Agility Training for Basketball

Basketball is a game of skill. But it's also a game of athletic ability and movement.

To be a good player, not only do you have to know the game and have good basketball skills, but you also have to be extemely agile.

Improving your ability to move quickly around the court and you'll be a better player. Period.

The game is all about movement: whether it's driving by a player on offense, sliding to defend a dribbler, or going after a loose ball...increasing your quickness and agility gives you an edge over the competition.

No matter how good a player you are, you can improve your level of play by becoming faster (up and down the court), and quicker (laterally and explosive movements).

Basketball is a game of movement. But it's also a game of stops-and-starts. Think about a typical trip down the court as an offensive player: sprint to the offensive end of the floor, hustle 10 or 12 feet across the court to set a screen, roll to the basket, make a quick move to get open to catch a pass, pass and screen away, cut to the basket for a potential offensive rebound.

It's all about footwork, movement, mobility. The defensive end of the floor requires equal (or even greater mobility and agility).

So, it's up to you to work on this part of your game. It takes hard work and persistence to get better, but you can do it, you can improve this area of your game.

If you're really dedicated to improving your game, take a look at some of the drills below. I work on these drills with my private training clients, and I know they are very effective.

Also, here's a tip: I recommend doing a lot of speed and agility training on grass instead of on the basketball court. It's much easier on the joints.

Agility Ladder Drills
These are often associated with other sports (such as soccer or football), but every basketball player should use an agility ladder to work on their foot speed and agility.

There are various drills you can do with an agility ladder, but here are a few basics to get started:
- One foot hop (go through each box hopping on one foot, then do again with the other)
- Two foot hop (go through each box using both feet)
- High knees (go through the boxes brining your knees up high)
- Two feet in each box (using a running motion, step into a box with your right foot, then your left, then into the next box with your right, then your left and continue this pattern)
- One foot in each box (same as above, but this time, only one foot will land in each box)
- Sideways one foot in each box (sliding to your side, you'll put one foot in each box)
- Sideways two feet in each box (same as above, but both feet will hit the ground in each box)

There are numerous other agility ladder drills (way more than we can list here). You can pick up an agility ladder at a local sporting good store, or online. Take a look at the SPARQ line of training equipment. They have lots of good stuff to help you work on your speed and agility.

Jump Rope Drills
Old school? No doubt about it. But also very effective.

Jumping rope is a great way to get warmed up for a workout, but it's also a great way to work on your foot speed. Here are a few drills:
- Speed jumps (jump fast, and we mean as fast as you can)
- One leg (alternating between your right and left foot...for example, jump 4 or 5 times on your left foot, then move to 4 or 5 jumps on your right)
- Running jumps (jump rope while moving from one end of the floor to the other...it's more a fast walk than a run, but you get the idea)

Cone Drills
Cone drills are great at making you faster. Here are a few good drills I use with my clients:
- Sliding drills (place 2 cones 6-8 feet apart and defensive slide from one to the other...then move them 10-12 feet apart and do the same. They key is to slide fast...very fast.)
- The T-Cone drill (place 3 cones in a straight line about 3 or 4 feet apart, then place 2 other cones about 10 feet apart at the top of the "T". Now, start off running back and forth between the 3 cones and out to one of the cones at the top, then back-pedal to the starting spot. Do the same thing again, this time out to the other cone at the top, and back-pedaling to the start). Go FAST.

These are just some of the drills you can do as part of your foot speed and agility training. Check back soon...we'll be adding more details in the weeks to come.

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