When seeking to improve your agility, it makes sense to seek out routines that will assist you in your goals. Better agility allows you to perform better on the field or court. This is due to improved reaction to outside stimuli and compact, fluid motion in that response.

Agility training offers a number of other benefits. Those with optimal agility also experience fewer injuries than do those with weaker agility skills. This is due simply to the improved form and more precise, trained muscle movements that come from comprehensive agility training.

Ladder agility drills are one popular method of increasing agility. Leg strength is key to improved agility, so incorporate exercises to increase leg strength. Combined with ladder agility drills, you’ll find greater results on the field. You can purchase an affordable agility ladder, or create one of your own with rope, tape, sticks, or other makeshift items you have around to form a ladder pattern on the ground.

Agility and foot work are extremely important parts of playing football, however, these are also areas which are over looked when it comes to off season and preseason work outs and conditioning. When referring to agility and foot work one is usually addressing the ability of a player to change direction, move his feet, and move the feet in one direction and then another. Agility and foot work is also called quick feet and essentially involves the ability to start and stop quickly as needed on the field.

There are many different drills which may be employed when attempting to work with football players on their agility. Perhaps one of the oldest and most well known is the tire drill. Thousands and thousands of players have taken their turn navigating two alternating rows of tires. The goal is to concentrate on picking the feet up and putting them down in the center of the tire. Another drill which is certainly similar is the ropes or ladder drill. With the ropes drill, a series of ropes is suspended above the ground forming two rows of squares. In the same manner as the tire drill, the football player high knees through the ropes concentrating on placing the foot down and picking it up again quickly. The ladder drill consists of a nylon double or single row ladder which lies on the ground. The player moves through the ladder course alternating his feet inside the squares. The players can also be instructed to place one foot inside, then the other, followed by one out and then two out and is performed with a high knee motion.

Another variation on the theme, as it were, is to have a player stand beside a yard line. On a signal, the player high knees one foot over the line then the other. The motion is repeated for five to seven yards crisscrossing the line with lots of repetition. Many programs have found success with plyometric boxes which require an athlete to lift one or both legs at a time to a variety of heights.

Cone work is another good tool for working on agility and foot work. Cones may be set up as two, three or four depending on the drill. Using two cones, simply have the player move back and forth between cones paying attention to foot work, cuts, and the use of the body. Additional cones may be added to vary the pattern being run or to add circling around the cones to the drill.

Working in the off season to increase the agility of football players will pay huge dividends in the fall of the year. Receivers will come off the line of scrimmage harder and run better routes and defensive backs will make better cuts and be more productive on the defensive side of the ball. All players will benefit from added agility and foot work.

Here’s one drill to try: In the five count drill – you will perform the most complex pattern. Start by hopping to your right foot, outside the first square to the right. Next, you’ll step with your left foot into the square and follow then with your right foot in the same square. Then step into the second square with your left foot, and follow immediately with your right. Once you reach the third square, you’ll simply reverse your actions in the first square, stepping with your left foot outside, right inside, and follow with the left foot. Continue through the squares.