Agility is incredibly important to an athlete’s performance. Without great agility, you’ll never be a an elite athlete.
So how do we improve it?
Many factors go into it, but if you were waiting to see “Agility Ladder” in this article, turn away now because it won’t be here.
1.) The first thing every athlete in the world needs to do is build a foundation of strength. This foundation will be essential to every other step after this. Without it, results will be limited.
2.) Begin implementing Plyometrics and Speed Training. This will help to build up the tissue in our lower limbs and help us get more elastic in our legs, to give us that “powerful” and “springy” feeling. If you’re wondering what I mean by “springy”, check out this quick video of a Elite Level Track and Field Athlete:
There’s a reason that this athlete can jump like this and be this “Springy”.
It’s mainly because he’s a sprinter. And what do “Sprinters” do?
They sprint.
Sprinting is the best plyometric exercise in the world, yet most athletes hate to do them or just flat out skip them.
3.) Number 3 might catch you off guard. Here it is: athletes need to play other sports in the off-season. The reason why? Simple. As athletes, you need to be exposed to other forms of a stimulus. Think about it this way. If you’re a Quarterback, and Football is the only sport you have ever played, you will only be great at movements that Quarterbacks do. That’s limited to backpedaling, dropping back, throwing with 1 arm, and maybe the occasional sprint. THAT’S IT. What about everything else?
Play more sports in the off-season.
4.) This is the easy one. Perform more agility drills. Agility drills need to force you to react quickly when something happens. Here’s a perfect example. Imagine two athletes standing side by side, getting ready to race. When the coach yells an even number (2, 4, 6, 8, etc.), they begin sprinting and race to the finish line. How quickly can you determine if the number is even or odd?
Your ability to react when something occurs on the field or court will usually determine how successful you will be. Want another example? Watch the video below: