Agility
Here are some drills that will help improve agility, quickness and reaction time.
Drills: Pick 3 drills each workoutTime: Perform each drill for 20 seconds
Reps: Perform 5 reps for each drill
Rest: Rest 60 seconds between drills
Ball Drop
Benefits: Footwork, hand quickness, eye-hand coordinationReps: 30 seconds
Sets: 4-6
Rest: 60-90 seconds
Instructions:
- Stand arms length away from partner in defensive stance
- Partner holds tennis ball in each hand
- Sprint to ball after partner's throw
- Catch ball before second bounce
- Toss back to partner and sprint back to starting position
- React and sprint to next throw from partner
- Partner should vary distance, direction and speed of throws
Coaching Point: Your partner should vary the hand he uses on throws and constantly change-up the pattern. For example, throw left hand, left hand, left hand and then right hand because it's much more unpredictable then throwing left hand, right hand, left hand. This forces you to react faster and improve your first-step.
Block to Block
Benefits: Lateral quickness and agilityReps: 12-15 seconds
Sets: 4-6
Rest: 60-90 seconds
Instructions:
- Stand in lane in athletic position between the blocks
- Partners kneels at top of key behind three point line with two basketballs
- Partner rolls one ball to either block
- Defensive slide to block, tap ball back to partner, slide back to starting position
- React to next roll and repeat
Coaching Point: Don't ever cross your feet and make sure to stay low with your chest up and your hands up and active. You have to stay low to the ground so you can reach the ball and tap it back to your partner. Your hands should be in front and active like they are in a game so you can catch a pass or grab a rebound. If your hands are in by your sides you can't do these things in a game and you can't perform this drill. And most importantly, work hard. Your intensity of effort during this drill is crucial.
Star Drill
Benefits: Reaction and short burst quicknessReps: 15 seconds
Sets: 4-6
Rest: 60-90 seconds
Instructions:
- Place five cones around three point line
- Perform athletic movement such as backboard taps, or defensive slides from block to block
- When partner calls number of cone, sprint to cone and sprint back to starting spot
- Continue performing original movement
- React to partner's next call and sprint to and from cone
- Repeat
Coaching Point: Adjust the drill by sprinting to the cone as if you are closing out on a shooter. Chop your feet as you get close to the cone, get low and keep a hand up to put a hand in the imaginary shooters face. Then sprint back to the start. You can also change the movement pattern used such as sprinting to the cone and then backpedaling back to the start. Each different movement helps work another part of your game.
Highest Point
Benefits: Focus and explosivenessReps: 1 jump
Sets: 10-12
Rest: 5-10 seconds
Instructions:
- Player stands in a solid box out position as if about to rebound
- Partner tosses two (to four) different colored balls into the air (you can use painted whiffle balls, racquet balls, or tennis balls for this drill.)
- Partner calls out a color
- Player vertically jumps to catch the corresponding colored ball at its highest point
Coaching point: Player should stay in a low athletic stance and keep their hands up and active. They should try and keep the caught ball above their shoulders once caught and return to their original stance as quickly as possible.
2 Ball Pick Up
Benefits: First step and lateral quicknessReps: 1 sprint (plus additional ball pick-ups)
Sets: 10-12
Rest: 30-60 seconds
Instructions:
- Player faces forward and assumes a push-up position (with partner behind)
- Partner rolls tennis balls (in the direction the player is facing) one at a time (with about a one second delay in between rolls) at varying angles and speeds
- Player sprints to the first ball, picks it up and turns around (to face partner), assumes a defensive stance and then slides laterally to pick up the second oncoming ball
Coaching point: Player should spring to his/her feet as quickly as possible and sprint directly towards the first ball rolled. They should pick it up with the closest hand and turn to survey the next ball.
Color Match Up
Benefits: Concentration and agilityReps: 1 series of match ups
Sets: 6-8
Rest: 15-30 seconds
Instructions:
- Four different colored cones (red, blue, green, and yellow) are arranged in a square about 5-10 yards apart
- A non-matching colored ball is placed on each cone (red ball with yellow cone, green ball with blue cone, etc.). You can use painted whiffle balls, racquet balls, or tennis balls for this drill.
- The player is placed in the middle of the square with eyes closed
- Partner says "Go" and tosses the player a 5th ball (any color)
- Player opens his/her eyes, catches the colored ball, and sprints to the same color cone
- Player then takes the colored ball from that cone and sprints to the same color cone, etc.
- Continue until all of the colored balls match the colored cones
Coaching point: Players should stay low and in an athletic stance and use short choppy steps to close out to the cone. To make competitive see who can match up the correct balls and cones the quickest.
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