, core, and upper body
• Develops coordination and rhythm
• Increases bone density
• Portable and easy to incorporate into any training routine

These benefits make jump rope an excellent “bang for your buck” exercise, providing a full-body workout that directly translates to improved lacrosse performance.

Getting Started with Jump Rope Training

To begin incorporating jump rope into your lacrosse training regimen:

1. Invest in a quality jump rope (a basic $10 model can suffice for beginners)
2. Start with short sessions to build technique and endurance
3. Focus on maintaining proper form throughout your jumps
4. Gradually increase duration and intensity as you improve
5. Incorporate various jumping styles to challenge different muscle groups

While it may take some time to master the technique, the effort invested in learning proper jump rope form is well worth it for lacrosse players seeking to elevate their game.

Incorporating Footwork and Agility Drills into Your Lacrosse Training

To maximize the benefits of footwork and agility training, it’s essential to incorporate these drills consistently into your lacrosse practice routine. Here are some tips for effectively integrating these exercises:

Creating a Balanced Training Schedule

Develop a well-rounded training schedule that includes:

• 2-3 footwork and agility sessions per week
• Alternating between different drills to target various skills
• Combining agility work with stick skills and conditioning exercises
• Allowing adequate rest and recovery time between intense sessions

Progressing Your Agility Training

To continuously improve your agility and footwork:

1. Start with basic drills and focus on proper form
2. Gradually increase the speed and complexity of movements
3. Incorporate reactive elements to simulate game situations
4. Use a stopwatch to track improvements in drill completion times
5. Set specific goals for each training session to maintain motivation

By consistently challenging yourself and tracking your progress, you can ensure steady improvement in your lacrosse-specific agility and footwork skills.

The Impact of Improved Agility on Lacrosse Performance

Enhanced agility and footwork can significantly impact a player’s performance across various aspects of lacrosse. Understanding these benefits can help motivate players to dedicate time and effort to agility training.

Offensive Advantages of Improved Agility

For offensive players, better agility translates to:

• More effective dodging and evasion of defenders
• Quicker changes of direction to create scoring opportunities
• Improved ability to maintain possession under pressure
• Enhanced off-ball movement to support teammates

Defensive Benefits of Agility Training

Defensively, improved agility allows players to:

• React more quickly to offensive moves
• Maintain better positioning against attackers
• Execute more effective checks and stick pokes
• Recover faster after initial defensive moves

By focusing on agility and footwork training, lacrosse players can elevate their game in both offensive and defensive roles, becoming more versatile and valuable team members.

Combining Agility Drills with Lacrosse-Specific Skills

To maximize the transfer of agility improvements to on-field performance, it’s crucial to integrate lacrosse-specific skills into your agility training. This approach helps bridge the gap between isolated drills and actual gameplay situations.

Integrating Stick Skills with Agility Drills

Consider these ways to combine stick work with agility exercises:

• Perform cradling drills while executing agility cone patterns
• Practice quick stick passes at the end of each agility drill repetition
• Incorporate ball pickups into change-of-direction exercises
• Execute shooting drills immediately following agility work to simulate game fatigue

Creating Game-Like Scenarios in Training

To further enhance the effectiveness of your agility training:

1. Set up small-sided games that emphasize quick movements and decision-making
2. Use auditory or visual cues to trigger direction changes during drills
3. Implement defensive pressure in agility exercises to simulate game stress
4. Practice transition plays that require rapid acceleration and deceleration

By integrating these elements into your training, you can develop agility skills that directly translate to improved performance in lacrosse games.

Speed and Agility Drills [ARTICLE] – Coaches Insider

By: Tom Howley

Originally Published in: Complete Conditioning For Lacrosse

Provided by: Human Kinetics

NFL AGILITY DRILL

Purpose

This drill helps develop short-distance lateral speed, balance, and body control. It can also be used to test agility skill.

Setup

Place cones 5 yards apart for 10 consecutive yards (i.e., place one cone on the goal line, one cone on the 5-yard line, and one cone on the 10-yard line) (figure 5.30). Start in a three-point athletic stance with the feet straddling the middle cone and a hand on the middle line.

Procedure

• On the command, run toward one of the outside cones.

• Touch the line with the outside hand and then change direction and run 10 yards toward the other outside line.

• Touch that line with the outside hand.

• Finish by running through the middle starting line.

60-YARD SHUTTLE

Purpose

This drill focuses on accelerating, decelerating, and redirecting in a 15-yard zone. These skills are useful because much of the sport takes place in close quarters.

Setup

Mark a starting line and then a line every 5 yards for 15 consecutive yards (figure 5.31). Start in a two- or three-point athletic stance behind the starting line.

Procedure

• On the command, run to the 5-yard line and touch it with either hand. Return to the starting line and touch it with the opposite hand.

• Run to the 10-yard line and touch it with the first hand. Return to the starting line and touch it with the opposite hand.

• Run to the 15-yard line and touch it with the first hand. Return to the starting line and touch it with the opposite hand.

T DRILL

Purpose

This drill focuses on accelerating, decelerating, and quickly changing direction in a compact area.

Setup

Set up the cones in a T shape, with the three cones at the top of the T 10 yards apart and the cone at the base of the T (i.e., the start cone) 5 yards from the middle cone at the top of the T (figure 5.32). Begin in a two-point stance on one side of the start cone.

Procedure

• Sprint to the top middle cone, perform a 90-degree turn, and touch the top of the outside cone with one hand.

• Run across the base of the T to the opposite cone and touch it with the opposite hand.

• Sprint around the top middle cone and return through the starting cone.

• Add variety by changing the starting location (e.g., left or right sides of the cone), starting position (e.g., lying, kneeling), or sequence of movements along the top of the T (e.g., shuffle, carioca).

ILLINOIS AGILITY DRILL

Purpose

This drill combines acceleration, deceleration, foot speed, and body control.

Setup

Use four cones to set up a rectangle that is 10 meters long by 5 meters wide. Inside the rectangle, set four more cones 3.3 meters apart in a line. The top and bottom cones should be even with the outside cones that establish the rectangle. Start in a two- or three-point athletic stance behind the bottom left starting cone.

Procedure

• On the command, run to the cone that is 10 meters from the starting cone. Touch the level of the cone with the left foot and sprint to the first cone in the middle.

• Weave through the cones down and back in the pattern shown in figure 5.33.

• After finishing the weave, sprint toward the cone that is set up 10 meters away, touch the level of the cone with the right foot, and sprint to the final cone.

• To create variety, change up the starting location (e.g., bottom left or bottom right cones) and the starting position (e.g., lying, kneeling, lateral).

The Best Lacrosse Footwork and Agility Drills – LaxWeekly

February 11, 2020July 20, 2017 by jakenathan

In lacrosse, having proper footwork is essential to becoming an elite dodger, defender, and overall player. Footwork and agility training can mean the difference between scoring the game winning goal and getting the ball stripped from your stick. It is critical to include footwork training during your workout routines to become a better player. Here are several exercises you can do to increase your foot speed and agility. 

Jumprope

As I have said before, Jumprope is the BEST footwork and agility exercise you could possibly do! If you do not own a jumprope, here’s a $10 one that I use: Fitness Training Jumprope

I absolutely love jumping rope because it helps with agility, stamina, muscle endurance and strengthening, and so much more. It’s the best “bang for your buck” you can get with an exercise. Whenever someone asks me how to train for lacrosse, I always point them to the jumprope. It’s also super portable, so you can take it with you on vacation or work or school.

The biggest obstacle with jumprope is that it takes a bit of time to learn the form. In my opinion, the time spent learning is 100% worth it. If you want the fastest way to be a better lacrosse player, jumping rope is certainly one way. 

Start by trying to do intervals of 30 seconds and work your way up to 2 minute intervals. If you’re really hardcore, try to do 10 rounds of 3 minutes w/ 1 minute rest in between each round. I tried this last week and I was EXHAUSTED. Here’s a good video for starters:

Dodging Through Trees

You did not read this wrong! Dodging through trees is a great way to increase your speed and agility. Some of my favorite memories were spent in my yard with the lacrosse stick in my hand, dodging around trees like they were defenders. 

On a nice day, go outside with your lacrosse stick and find 3-5 trees that are a several feet apart. Do a different dodge around each tree: start with a split dodge, then a roll dodge, then a face dodge, then another split, and then another roll. Just make sure you don’t hit the tree. 

There are many great lacrosse players who have said that they used to dodge through trees growing up. One of the coolest lacrosse videos out there is a video made by GoPro and Paul Rabil, a professional lacrosse player. They have some amazing shots of Paul going through a forest, improvising as he runs by different things. Mix up your training and get creative. 

Footwork Ladders

Footwork ladders are a staple in many different sports, notably football and basketball. You often see world-class athletes training with footwork ladders because they are extremely effective. My favorite workouts were when I went out to a grass field, set up a footwork ladder, and went back and forth doing different drills. 

My favorite thing to do with footwork ladders is to actually have my stick in my hand when performing drills. You can do a split dodge between each “rung” of the ladder which will help with your dodging ability. 

One thing to keep in mind is to always have your head up when doing ladder drills. One mistake I always see younger players doing is looking down at their feet while performing the movement. If you look down in drills, you’ll look down when you are playing lacrosse which is not good. Always keep your head up. 

Cone Drills

Cone drills are another staple in a wide variety of sports. The great part about cones is how versatile they are. You can set them up in hundreds of different ways to customize your workout. 

In practice, we often did the “5-10-5” drill, where we set up 3 cones, 5 yards apart from each other. We would start in the middle cone, run to one side, run to the other side, and then sprint back to the middle cone. This is great for speed and agility and something that I highly recommend doing. 

My favorite cone workout is the “3 cone drill.” Players in the NFL combine must do this drill, and I really like it because it helps with speed and change of direction. There’s no better way to explain it than with a short video: 

There you go. Use these footwork drills to become a better lacrosse player. Make sure to always keep your head up and be safe when performing each movement. Use your imagination and come up with workouts that are fun and exciting to do. Get a few friends and make it a competition. 

If you want me to make a custom lacrosse footwork training plan specifically for your game, I now offer private coaching! (You can read more about it here) [asp_product id=”2818″]

which ones are better, how to train to develop dexterity

Long jumps, high jumps and hurdles are only a small part of what includes a set of exercises that develops coordination and reaction speed. You can become stronger and faster by developing your body at home.

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Being nimble and fast is always a pleasure, and for this you can sweat in the gym. However, there are a number of exercises that will develop your coordination at home.

Contents of the article

When you hear the word agility, you might think of professional athletes or circus acrobats. But agility isn’t just for people who are trying to win medals or competitions. Agility training can be helpful for anyone looking to improve their balance, coordination, and reaction time. Anyone interested in general fitness and health can benefit from adding some of these exercises to their workout.

Why agility exercises are needed

Agility exercises develop coordination and those muscles of the body that are involved in making sharp short movements. By developing them, it will be easier for you to perform heavy exercises, for example, lifting weights and barbells. In addition, you will become more collected and in a normal state – you will have a skill that allows you not to fall in public transport when it brakes sharply, not to slip on ice and not “brake” when you have to run sharply after a departing train. In addition, agility exercises help keep the body in good shape, improve the functioning of the cardiovascular system.

Some sets of exercises are also good for burning excess fat, which greatly limits a person’s movements. And in general, it doesn’t hurt anyone to be more mobile and fit. Physical exercises that do not use artificial weights have a very good effect on health and immunity, promote cell renewal, and, as a result, reduce the negative effects of aging in the future.

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In addition to the above benefits of agility exercises, there are others:

• Injury Prevention

Many injuries happen when the body is out of balance while moving—think of a strain in your lower back if you lift from an incorrect position, or a ligament tear in your knee if you stumble. Agility training improves balance, control, and flexibility by allowing the body to maintain proper posture and alignment while moving. Agility training helps the body learn to be in the correct position, which means that sensitive areas such as the shoulders, lower back and knees will be protected when moving quickly.

• Mind-Body Connection

Agility training helps build pathways in the brain to respond quickly to different stimuli. At first, the response movements will feel forced, but as you practice, they will become more natural.

• Improved balance and coordination

Have you ever watched a gymnast on a balance beam? His movements are dynamic, fluid and perfectly balanced. Agility training encourages the body to develop balance in the midst of dynamic movements, like a gymnast on a balance beam. Practicing quick stops and starts, hand-eye coordination and speed help our body’s systems work in sync. In this case, the movements become smoother and more coordinated.

• Improved Recovery Time

Sometimes an intense workout can leave you with sore muscles and lower energy levels the next day. But jerky movements during training, if performed over a long period of time, help strengthen the musculoskeletal system, which in turn can reduce recovery time.

• Increasing results in minimal time

Often agility exercises are also high-intensity interval training that can produce noticeable results in minimal time. Non-linear movements, such as stepping from foot to foot using a sports ladder or running around cones in a slalom, use more muscles than if you just ran in a straight line. Engaging more muscles leads to higher results from your workout.

Sports that develop agility

Agility develops in many ways. Most team games (volleyball, basketball, football, water polo) help to improve coordination and reaction, and also contribute to the development of endurance and muscles. The only exception here is rowing, which is not aimed at developing coordination, but rather at physical strength.

In addition to team sports, all types of athletics develop agility. Long jumps, sprinting, sports dancing, diving, skiing – all affect the improvement of coordination and speed of reactions. However, it is worth remembering that the human body has limits, and if you constantly chase new heights in sports, then at some point you will either get seriously injured or dry up your body so much that it will begin to weaken at some point. . Every hobby must have a measure, and in sports it lies where threats to health begin.

Top 10 Agility Exercises

Some of these exercises are best done indoors, but most can be done at home or outdoors.

1. Skating jumps.

   Perform the Skater Jump by standing with your feet hip-width apart. Do a side jump by extending your right leg and jumping to the side. Extend your right arm in front of your body and your left arm behind your back like a speed skater. Land softly on your right leg and repeat this movement with the opposite leg, jumping from side to side for the desired number of repetitions.

2. Shuttle run.

   The shuttle run is a mobility exercise. Place two cones at a distance of about a meter from each other. Run from the first cone to the second and immediately back. Repeat six to eight times. Modify the exercise by moving sideways and lifting your knees high.

3. Standing jump.

   The Standing Jump is one of the basic agility exercises that do not require any equipment at all. However, it is one of the most effective workouts as it improves athletic performance by increasing leg and hip strength.

   Slightly bend your knees, feet shoulder-width apart. After assuming this stance, jump straight up and up and be ready to land in the same position. While in the air, you can wrap your arms around your knees. Make sure your knees are as close to your chest as possible. Hold your knees in the air for a short time and release as soon as you start to fall. As soon as you land on your feet, jump back up and repeat the exercise. You can start by doing 10-12 reps for three sets, and if that’s too much for you, decrease the reps.

4. Side jumps.

   Place a low object at your side that you can easily jump over. Take two dumbbells in your hands and press them to the weight. Jump sideways over the object you have placed, raising your knees high. Increase the height of the object over time to encourage the development of your jumping power.

5. Jump rope.

   Skipping rope provides limitless exercise options. First, learn how to ride it without hesitation for five minutes. Then move on to jumping on one leg, and after that to jumping with high knees. You can make it more difficult for yourself by periodically crossing your arms at your chest, creating a “loop” of the rope, which is more difficult to jump over.

6. Jumping with change of legs.

   Stand on your right foot and jump sideways on it, landing on the same foot.