Agility Ladder Footwork Drills

An agility ladder (or painter's tape or chalk to make one on the ground)

A flat outdoor or gym surface

Lay the agility ladder flat on the ground. If you don't have one, make it with painter's tape on a patio or chalk on a driveway. Draw two parallel lines about 20 inches apart with rungs every 18 inches. 8-10 squares is plenty.

Basic Run-Through: start at one end and run through the ladder as fast as possible, placing one foot in each square. Arms pumping, eyes forward, feet quick. Time it.

Two-In: place both feet in each square before moving to the next. Right foot in, left foot in, right foot in the next square, left foot in. It's faster than it sounds.

Lateral Shuffle: stand sideways to the ladder. Step the lead foot into the first square, bring the trailing foot in, step the lead foot into the next square. Quick, controlled side steps.

Hopscotch Pattern: start with two feet outside the first square. Jump with one foot into the first square. Jump with two feet straddling the next square. One foot in, two feet out, repeat.

High Knees: run through the ladder lifting knees as high as possible with each step. This builds hip flexor strength and coordination.

In-Out: start outside the ladder. Step both feet in, then both feet out, moving forward one square at a time.

Time every drill. Write down the times. Race against the clock, not each other.

Agility ladders are cheap ($10-15) and fold up small. They're used by every youth sports team for a reason — they work.

The tape or chalk version is free and works just as well. The visual pattern on the ground is what matters, not the physical ladder.

Start slow. Accuracy before speed. Stepping in the right square matters more than going fast. Speed comes after the pattern is clean.

Do each drill 3-4 times before moving to the next. The first run is figuring it out. The second is getting it right. The third and fourth are getting it fast.

These drills transfer directly to any sport — soccer, basketball, football, tennis. The footwork patterns build agility that applies everywhere.