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Feeling Limited in Your Speed & Agility Training. Train Smarter With These 15 Ladder & Cone Drills

Start With Basic Ladder Drills to Improve Footwork

If you feel like your speed and agility training has become stale, it may be time to step up your ladder and cone drills. These simple yet highly effective training tools can take your footwork, coordination, and explosiveness to the next level. Whether you’re an athlete looking to improve your performance or just an everyday fitness enthusiast trying to challenge yourself, ladders and cones open up a whole new world of possibilities.

Let’s start with the basics. Ladders laid out on the ground provide you with a defined path to follow that gets your feet moving in different patterns. Doing simple in-and-out drills with a flat ladder improves coordination, rhythm, and the push off strength from each leg. Start with slow and controlled movements like walking in and out of each ladder rung. Focus on proper form, placing each foot precisely in the middle of each rung. Gradually increase your speed as you become more comfortable.

Weave Side to Side Through Ladders

Once you feel good with in-and-out drills, try weaving laterally through the ladder. Face sideways and quickly step your lead foot in and out of each rung, crossing your trailing foot behind it each time. Keep your hips and shoulders square facing forward as you weave down and back the length of the ladder. The lateral crossover steps engage your inner thighs and glutes while improving balance.

Hop on One or Both Feet Down the Ladder

Jumping drills down the ladder will build explosive power in your lower body. Start by hopping through the ladder on one foot at a time. Land softly under control, rolling from ball to heel as you stabilize each landing. Switch feet at the end of the ladder and repeat back the other way. For an extra challenge, jump through the ladder landing on both feet together in each square. Focus on consistently sticking each landing before advancing your speed.

Backpedal Through Ladders for Balance

Backpedaling through a ladderboosts coordination and balance. Face away from the start of the ladder then carefully back step through each rung. Keep your head up and torso upright as you push off the balls of your feet. Initially perform the drill at a controlled speed, eventually quickening your pace while maintaining form. This drill translates well to improving backpedaling speed on the field or court.

Place Cones for Zig Zag Running

While ladders engage your feet, cones allow you to work on lateral change of direction movements. Set up a line of cones spaced a few yards apart, then zig zag sprint from side to side through them. Plant forcefully off your outside foot to initiate the direction change, avoiding false steps between cones. Focus on stopping and restarting with speed while keeping your hips and shoulders pointed forward.

Combine Ladders and Cones for Challenging Drills

For advanced athletes, set up cones on the ends of a ladder laid out in a straight line. Sprint out and around the end cone, plant your foot to change direction, then shuffle or carioca laterally through the ladder. Repeat this Z pattern down and back the length of the setup. This intense drill improves coordination between sprinting and lateral cutting movements crucial for sports.

Monitor Improvements to Advance Drills

To get the most out of your ladder and cone training, start with basic drills and progressively increase your speed and intensity over time. As your footwork gets tighter and movements more explosive, advance to more complex drills involving direction changes, hopping, and lateral shuffling. Training with a partner provides competition to drive your progress. Record your times or video your drills to monitor improvements and know when to further challenge your abilities.

The right ladder and cone drills will leave you feeling quicker, more agile, and excited to improve. So don’t keep suffering through the same old training routines. Grab a ladder and some cones and unlock new levels of speed and agility you never thought possible!

Add Lateral Ladder Drills for Agility

So you’ve mastered the basic ladder drills, got your footwork dialed in and are ready to take it up a notch. One of the best ways to do that is by incorporating more lateral movements into your training. Lateral agility is key for sports like basketball, tennis, soccer, and football where quick side-to-side motion is essential.

Ladders are the perfect tool for developing this lateral agility. By combining sideways shuffle steps with the foot pattern work of ladders, you get an intense workout that transfers directly onto the field or court. Let’s look at some go-to lateral ladder drills to improve agility.

Lateral Shuffle Down the Ladder

Facing the side of the ladder, perform a steady shuffle step into each ladder rung, keeping your chest facing forward throughout the movement. Focus on pushing forcefully off your outside leg on each step. Quickly reverse directions at the end of the ladder by planting your outside foot and pivoting to shuffle back the other way. Start slow and increase your speed while maintaining form.

Lateral Scissor Step Through Ladder

Add a crossover step to increase complexity. With your body facing sideways, scissor step by crossing your outside foot in front into the first square. As you step out, crossover your inside leg behind into the next rung. Continue this lateral scissor motion down and back the length of the ladder. Keep your hips and shoulders squared up as you work on clean footwork.

Lateral Bunny Hops Down Ladder

For an advanced agility challenge, face sideways and explosively hop into each ladder square, landing softly on both feet together. Focus on consistent depth and stability on each landing. Increase speed while maintaining control. This high-intensity drill combines lateral footwork with plyometric power for greater agility.

Defensive Mirror Drill With Partner

Set up cones on each side of the ladder for markers. Face a partner on the opposite side and mirror their defensive shuffle technique as you travel laterally through the ladder. React quickly to their movements while maintaining proper technical form. The competition and reaction aspect takes your agility to the next level.

Cariocas With Crossover Steps

The carioca is a dynamic drill for hip mobility and lateral agility. Face the ladder and perform this movement by crossing your outside leg in front, then swinging your inside leg behind into the next square in an exaggerated stepping motion. Maintain an athletic stance as you carioca down and back the length of the ladder.

Quickness Starts With Proper Footwork

The key to developing lateral speed and agility starts with mastering clean footwork. When performing directional ladder drills, focus on planting with your outside foot to initiate movement toward the ladder. Accelerate out of each step with your hips and shoulders facing forward. As your footwork improves, your agility and quickness will follow.

Changing up the patterns and adding lateral shuffle variations gives your feet and legs a new challenge compared to straight line drills. fiery these agility ladder exercises into your regular training to become lighter and quicker on your feet. Laterally agile athletes have an edge over their competitors in reacting and moving more explosively side to side.

Keep improving your technique and foot speed with ladder drills. Combine lateral movements with forward sprints using cones for complete agility development. Training smart and effectively is the key to unleashing your athletic potential.

Try Ladder Weaves to Enhance Coordination

Mastering the footwork and timing of ladder drills requires focused coordination. Weaving up and down the ladder forces your feet and hips to work in sync, developing neurological connections that translate into improved agility.

Weaving drills challenge your ability to cross your feet and change direction while maintaining speed. Executing them smoothly takes concentration and precision. Let’s look at some top weaving drills to enhance coordination.

Simple In-Out Weave

Start with a basic in-out weave up and down the ladder, facing forward. Focus on placing each step accurately into the middle of the rung, rolling evenly from heel to toe. Step out wide around each outside rung rather than overlapping your feet. Gradually increase your speed while maintaining tidy footwork.

Lateral Scissor Weave

Facing the side of the ladder, perform a continuous crisscross scissor motion up and down the length. Focus on keeping your hips and shoulders pointed forward as you cross one foot in front of the other. Accelerate your feet while maintaining balance and control.

Backward Weaving

Now try weaving backward up and down the ladder to challenge your proprioception. Use small backward steps to navigate each rung. Concentrate on posture and body control as you resist the urge to look behind you. This advanced drill forces focus and precision.

Outside Foot Weave

Amp up the difficulty by weaving while only stepping into each square with your outside foot. Keep hips and shoulders aligned forward and plant each step under your center of mass. The unnatural cross pattern improves limb coordination.

Ladder Dots for Foot Targeting

Place dots, tape, or chalk marks in the center of each ladder rung to target accurate foot placement. Stick each landing directly on the dot as you weave up and down. The visual guidance helps develop coordination through your hips, core, and ankles.

It’s All in the Hips

Many people overlook the importance of proper hip motion when performing agility drills. Your hips serve as the base from which your legs move. Keeping them squared prevents inefficient movements. Consciously control your hips throughout ladder weaves until it becomes natural.

Weaving drills challenge your brain to keep your body in sync. But with consistent practice, your feet will start moving more efficiently without having to think about it consciously. Soon you’ll be weaving seamlessly up and down the ladder.

Emphasize tidy foot strikes and total body coordination as you work through these challenging weaves. With mastery, you’ll enhance your balance, rhythm, and sequencing. Taking the time to smooth out your technique leads to crisper movements and faster agility gains.

So grab a ladder and start weaving your way to new levels of coordination. Feel the sequencing between your feet, hips, and torso integrate until you’re moving seamlessly. The neurological connections built will have you looking like a coordinated pro in no time!

Build Explosiveness With Bunny Hops

Once you’ve dialed in your ladder footwork, it’s time to add some plyometric power moves. Jumping explosively through agility ladders builds lower body strength and power essential for sports.

Known as bunny hops, these plyometric jumps train you to apply force into the ground, loading your muscles to spring upwards. Combining speed with jumping height develops fast twitch muscle fibers. Let’s go through progressions to perform bunny hops safely and effectively.

Two Foot Hops

Start by gently hopping through the ladder on both feet together. Land softly under control, rolling from balls to heels to absorb impact. Focus on consistent depth and stability sticking each landing before advancing speed. Increase height gradually as strength improves.

Single Leg Hops

Hop through the ladder on one leg at a time to isolate each side. Concentrate on holding your hips level and upright posture. Avoid letting your stance leg collapse inward on landings. Build leg strength while maintaining straight plane jumping.

Vertical Jumps

For maximal power, perform vertical jumps at each rung, extending fully off both legs. Swing arms vigorously to gain height. Immediately squat for countermovement on landing to store elastic energy and keep bouncing. These maximize time in air.

Broad Jumps

Broad jumps target horizontal explosiveness. Jump for distance landing outside the ladder, rolling through your feet to absorb impact. Step back to center before exploding into the next broad jump. Focus on consistent and safe landing mechanics.

Quick Feet Jumps

Combine vertical hops with lateral shuffle steps between rungs to develop multi-directional power. Land softly between hops with bent knees to keep rebounding smoothly. The lateral footwork increases quickness between jumps.

Use Arms for Height

Generating power starts from the ground up, but don’t neglect your arms. Pump arms vigorously on each jump and swing them forward on take-off. The countermovement adds height. Keep arms raised on landing for balance.

Plyometrics effectively build explosive strength, but progress conservatively to avoid overstressing muscles and tendons. Allow full recovery between sessions and discontinue any exercise causing joint pain.

With patience, bunny hops transform your fast twitch muscle capabilities. Time each session and monitor vertical leap improvements. Plyometrics develop the explosive power all athletes need to reach new heights!

Ladder Jump Variations to Increase Power

Jumping through an agility ladder trains explosive power, but doing the same hops every time can quickly plateau progress. The key is varying your jump patterns to continually challenge different muscles and movements.

Modifying footwork, direction, and jump types provides a new stimulus for adaptation. Let’s explore creative agility ladder jump variations to increase your power.

Lateral Jumps

Jump sideways into each rung to target lateral explosion. Land with knees bent to absorb impact before recoiling your next lateral leap. Keep torso upright and hips squared forward.

backwards Jumps

Jump backwards through the ladder to work balance and coordination. Initiate each leap by swinging arms back and shifting weight to your toes. Stick landings before springing into the next rearward jump.

Single Leg Hops

Focus on one leg at a time, hopping from rung to rung. Maintain upright posture, engaging your core to resist leaning. Increase height while controlling landings before switching legs.

Skater Hops

Jump diagonally from side to side mimicking a skating motion. Push explosively from your outside foot and land on the opposite leg. Continue alternating down the ladder in a zig zag pattern.

Swivel Hops

Combine vertical hops with a 180 degree turn in each rung. Jump up, land both feet in the rung while rotating your torso and hips midair. Stabilize your landing before swiveling to the next square.

lateral Scissor Jumps

Face sideways and jump into each rung, crossing one leg in front then immediately behind in a continuous scissor motion. Coordinate your footwork timing while increasing height.

Broad Jumps

Focus on horizontal distance by explosively broad jumping out of each rung. Stick your landing with bent knees before centered yourself to broad jump to the next square.

Vary jump patterns every few repetitions to keep challenging your nervous system. Perform 2-3 sets of 6-8 jumps at each rung, resting 1-2 minutes between sets. Monitor technique and progress gradually.

Plyometrics strengthen muscles, but must be implemented carefully. Progress volume and intensity slowly over time to maximize gains while avoiding injury.

Backward Running Drills With Cones to Improve Balance

Forward sprinting is only part of athletic speed development. Being able to backpedal quickly while maintaining balance is key for sports like football, soccer, and basketball.

Backward running drills train you to stay upright while striding and pushing off your feet in reverse. Using cones adds directional targets to develop proprioceptive balance through your hips and core. Let’s go through some top backward running cone drills.

Straight Backpedaling

Set up a straight line of cones spaced a few yards apart. Start in an athletic stance facing the cones. Keep your gaze fixed forward and backpedal by pushing off the balls of your feet to each cone. Focus on posture and body control.

Zig Zag Backpedaling

Angle cones diagonally to create a zig zag path. Backpedal and cut sharply at each cone, keeping your hips and eyes forward. Push laterally out of each turn using small choppy steps to maintain momentum.

Curved Backpedaling

Set cones in a curved pattern and fluidly backpedal through the arc by modifying stride angles. Lean into the turns using your core to keep balanced while traversing the curve.

Crossover Backpedaling

Place cones in lateral squares. Keep your gaze fixed forward as you crossover step through each square. Focus on coordinated footwork and accelerating out of each crossover.

Reactive Backpedaling

Have a partner hold tennis balls and randomly throw them toward cones as cues to backpedal quickly to each one. React and sprint backward as the balls signal change of direction.

Defensive Mirror Drills

Face a partner straddling a lateral cone line. Reactively mirror their defensive footwork techniques while backpedaling. Let them control the changes of direction to sharpen reaction time.

Always warm up properly before attempting high intensity backpedaling. Progress speed and duration gradually over time to avoid excessive strain on joints.

Backward cone drills translate directly into improved defensive speed and balance on the field. Stay committed to strengthening those posterior muscle chains and coordination.

Ladder Shuffles for Quick Feet

As an athlete, having quick feet and agility can make all the difference in your performance. Whether you play football, basketball, soccer, or any other sport that requires fast footwork, ladder drills using agility ladders and cones are some of the best ways to improve your speed and coordination. Keep reading to learn 15 effective ladder and cone drills to take your footwork to the next level.

1. Icky Shuffle

Set up a ladder on the ground and stand to one side. Shift your weight side to side while shuffling through each ladder rung. Focus on keeping your feet nimble and maintaining balance as you shuffle from side to side. This drill improves coordination and gets your hips and core involved.

2. Lateral In-Out

Place two cones about 5 yards apart, with a ladder in between. Shuffle sideways through the ladder, leading with your right foot out around the right cone, then shuffle back leading with your left around the left cone. Concentrate on pushing off hard with each stride and keeping low. Repeat going back and forth to boost multidirectional speed.

3. Crossover Step

With a ladder on the ground, jog through it bringing your right foot to the outside of the left around each rung. Next, reverse it, crossing your left foot around the outside of your right at each rung. Keep your hips and shoulders square as you crossover step to build stability and quickness.

4. Lateral Zig Zag

Lay a ladder out and stand to one side. Shuffle across, leading with your outside foot around each rung in a zig zag pattern. Push hard off each footstrike to work on accelerating out of cuts with this drill. Keep your center of gravity low.

5. Lateral Skaters

Set up cones on either side of a ladder about 5 yards apart. Hop to your right by bringing that foot behind your left, then jump your left foot out wide around the right cone. Skater hop back through the ladder, bringing your left foot behind your right before jumping right around the left cone. Continue this pattern to increase single-leg stability and power.

6. Crouching Start Shuffle

Get into an athletic stance with one foot forward as if you were at the starting line. Explode up and shuffle through the ladder as quickly as you can, keeping your feet active and coordinated. Reset and repeat in the opposite direction. This mimics coming off the line quickly in sports.

7. Backpedal Run

Facing away from a ladder, backpedal quickly through it. When you reach the last rung, plant and push off hard, sprinting back through the ladder forward. Work on transitioning quickly from backpedaling to running fast. It teaches you to change direction on a dime.

8. Cross Run

Set up two ladders perpendicular to each other like a cross. Sprint diagonally across, driving hard and staying low with each stride. When you reach a new ladder, plant your foot and immediately change direction, sprinting across the next one. Work all 4 directions of the cross to improve multi-directional speed.

9. One Foot Hops

Stand on one foot to the side of the ladder. Hop into and through the ladder on one leg, alternating feet between each rep. Land softly and hold your hips level to increase single-leg control and balance. A strong core helps stabilize you.

10. Rapid Feet

Place two ladders parallel, about 2 feet apart. Jump back and forth over them, alternating your lead foot with each jump. Go as fast as possible, pumping your arms and driving your knees up to gain explosive bounce and quickness. It’s also a killer cardio workout!

11. Side Switches

Set up cones on both sides of a ladder about 5-10 yards apart. Sprint to the cone on your right, touch the ground, and immediately push off back through the ladder. At the far cone, do the same going back to the left. Work on changing direction quickly while maintaining speed with this versatile drill.

12. Pro Agility

Set up 3 cones – 1 in the center and 2 about 5 yards at angles to the right and left. Sprint out to the right cone, touch, and immediately change direction back toward the center. Touch the middle, then sprint to touch the left cone and back to center again. Work on opening your hips and driving hard in all directions.

13. Lateral Jump Through

Stand with your feet together to one side of the ladder. Keeping your feet together, jump laterally through the ladder, from outside the rung to inside the ladder. Land with soft knees and hips each time. It improves single leg stability and balance.

14. Forward/Backward

Face the ladder and rapidly run your feet forward through the rungs. Immediately reverse direction, jumping your feet back through the ladder one rung at a time. Keep the motion fast and continuous to boost coordination. It’s also great conditioning for your legs and lungs.

15. One In One Out

This challenging drill really works your coordination. Place each foot on opposite sides of the ladder, one inside a rung and one outside. Rapidly jump, switching so that your inside foot goes out and your outside foot goes in with each jump. Alternate feet and work both sides.

Incorporating ladder and cone drills into your training is one of the best ways to improve the quickness and responsiveness of your footwork. Focus on quality over quantity of reps, performing movements with precision. Train these drills 2-3 times per week and you’ll notice your feet start to become a blur in no time!

Use Cones for Zig Zag Running Drills

As an athlete, having the ability to change direction and cut quickly is crucial for high-level performance. Zig zag running drills using cones are one of the most effective ways to improve your agility, coordination, and foot speed. In this article, we’ll cover 15 cone drills to help take your lateral quickness to new heights.

1. Side Shuffle

Set up a series of cones in a zig zag pattern about 1-2 yards apart. Staying low with knees bent, laterally shuffle as quickly as you can weaving through the cones. Keep your hips and shoulders facing forward and drive off each outside leg as you shuffle. This improves foot quickness and hip mobility.

2. Carioca

Place cones in a zig zag line 5-10 yards apart. Facing sideways, move laterally by crossing your outside leg in front of the other at each cone. Drive hard off your legs and swing your arms to pick up speed. This challenges your hip flexors and glutes while making you change direction.

3. Lateral Jump

Stand to one side of the cones set up in a zig zag. With feet together, jump laterally back and forth over each cone, landing softly each time. Land on the balls of your feet and push your hips back on impact. Coordinate your arm swing to gain momentum during the jumps.

4. Defensive Slide

Take an athletic stance facing the cones set up zig zag. Kick your outside leg out and slide over to the first cone, swinging your arms hard. Bend your hips and knees to accelerate out of the cut. Alternate leading legs at each cone as you react and change direction quickly.

5. Zig Zag Sprint

Set up cones about 5-10 yards apart in a zig zag pattern. Sprint as fast as you can toward each cone, driving hard and staying low out of your cuts. Use an arm swing to help you change direction forcefully at each turn. Work on maintaining top speed throughout the drill.

6. Bounding Run

Take an exaggerated bounding step toward each cone, driving your lead knee up and extending your trail leg out with each bound. Swing your arms powerfully and coordinate the knee drive. Use your core to stay balanced while bounding from side to side.

7. Backpedal

With cones set up zig zag, start facing away from the pattern. Keeping your hips low, quickly backpedal through the cones, pushing off hard out of each turn. Accelerate by pumping your arms. Go both directions through the pattern to work on backwards speed.

8. In-Out

Sprint straight toward a cone and plant your outside foot to cut to the next cone at a 90 degree angle. Accelerate out of the turn before planting your inside foot to sprint back toward the next cone ahead. Focus on powering out of the change of direction each time.

9. Crossover Run

Jog through the zig zag pattern, crossing your outside leg in front of the inside leg at each turn. Swing your arms and drive your knees to pick up speed. Lean into the turns. Repeat leading with the opposite leg to work on hip flexibility and coordination.

10. Quick Feet

Move through the cones as quickly as possible, keeping your feet choppy and taking very small rapid steps. Stay on the balls of your feet. Drive your knees high and pump your arms to build speed. It teaches you to be nimble through cuts.

11. Hip Turns

Shuffle to each cone in the zig zag. Plant your outside foot and open up your hip into the turn before accelerating out. Focus on rotating your hips effectively, using your core muscles. Sit low into each hip turn to practice agility.

12. Forward/Backward

Sprint forward to each cone, accelerate out, then immediately backpedal backwards to the next. Repeat this forward and backward sprint through the zig zag course. Changing direction on the fly works on reacting quickly while maintaining speed.

13. Lateral Skaters

Hop laterally to each cone by driving the outside leg backward and outside leg forward in a skating type motion. Land softly on your outside foot and keep your hips low. Lift your inside leg and swing your arms to gather momentum.

14. Shuffle-Sprint Combo

Perform lateral shuffles for 2-3 cones, sitting back on your hips and pushing off the outside leg. Then sprint forward for 1-2 cones before going back to lateral shuffling at the next turn. This works on transitioning your movement patterns.

15. Pro Agility

Set up 3 cones – 1 in the center and 2 at 45 degree angles from it. Sprint out and touch the right cone, then immediately sprint left to the far cone. Accelerate back to touch the middle again. Repeat the full pattern for several reps. React and accelerate out of turns.

Incorporating zig zag and multi-directional cone drills into your training regimen is one of the best ways to enhance your lateral quickness and agility on the field or court. Focus on technique and push yourself to react and cut explosively. Use these drills 2-3 times per week to see noticeable gains in your ability to change direction!

Combine Ladders and Cones for Challenging Drills

Feeling Limited in Your Speed & Agility Training? Train Smarter With These 15 Ladder & Cone Drills

As an athlete, improving your speed, agility, and quickness is essential for reaching peak performance. But you may feel like you’ve hit a plateau with your current training routines. Don’t worry – incorporating ladders and cones into your workouts can add challenge and variety to take your skills to the next level.

Agility ladders and cones are staples in nearly every sports training facility. With good reason – these simple and inexpensive tools can be set up in unlimited combinations to create dynamic drills that build coordination, footwork, acceleration, deceleration and more. Let’s look at 15 ladder and cone exercises to build speed and agility.

Ladder Drills

Agility ladders have rungs spaced evenly apart – typically between 18-36 inches. This spacing allows you to develop skills like proper foot placement, rhythm and timing. Try these classic ladder drills:

Side-to-Side Shuffle – Move laterally down the ladder, crossing your feet between each rung.
Icky Shuffle – Shuffle forward through the ladder, crossing your feet and bringing your knees high.
In-In-Out-Out – Step into the ladder with both feet, then out to each side.
Hopscotch – Hop forward into and out of each ladder square.
High Knees – Drive your knees high while quickly moving down the ladder.

Cone Drills

Training cones are versatile markers you can arrange into specific patterns for targeted drills. They are ideal for improving foot speed, change of direction and reaction time. Try these cone setups:

Box drill – Make a box with four cones and zigzag through it facing forward and sideways.
Pro agility – Set up three cones in a straight line and sprint to touch each one.
Star drill – Arrange five cones in a star shape and sprint to touch each cone.
Circle drill – Set cones in a large circle and run around them, cutting inward and outward.
Reaction sprints – Have a partner point in random directions for you to sprint to each cone.

Ladder and Cone Combinations

Now let’s look at some challenging drills that incorporate both ladders and cones:

Lateral Ladder to Cones – Shuffle sideways through the ladder, then sprint to a cone placed 10 yards away.
Ladder + Figure 8 – Weave forward and backward through the ladder, then run a figure 8 around two cones.
Sprint-Ladder-Sprint – Sprint to a ladder, go through it, then sprint to a finishing cone.
Ladder Reaction Drill – Shuffle through a ladder as a partner calls out cones to sprint to.
Hurdles and Ladder – Combine mini hurdles with agility ladder exercises like hopscotch.

Tips for Effective Ladder and Cone Training

Follow these tips to maximize your speed and agility development:

Quality over quantity – Focus on proper form rather than speed.
Increase difficulty slowly by adjusting patterns, spacing and adding cones.
Perform drills at maximum effort for 10-20 seconds, resting 1-2 minutes between.
Work on drills 2-3 days per week, before or after strength training.
Invest in decent equipment – it will last for years.

Adding ladder and cone drills to your current program is easy and will deliver big improvements. You’ll notice increased stamina, better footwork, quicker changes of direction and faster multi-directional speed. Mix up the patterns and sequences to keep challenging your neuromuscular system. With smart training, ladders and cones you will reach new levels of speed and agility.

Try Acceleration Sprints With Cones

Feeling Limited in Your Speed & Agility Training? Train Smarter With These 15 Ladder & Cone Drills

As an athlete, having that explosive burst of acceleration is a huge advantage on the field or court. But pure straight-line speed training can get repetitive. For a more dynamic workout, try incorporating acceleration sprints with cones into your routine.

Acceleration drills force you to build speed quickly out of cuts, pivots and direction changes. This helps improve first-step quickness, lateral speed and change of direction – skills that translate directly to game performance. Let’s look at 15 cone acceleration drills to boost your speed.

Straight-Line Acceleration

First, master acceleration technique in a straight line. Use tall cones to mark incremental distances:

10-yard burst – Focus on driving out hard from a stationary start.
20-yard fly – Accelerate and hold top speed as long as possible.
30-yard build-up – Gradually build speed with each step.
40-yard sprint – Go all-out from the start and don’t let up.

Lateral Cone Hops

Now let’s train multi-directional acceleration. Arrange cones in a line 5 yards apart and laterally “hop” back and forth:

One foot hops – Keep feet aligned and weight centered.
Crossover hops – Drive hard off the outside foot when changing direction.
Scissors hops – Hop by crossing one foot behind the other.
Zig-zag shuffle – Shuffle sideways, lowering your center of gravity.

Diagonal & Backpedal Sprints

Set up cones diagonally and sprint while maintaining good body posture:

45 degree angle sprints – Focus on driving off the outside foot.
60 degree cuts – Plant hard and pivot out of the cut.
Figure 8s – Change direction cutting hard on crossover steps.
Backpedal sprints – Build backwards acceleration technique.

Cone Weaves

Weaving through cones improves reaction time from fast cuts and pivots:

Slalom sprint – Set cones in a zig-zag and sprint through.
5-10-5 sprint – Accelerate, sprint 10 yards, then decelerate.
Box drill – Sprint in a box pattern around four cones.
Randomized cones – Have a coach randomly call out cones to sprint to.

Curved Acceleration

Finally, hit maximum speed coming out of true curves:

Circle runs – Sprint around a large circular cone pattern.
Figure 8’s – Drive hard out of crossover cuts around two cones.
Mobility circles – Run different sized circles forward and back.
Oblong loops – Follow a manager’s curved path around cones.

Tips for Effective Cone Acceleration Training

Here are some key tips for getting the most from your cone acceleration work:

Maintain proper form – Don’t compromise technique at top speed.
Use small quick steps – Overstriding slows you down.
Drive arms in opposition to legs.
Increase intensity slowly over weeks.
Allow full recovery between maximal effort sprints.

The beauty of cone drills is you can continuously create new patterns to train acceleration out of every angle and direction. Get creative and keep mixing it up. Properly programmed cone acceleration work will deliver big dividends in multi-directional speed and quickness on the field.