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Change of Direction

 

Change of Direction (Agility) Training
Colin Quay CCS, CSCS
  
A common phrase you hear in athletics is that “Speed Kills” while the ability to accelerate quickly and burn the competition is extremely important, linear sprinting over a distance of 10yds only occurs about 2% of the time in the battle for the gridiron. For this reason if “Speed Kills”, than greasy, allusive agility DOMINATES! If you want proof turn on Sports Center on Sunday and watch Ladainian Tomlinson break multiple tackles in route to another TD! In this segment of ESPNrise Road to Game Day we are going to discuss agility. Agility, or the ability to stop, change direction, and accelerate quickly is essential to any athlete’s success on the game field. When training to improve agility it is important to train the specific movements you will be using in your sport. Sprinting, Backpedaling, Shuffling, and Jumping in multiple planes of movement are all involved in football and should be addressed in a comprehensive training program. At E.A.T.S. we use a variety of drills to train these attributes and will be sharing some of them with you in this week’s episode.
 
·        Hurdle Agility Drills:
  1. Linear set up with Gaps: Set up 3 Low Agility hurdles about 1½ yards apart followed by a 3 yard gap. Continue this set up so that you have 3 rows of 3 hurdles and 2 gaps. Place 2 cones about 5 yards away from the first and last hurdle to serve as start and finish lines. Also place a cone about 3yds out from each gap. Below are several drills that can be completed with this setup.
    1. Lateral Run with Hit It’s: Start in an athletic stance, start to fall forward and   sprint toward the 1st hurdle. Rotate your body so that you side step over the hurdles being sure to stay on your “power pads” taking 2 steps between each hurdle and raising the knees high over each hurdle. At each gap hit the ground and pop up repeating the previous movement for the next row of hurdles. At the last hurdle open your hips and sprint out past the cone.
    2. Linear Run with Cone shuffle: Start just like the previous drill but now step straight over the hurdles right foot first taking 2 steps between each hurdle. Be sure to lift the knees high, stay on your “power pads” and pump the arms “Socket to Pocket”. At the gaps sink your hips and shuffle around the cone and back to the next row of hurdles. Sprint out at the end of the last hurdle. Repeat next rep with left leg first.
    3. Lateral Weave with Cone Up-Back: Assume an athletic stance and fall forward sprinting to the first hurdle. Rotate your body, Sink your hips maintaining a low center of gravity while you sprint and backpedal weaving between the hurdles. At the gap sprint hard to the cone and backpedal around and back to the next row of hurdles. Continue for the next rows and finish with a sprint out.
    4. Linear Weave with Cone Shuffle & Hits: Assume an athletic stance and fall forward sprinting toward the first hurdle. Sink your hips and keep a wide base as you weave around the hurdles. At the gaps shuffle to the cone, hit it, pop up and shuffle back to the next row of hurdles. Continue for the next rows and finish with a sprint out.
  2. Box and Out Set Up: Set up 4 low hurdles in a box with 2 more about 1½ yards apart followed by a cone about 5yds away to serve as a finish line.
    1. Hops & Out: Assume an athletic stance and hop with both feet over the first hurdle to the center of the box. Next hop over the hurdle to the right and back, the left and back and the front and back. As soon as your feet hit the center of the box after the last hop, fall forward and sprint out over the hurdles stepping 1 foot between each hurdle. 
    2. Run Through & Out:  Assume an athletic stance, fall forward and high step over the first hurdle to the center of the box. Maintain a good stride, lift the knees high, stay on your “power pads” and pump the arms “Socket to Pocket”.    Take a lateral step to the right, cut and return to the center. Repeat to the left and fall forward and sprint out over the hurdles stepping 1 foot between each hurdle.
  3. Hurdle Maze set Up: Set up the hurdles alternating forward and lateral, with 2 cones about 5 yards away from the first and last hurdle to serve as start and finish lines. 
    1. Multi Directional Hop Through: Assume an athletic stance and hop with both feet over each hurdle forward and lateral until the last hurdle followed by a sprint out.
    2. Multi Directional Run Through: Assume an athletic stance, fall forward and high step over the first hurdle. Take a lateral step to the right, cut and return to the center. Take a forward step over followed by a lateral step to the left. Continue this to the end of the drill, maintaing a good stride, lift the knees high, stay on your “power pads” and pump the arms “Socket to Pocket”. 
·        Cone Agility Drills
 
1.      6 Cone Set Up: Set up 6 cones 5 x 5 yds apart in a rectangle.
a.     Sprint All: Assume anathleticstance next to the top corner cone. Fall forward and sprint to the bottom corner cone cutting around the cone. Lean into your turn, sinking your hips, dipping your inside shoulder, and cutting with your outside foot. Sprint to the top center cone followed by the bottom corner, top corner, bottom center and finally top corner finishing where the drill started.
b.    Sprint & backpedal: Perform this drill using the same pattern as the “sprint all” drill but now alternating between sprints and backpedals. Be sure to keep a low center of gravity, lean into your turns and keep your “nose over your toes” on the backpedals. 
c.     Multi Directional Sprints: Perform this drill using the same pattern as the “sprint all” drill but now you will be starting in a parallel stance facing the top row of cones. For this drill you will be facing that direction the entire time. Start to lean toward the bottom corner cone and fall into a lateral right sprint bring the outside left knee over, while keeping shoulders square. Cut around the bottom corner cone and go into a diagonal sprint left to the top center cone. Make a cut around the cone and go into a diagonal right sprint to the bottom corner cone. Cut around the cone and go into a lateral left sprint to the top corner cone. Make a cut with your left foot and take a drop step with the right into a diagonal backward sprint to the bottom center cone. Make a cut with your right foot and take a drop step with your left foot into a diagonal backward sprint to the top corner cone where you started.
 
·        Reaction Drills: On the playing field an athlete has to quickly react to various visual and audible stimuli in order to be in a position to make a play. We use color cones and audible cues to train this aspect of the game!
 
1.     4 Cone Color Reaction Drill:For this drill set up 4 cones (red, blue, yellow, green) in a box 5 x 5 yds apart.
a.     Sprint All: Athlete starts in an athletic position in the center of the box. On “Break Down” the athlete will chop his feet. Coach will call audible color cues and athlete will sprint to the cone matching the color call cutting around the cone and sprinting back to the center. Repeat for each color until coach call “Out” On this cue sprint out of the drill past the coach.
b.    Sprint & Backpedal: Perform this drill the same way you would for “Sprint All” but now the athlete sprints to the cone and backpedals back to the center of the box.
c.     Shuffle All: Perform this drill the same way you would for “Sprint All” but now the athlete shuffles to the cone and back to the center of the box.
 
2.     Hurdle Color Reaction Drill: Set up 4 low hurdles about 1½ yards apart. Set up 5 different color cones, 1 in front of each gap. 
a.     Hop Through: Athlete begins in an athletic stance about 3yds behind the row of hurdles. On “Break Down” the athlete chops his feet. Coach will call either 1,2 or 3 color cues. Athlete will sprint to the first gap corresponding with the first color called. If there was only one color called he will backpedal back to where he started keeping your “nose over your toes” on the backpedals.. If 2 or 3 colors were called than the athlete will lateral hope to the next gap that corresponds with 2nd color called and then hops to the gap of the 3rd color called. From there he will backpedal back to the start position. The coach will call between 3-4 series and will finish with a 1 color call followed by an “Out” call. On this call the athlete will sprint out of the color gap called.
 
b.    Side Step Through: This drillis performed exactly like the previous drill but instead of hopping over the hurdles you are side stepping. Be sure to maintain a good stride, lift the knees high, stay on your “power pads” and pump the arms “Socket to Pocket”. Also keep your “nose over your toes” on backpedals.
 
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