Improving your agility is key to being able to move quickly and change directions on a dime in pickleball. Here are 15 advanced agility drills:
- Ladder Drills: Using an agility ladder, perform drills such as the in-and-out and the sideways shuffle to improve footwork and agility.
- Cone Weave: Set up cones in a straight line and weave in and out as quickly as you can.
- Box Jumps: Use plyo boxes of varying heights to improve lower body power and agility.
- T-Drill: Set up four cones in a T shape. Sprint forward to the middle cone, shuffle to the left cone, shuffle right to the far cone, then shuffle back to the middle before backpedaling to the start.
- Plyometric Bounds: Perform lateral and forward bounds to build power and agility.
- Figure 8 Drill: Place two cones about 5-10 feet apart and sprint in a figure-8 pattern around them.
- Mirror Drill: With a partner, have one person mimic the movements of the other. This drill enhances reactive agility.
- Four Corners Sprint: Set up four cones in a square. Sprint to each cone in different sequences to enhance agility and change of direction speed.
- Single-Leg Hops: Improve balance and lower body power by hopping over cones or lines on one leg.
- Dot Drills: Using dot mats or creating your own dot grid with chalk or tape, perform quick footwork drills.
- BOSU Ball Training: Use a BOSU ball for exercises such as lateral shuffles, quick steps, or jumps to improve balance and agility.
- Medicine Ball Throws: Explosively throw a medicine ball in different directions (for example, overhead, side-to-side, forward) to improve full body agility.
- Zigzag Runs: Set up cones in a zigzag pattern and sprint from one cone to the next as fast as possible.
- Reaction Ball Drill: Use a reaction ball (a six-sided rubber ball that bounces unpredictably) to improve hand-eye coordination and quick reactions.
- Burpee Broad Jumps: Perform a burpee, then immediately jump forward as far as you can. This full-body exercise improves agility and power.
- Over-Under Hurdles: Set up a series of hurdles at varying heights. Jump over some and duck under others
- Lateral Plyometric Jumps: Place a line or small hurdle on the ground and jump side to side over it.
- Suicide Drills: Mark several lines or distances. Sprint to the first line and back, then to the second line and back, and so on.
- High Knee Drills: Run in place bringing your knees up high, aiming for speed and height.
- Shadow Drills: Follow a partner around the court mimicking their movements as closely as possible.
- Box Drill with a Ball: Set up a box with four cones. Run around it in various patterns while bouncing a ball.
- Resistance Band Shuffles: With a resistance band around your ankles, shuffle from side to side.
- Hop Scotch Drill: Use a basic hopscotch pattern to improve footwork and speed. Use both single and double foot jumps.
- Quick Feet Drill: In a standing position, move your feet as quickly as you can, as if running in place.
- Carioca/Grapevine Drill: This involves moving laterally where you cross one foot in front of the other and then behind.
- Jump Rope Drills: Use a jump rope to improve foot speed and coordination. Try different patterns like single leg jumps, double unders, and side-to-side jumps.
- Bounding Drill: This involves taking large, exaggerated leaps to improve power and agility.
- Shuttle Runs: Set two markers about 25 yards apart. Sprint as fast as you can from one marker to the other and back.
- Slalom Pole Drills: If you have access to slalom poles, weaving in and out at speed can greatly improve your agility.
- Balance Beam Drill: If you have access to a balance beam, walking, running, and hopping along it can help improve balance, coordination, and agility.
Please remember that these drills are meant to push your limits, so always ensure you have a proper warm-up before starting and cool down afterwards to prevent injuries. And don’t forget to hydrate!
