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How to improve speed and agility for basketball


6 Best Basketball Agility Drills and Exercises

Home > Player > Athletic Development > 6 Essential Lateral Agility Drills for Basketball


Basketball is Not Played in A Straight Line!

What is the fastest way to get from point A to point B. The obvious answer would be in a straight line. Yes, sometimes this is all you need to do, move quickly in a straight line. But when you play basketball, that is not how you normally must move on the court to be effective. Lateral movement and agility is used during every possession in basketball.

Let me briefly give you a few typical basketball scenarios that occur on offense and defense.

Offense

  • Flaring or V cutting off a screen to catch and shoot a 3 point jump shot
  • Weaving between defenders down the court and finishing with a Euro step at the rim
  • Attacking with a double move off the dribble and finishing with a step back 3

Defense

  • Making the offense zig zag the ball up the floor as you dog them defensively
  • Going over and under multiple screens to deny their best offensive player the ball
  • Sliding laterally to cut off the drive and taking a charge

These are not unusual movements in the game of basketball. You see examples of lateral agility during EVERY possession of a basketball game. These scenarios are typical movements in the game of basketball. Each one of the plays described above becomes easier for you the more agile your body is.


SMOOTH

With more agility, you will become smooth on the court. Fans won't say you are AGILE on the floor, you will hear them say that you are SMOOTH (you will know that you look smooth because of your lateral agility!) Improved lateral agility is a tremendous benefit to any basketball player. It will help make you look smooth and fluid on the basketball court. Ultimately it will help you make more plays!


Characteristics Of Agility

When you talk about agility you are talking about something that is complex. There are many different characteristics of what makes up agility. Some of those characteristics include:

  • Strength
  • Speed
  • Balance
  • Coordination

If you are looking to improve your lateral agility and athleticism, make sure you are doing a workout that is designed specifically for this. Don't guess about what to do! Follow a program that has exercises specifically designed to improve lateral agility such as The Cody Roberts Athletic Development Program.

Experts like Cody Roberts have researched exercises and have designed programs that are research based to benefit athletes of all levels.


6 Essential Basketball Agility Drills

1. Shuffling Scoop This exercise focuses on having a wide stance and staying low to the ground. It puts you in a great athletic position for quickly moving laterally. By keeping your chest up and heels apart, your lateral agility will improve with practice.

2. Single Leg Lateral Leap & Hold A great exercise for developing lateral power and control in each leg. This exercise focuses on creating maximum lateral force while helping your body learn to manage that force with the opposite leg. This is a progressive drill. As you get comfortable with the drill, challenge your body more and more with each rep that you complete.

3. 2-4-6 Shuffle With A Stick With this drill, you are working on perfecting acceleration and deceleration mechanics. It will challenge your balance and control while allowing for reactivity in the drill. Each time you come to a stop (stick), make sure you reset to the proper position (low, wide, toes pointing forward) in case you are off a little each time you come to a stop.

4. 1-2 Crossover & Stick Excellent drill for learning to accelerate and decelerate quickly, covering as much ground as possible. Also working on turning the hips and maintaining control through the torso. Start slow with this exercise and gradually add speed.

5. 2-4-6 Reactive Shuffle You are now working on applying technique with maximal intent, focus and speed. Throughout this drill you need to be quick, as well as keep your feet apart.

6. Partner Mirror Shuffle - This drill challenges your reactive lateral movement. Make sure to keep your feet wider than your knees as you mirror the lateral movement of your partner.


Lets Get Uncomfortable

Being low and wide is key to lateral agility. Being low and wide is an uncomfortable position for most athletes. The positions that these drills put in you will make you feel uncomfortable... at first. The more you perform these exercises, the more comfortable you will get in these uncomfortable positions.


More Agility = More Success

Agility helps performance in activities that require quick change in direction while maintaining balance, speed, strength, and body control. It is an important aspect in many sports. Good agility can translate into better performance and faster response, and can give one an edge over their competition. And these equals more success for you as an athlete!!!


20 Questions

If you told me you were trying to improve your agility because you play a sport, it would probably take me 20 questions to figure out what sport you were talking about. Lateral agility is a key component to being successful at any sport.

I gave you several examples of the importance of lateral agility in basketball, but the same can be said about the importance of lateral agility in almost any sport.

Whether you are...

  • Stealing bases in softball or baseball
  • Sliding to dig a volleyball
  • Shuffling through defenders to make a tackle in football

... lateral agility is key!

Why do great athletes make sure their off season workouts improve their agility?

The more agility you have, the more success you are likely to have in any sport. So even if you are working on your lateral agility to make more plays on the basketball court, ultimately it will end up benefiting you in any sport you play in the future.


Basketball Agility Drills - Sport Fitness Advisor

by Sport Fitness Advisor Staff

These basketball agility drills will improve your speed around the court, quickness, co-ordination and most importantly your ability to change direction with minimal deceleration.

Basketball players who excel move with lightening-like speed. But it’s not necessarily the athlete who can run a quick 100M time that makes the quickest player…

Much more important in basketball is your ability to rapidly switch between forward, backward, lateral and vertical movements.

Integrating the basketball agility drills below within a speed training program can have a dramatic impact on your game. Not only will you be able to move from one end of the court to another much more quickly, you’ll be able to transfer much or all of that energy into other basketball-specific movements.

Agility Drill #1 – Super Shuttle

  1. Starting underneath the basket with your back to the court.
  2. Shuffle backwards with hands in a defensive ready position to point A.
  3. Sprint backwards from A to B focusing on minimizing the time to change direction. 4. Side step facing the court from B to Start position (again keep hands in defensive position).
  4. Jump to touch the net or backboard.
  5. Repeat the back shuffle from Start to C.
  6. Sprint forwards from C to D.
  7. Side step with back to court to Start position.
  8. Jump to touch the net or backboard.
  9. Repeat for 6-8 repetitions with at 60-90 seconds rest between.

If you use this drill with a team of players, simply stagger the start. So player 2 starts just as player 1 reaches point A. The group can be split into two equal teams at either end of the court. A race makes things more interesting.

Agility Drill #2 – Weave In Weave Out

  1. Place 4 markers out in a straight line approximately 3 yards apart (see right).
  2. In between each set of markers place another marker only 3 yards to the left.
  3. Sprint to marker A and then side step/shuffle to marker B leading with the left leg.
  4. Side shuffle to marker C this time leading with the right leg.
  5. Repeat to the finish.
  6. Walk back to the start and repeat for up to 6-8 repetitions.

 

Agility Drill #3 – Shuttle With Passes

  1. Start on the baseline facing the court to the left hand side of the basket.
  2. Sprint to point A and receive a pass from another player or the coach (red marker).
  3. Immediately pass the ball back to the coach, turn and sprint to point B.
  4. At point B, jump to touch the net or backboard.
  5. On landing, turn and sprint to point C. Receive a pass and return it.
  6. Turn and sprint to point D. Jump again to touch the rim or backboard.
  7. Turn and sprint to pint D. Receive a pass but this time keep the ball.
  8. Turn with the ball, dribble or drive towards the finish.
  9. Repeat for 4-6 repetitions.

 

Agility Drill #4 – Box Drill

  1. Mark out a square approximately 6 yards X 6 yards.
  2. Place a cone in the center. This is the starting position.
  3. Give each cone a letter or number. The coach calls out the a number/letter at random.
  4. The player sprints to the cone and shuffles back to the center.
  5. As soon as they arrive at the center, the coach calls another number/letter.
  6. Repeat for 60-90 seconds.

With a group of players set out several boxes. Switch players every 60 seconds. Basketball agility drills like these are great for combining physical AND mental awareness. It’s uncanny how often players fail to remember how the cones were originally numbered when they are fatigued.

Combine these basketball agility drills with other speed training sessions. Together they will help to significantly increase your quickness and quality of movement around the court.

Paramount to optimal speed and agility is sport-specific strength training. Be sure to look into the most effective approach for developing basketball specific strength and explosive power.

Exercises for developing the speed of movements

Hello, dear visitors of the site " basketball-training.org.ua "! In today's article we will talk about such an important aspect of basketball training as speed development . Basketball is a very dynamic game, and basketball players (especially those playing in positions 1-3) have to move a lot, and often at a jerky pace. Jerks, stops, sharp and sudden changes in direction - all this requires good physical fitness and explosive speed.

The exercises that you will learn in this material will improve the speed of movement around the site, the speed and coordination of movements, and most importantly, will allow you to change direction with minimal delays. Let's start a story about the means and methods of developing speed in basketball players.

Training and development of speed

Let's start with the fact that during the game of basketball, the player has to perform jerks and accelerations over short distances (5,10,20 meters), because the court itself will not allow it anymore. So great results in the 100m do not always lead to the same success when trying to run into a fast break. Much more important will be the ability to quickly "switch" between running forward and backward, left and right.

Combining agility training with classic speed training will have a huge impact on your playing ability. As a result, you will not only be able to cover the distance from one ring to another much faster, but will also be able to direct the rest of your energy to perform other specific basketball elements, such as jump , feint or throw . But let's get straight to the exercises.

Speed ​​Exercise #1: Super Shuttle

  • Starting position - on the end line under the ring
  • Start moving to point "A" in a protective stance
  • U-turn and fast dash from A to B, focusing on minimizing turnaround time
  • From point "B" with an added step in a protective stance we move to the starting position
  • We jump up and touch the shield (well, or the ring).
  • Back in defensive stance move to "C"
  • Turn and dash from "C" to "D"
  • With an added step in a protective stance, we return to the starting position
  • Jump out and touch the shield or ring
Super Shuttle

The exercise is performed 6-8 times with a 60-90 second break in between. If you are a coach, or just do this exercise with friends, then I suggest a little increase in motivation to do it. As soon as the first player reaches point "A", the second one starts moving. A large number of players can be divided into 2 groups, placed on 2 rings and have a small competition.

Speed ​​Exercise #2: Zigzag

  • Place 4 markers (they can be absolutely anything: chips, balls, stones, etc.) on the same line at a distance of about 3 meters from each other
  • Now stand in the middle between the first and second cone, measure 3 meters to the side and put another marker (total you will need to put 3 more markers).
  • Dash to the first marker - then in defensive stance move to the left - when you get to the marker - side step in defensive stance to the right
  • After the last marker, perform a short dash (3-5 meters)
Zigzag (wave)

Exercise is performed 6-8 times , a break is the time until you reach the start.

Speed ​​Drill #3: Shuttle with Ball Pass

  • So, we start the movement from the front line (START). The ring is on your left.
  • Dash to point "A" and receive a pass from the coach (partner)
  • Immediately return the pass, turn around and dash to the end line "B"
  • At point "B" jump out and touch the shield, net or ring
  • After landing, we run out to the perimeter again, get a pass and return it back
  • Again dash to the ring, jump, return to the coach, get a pass and now do not give it back
  • Turn around and do a quick dribble to the basket and finish with a lay-up or dunk.
Shuttle and pass

The exercise is repeated 4-6 times, with a short break (60-90 seconds), or almost without a break - if you are a very tough player! It is better to give the pass from the three-point line, and, as can be seen from the figure, you need to receive it in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe line for the free throw.

Speed ​​Exercise #4: Square

  • To begin your workout, mark out a 6 x 6 meter square (original suggested 6 x 6 yards, which is approximately 5. 5 meters). Put some kind of marker in the middle of the square - this will be the starting position
  • Each of the vertices of the square needs to come up with a name (1,2,3,4 or A, B, C, D). Coach or your partner names the top of the square at random
  • As soon as the vertex is named, the player makes a dash to it, and the same dash to the starting position, i.e. to the center of square
  • As soon as the player reaches the center, the coach (partner) names the next peak
Square

Exercise performed for 60-90 seconds . Then you can switch roles. For starters, 2-3 sets will be enough, and then move on to 4-6 sets with a 1-2 minute break. If you are training a group of players, then change them every 60 seconds. This exercise coolly combines the training of both the physical and psychological state. It is interesting to see how often a tired player is unable to remember the number of the vertex to which he should run.

Combine these basketball speed exercises with other speed workouts. Together they will help to significantly increase the speed and quality of movement around the site.

And that's it, the article about what kind of training exercises will help you most effectively develop leg speed is over. I am sure that it will be useful for both players and coaches. I wish you successful training, great matches and see you soon on the pages of this site.

Development of leg speed and speed at home

Hello, dear visitors of the website basketball-training.org.ua ! The idea of ​​writing this article came to me during one of the last games. It so happened that in it I had to defend against a rather fast opponent, for whom I absolutely did not have time with my feet. The problem was this: in fast breaks I could still catch up with him, but as soon as it came to the classic defensive stance, I was passed around like a standing man! And all this at the expense of an incredibly fast, explosive first step.

That is why, as soon as I got home, I was determined to find a way to develop leg speed, given that I would have to practice at home, where I would have no more than 5 meters of free space and virtually no additional devices. Let's see what came of it.

Developing the speed of basketball players' feet

There are at least two ways to start moving faster and, most importantly, sharper: train your legs so that they move faster on the floor, and use "little tricks", that is, develop the very technique of moving in a defensive stance. Naturally, not all of us are lovers of easy ways, but often they are the most logical. So I propose to start with the “useful little things” that Rick Torbet talks about in the training video “ Better 1 on 1 Defense ". By the way, if you haven’t watched it yet, I highly recommend doing it: the 8-part personal protection video tells a lot of useful things, and even if you don’t speak English, still take an hour of your time and watch it. I promise you won't regret it.

Development of leg speed: little tricks

Let's start with the most important thing - the defensive stance. It is very important to learn the correct defensive stance, which can be very different from what you are used to. So, the main thing in a defensive stance is good body balance. We have already talked about the importance of balance and methods of its development on the pages of this site, in the materials of Evgeny Burin ( General physical training of basketball players: part 1 and OFP: part 2 ). Now, the key to a proper guard stance is to keep your head in line with your knees. If it is slightly behind the conditional line - you will fall back, or fall forward - if it is ahead.

The second point - when moving to the right-left, forward-backward, you should practically not take your feet off the ground, you seem to be sliding on the parquet. This method of movement will reduce the time between repulsions from the ground, which means it will increase the speed of movement and change of direction.

The third point is the foot. It must be turned in the direction in which you are moving. Yes, it will really speed up your movement. And now let's see everything that I described above in a small video. The first part is about balance, then - about the minimum distance from the legs to the parquet, and the third - about the correct setting of the foot. I think, after such an explanation, the translation will be superfluous.

[youtube]VhWFyd97Xs8[/youtube]

Well, these little tricks will allow you to quickly move around the site, sharply changing the direction of movement. And now, let's move on to the actual development of the speed qualities of the leg muscles, and for this we will use a very interesting simulator that each of us can make from improvised means in a few minutes.

Ladder Agility Drills

Ladder agility drills - this is the name of a series of exercises with a rope ladder located on the floor, are a great way to improve footwork speed, agility, coordination and general speed on the court. These exercises are an integral part of many SAQ programs (Speed ​​Agility Quickness Programs - programs for developing speed, agility and quickness) and complement a variety of training complexes in many sports.

These exercises are based on the principle “ Quality is more important than quantity ”, which means that after performing them you will not get tired and will not “breathe”, as, for example, after “ super-shuttle ”. It is best to start these exercises at the very beginning of your workout, immediately after warming up and stretching, because the muscles must be fresh in order to provide good, quality movements. And again, after doing these exercises, your muscles will still be ready for a fairly intense workout, so don't worry: you won't overload them with these exercises! Let's move on to the exercises themselves.

Exercises for the development of agility, speed and quickness of footwork

Exercise No. 1 – “classics”. This is one of the easiest agility exercises and is suitable for everyone.

  • Begin the exercise in a starting position at the bottom of the stairs, feet shoulder-width apart.
  • Jump forward with both feet and land on the first sector of the ladder on your left foot.
  • Next, pushing off with your left foot, jump forward again, but land on two feet.
  • Push off with both feet again, jump forward and land on the right foot.
  • Pushing off only with the right foot, jump forward and land on two feet. This is 1 cycle. Repeat this cycle until the ladder ends.
"Classics"

Exercise No. 2 - "inside-out". This is another basic exercise, however, it is very effective.

  • Begin the exercise with your feet shoulder-width apart before starting the stairs.
  • Step (don't jump, just step) into the first section of the ladder, first with your left foot and then with your right foot.
  • Once the right foot has entered the first section, immediately place the left foot to the left of the next section of the ladder, then the right foot to the right of the ladder.
  • Again, step your left foot into the inside of the stairs, and then also step your right foot (as if returning to the previous position).
  • Repeat this movement pattern until the ladder ends.
"In-out"

Exercise #3 - "Step to the side" . This exercise will require more concentration and coordination of movements from you. Make a few trial attempts at low speed, and after that start working at full power.

  • Start the exercise by standing near the lower left corner of the stairs (we started the exercise in the center before, but now we need to move a little to the left).
  • Step onto the first section with your left foot, and without stopping immediately step into it with your right (as if doing a jump or jump stop; in the original this movement is called "1-2 motion", minimize the time between each step).
  • Now you need to move to the right of the current section, again placing first the left and then the right foot.
  • Now step diagonally to the left and up, again using the left and then the right foot.
  • Move to the left, leaving the stairs, first with your left and then with your right foot. Here we are in the starting position.
  • Continue in the same way to the end of the stairs. If you decide to perform this exercise several times, then each time start moving from the opposite side of the stairs, so your leading foot (in the example it is the left foot) will change regularly.
"Step to the side"

Exercise No. 4 - "Tango" . This exercise was named after a famous dance, and once you do it, you will immediately understand why.

  • Start this exercise by standing at the bottom left of the ladder (as in the previous exercise).
  • Step your left foot over your right foot and stand in the middle of the first section.
  • Continue without stopping, place your right foot at the level of the cross bar between the first and second section, and immediately place your left foot near the right.
  • This exercise is performed on the count of 1-2-3, as in a dance.
  • From this position, the right foot steps over the left and stands in the center of the second section of the ladder, then the left foot…. .

oh, I can no longer describe these manipulations, I'm afraid that reading them you will get confused on the contrary. Let's just look at the picture, everything is quite clear and without explanation. Yes, you need to repeat the exercise until the ladder ends. "Tango"

Exercise No. 5 - "Five Steps". This is the most difficult exercise of all presented here, it will require a very high level of training and innate dexterity to complete it. But if you learn to perform this exercise smoothly, without breaking down and at high speed, most of your opponents simply will not be able to keep up with your movements.

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