Ladder and slalom

First the agility ladder, then straight into the slalom around the cones. The switch between those two is the interesting part: that is where you see who can only steer their feet through a fixed pattern and who really has them under control. Two lanes keep twelve players working.

12 players 6 phases ± 12 min 2 agility ladders, 4 cones, the full court From U15 upwards

Phase 1 of 6Twelve players in two lanes: waiting, ladder, cones and jogging back

Two lanes, each with its own line Equipment Ball

This animation comes straight out of the Koach app. In the app you play it at your own pace and the positions carry your players' real names.

Open in the app

How the drill runs

What you are training

Coordination warm-up: through the agility ladder, then a slalom around the cones and jog back.

Two kinds of footwork back to back: step frequency and changing direction.
Going into the turn at a speed you can still steer.
Keeping twelve players moving with two lanes side by side.

Coaching points

Come out of the ladder with your eyes already on the first cone.

A player who only looks up once the ladder is behind him loses half a beat and takes the turn too wide. Looking ahead while you are moving is the whole trick.

In the slalom the hips do the steering, not the shoulders.

Turning the shoulders first takes the balance away and leaves the player on one leg. Hips first is how a defender changes direction.

No more than three players per line.

With twelve players in one line everybody waits almost a minute and the group cools down. Two lanes cut that in half, and that is the only reason there are two ladders on the floor.

Put this drill after the running work, not before it.

Coordination work needs a body that is already warm. On cold ankles a ladder turns into a stumbling contest and the benefit flips the other way.

Variations

Easier: One pattern in the ladder, two cones fewer and the first rounds at walking pace.
Harder: Run the slalom sideways with your body facing the same way throughout, or add a block jump at every cone.
With six players: One lane with one ladder; the waiting time then stays exactly what it was with twelve players on two lanes.
As a game: The lanes against each other over three complete runs. A missed cone or a misstep in the ladder means that player starts again.

Volleyball drills

4 players · 6 phases SafeVolley base round Warm-up 3 players · 5 phases Shoulder activation with band Warm-up 2 players · 6 phases Dynamic movement patterns Warm-up 5 players · 5 phases Core plank with rotation Warm-up

Read on in the knowledge base: footwork and timing at the block · switching from defense to attack · planning your practice in three steps