Multidirectional Ladder Drill

Step 1

Starting Position: Stand to the left of the ladder with the feet approximately hip width apart.

Step 2

Drop into an athletic ready position with the hips flexed and the straight, tall spine; drive the left foot into the ground while picking up the right foot, (with the left foot on the floor and the right leg in the air the right arm should be back in shoulder extension and the left arm forward in shoulder flexion).  Move the right foot to the right in order to plant it inside the agility ladder to begin the lateral and forward movements for the drill.  The right foot should be planted inside the ladder, once the right foot is planted inside the ladder the left foot is brought in to the ladder and placed next to the right.

Step 3

Keep the left foot planted inside the ladder and pick up the right foot to move it to the outside of the ladder, the right foot should be planted to the side and forward of the square where the left foot remains (the movement of the drill requires a zig-zag pattern which requires both lateral and forward movement). 

Step 4

Close-up: the left foot is on the outside of the ladder to push-off and the right foot is moved forward and to the right so that it can be placed and planted inside the ladder; when the right foot hits the ground, drop back into an athletic ready position and prepare to pick up the left foot to move it inside the ladder to place it next to the right.

Step 5

Close-up: both feet are planted inside the ladder, maintain an athletic ready position with the hips flexed, spine straight and tall and the eyes looking straight ahead (not pictured).

Step 6

Close-up: when both feet are next to each other in the square, pick up the right foot and plant it on the outside of the ladder in order to push off with right foot and pick up the left foot to move it forward to the next square in the ladder.  The drill should create a zig-zag pattern which is a combination of both forward and lateral movement; the foot pattern is: in-in-out-in-in-out (right foot in the square-left foot in the square-right foot outside the square with the left foot picked up and moved forward to the next square, when it is on the ground the right foot is picked up from the outside of the square and brought into the square next to the left; the left foot is then planted on the outside of the square and the right foot moved forward to the next square).  

Step 7

Exercise Variation: When learning the drill, you can plant just one foot on the outside of the ladder, as you improve your skill and speed, you can bring both feet outside the ladder-plant the right foot, then bring the left foot outside the ladder to hit the ground next to the right before being moved to the next forward square.  Another variation is to keep your eyes off of your feet and looking straight ahead where your opponent would be during an athletic competition.