Football players always want to be faster and more agile - but how do you improve those skills when you're not naturally gifted with them? Center for Performance Medicine & Rehabilitation Clinic Director Dr. Michael Vishion outlines the best drills to help anyone improve speed & agility.

1. Dr. Michael A. Vishion
Clinic Director
Center for Performance Medicine & Rehabilitation
Speed & Agility For
Football Players

2. Coaches & fans alike love physically powerful athletes with:
• Physical Size
• Strength
• Vertical and Lateral Power
• Body Composition
But whether you have these or not, you can still improve your
speed and agility.
More Than Natural Ability

3. • Speed & agility development for a
specific sport are often neglected
or only focused upon for a short
duration of time during the
preseason.
• In reality, it takes athletes weeks
and sometimes months to see
improvements in speed and agility.
• Speed & agility should be an
important component of the annual
training regimen.
3 Truths About Training For Speed & Agility

4. • Rate at which someone is able to move
• Rapidity of movement or action
What Is Speed?

5. • Stride Length - distance
between back to back
placements of the same
foot
• Stride Frequency - rate
at which you can move
your legs when running
2 Components For Improving Speed

6. • Stride Length - power skips,
running uphill, and bounding
drills
• Stride Frequency - fast leg drills,
resisted sprints, wall lean/toe
taps, leg swings, and lateral
swings
How Can I Improve?

7. Leading with your right leg, skip as high as you possibly can
raising your right knee to hip height and simultaneously
extending your right straight arm behind you. Your left leg should
remain straight and your left elbow should be slightly bent at
your side. Land on the ball of your left foot. Repeat the skipping
motion with your opposite arm and leg.
.
Works hip flexors,
glutes, quads, and
calves
Power Skips

8. What great football player always ran uphill as part of his
training regimen?
Pop Quiz

9. Walter Payton!!

10. • Bounding - magnifying the running stride by launching off
your front foot/leg while driving the opposite knee
forward up to waist level.
• The leg you bounded off of is kept straight as it trails
behind.
• As you bound into the air, you try to achieve at least one
second of “hang time” before landing as softly as you can
on the ball of your foot.
• When your foot hits the ground in front of you, then the
process is repeated on the other side.
Bounding Drills

11. • As you are performing your bounding exercise, the arm that
is opposite of your lead leg should swing forward for added
momentum.
• Do two 30-meter reps, then progress to 50-meter reps as
you build strength and coordination.
• For a greater challenge, do the bounding exercise on a hill.
Bounding Drills

12. • Fast Leg Drills
• Resisted Sprints
• Wall Lean/Toe Tap
• Leg Swing
• Lateral Leg Swing
Stride Frequency Drills Overview

13. • Walk around a track, making every fourth step the fast leg
drill.
• Lift your big toe while picking up a foot.
• Then, slide foot behind you until it reaches your hip,
keeping your lower leg tight to your upper leg and hip.
• Drive your foot back to the ground using your hip.
• Concentrate on performing the Fast Leg Drill as quickly as
possible.
Sets/Duration: 2-3 per leg x 10-20 yards
Fast Leg Drill

14. • Use a sled, parachute, bands,
or a belt.
• Use enough load to create
resistance, but not so much
that it changes your sprint
technique.
• Test your resistance load by
first doing a timed 20 yards
with no resistance, then do a
resisted sprint for 20 yards. If
your time for the resisted sprint
is slower by 10% or more, then
reduce the load.
Resisted Sprints Drill

15. • Lean facing a wall with
arms extended and palms
touching the wall.
• Maintain the toe up and
knee up position, tap the
floor as fast as possible,
and return to start
position.
Sets/Duration: 15 reps each
leg; 2-3 sets per leg
Wall Lean/Toe Tap Drill

16. • Stand tall with your feet flat on the floor and your hands
by your side.
• Lift one leg up straight and swing it straight forward, then
backward, in a controlled pendulum-like fashion. Return
to the starting position.
• Avoid hyperextending your lower back when swinging your
leg backward. Keep your core engaged to reduce the risk
of injury.
Sets/Duration: 10-15 reps per leg
Forward/Back Leg Swing Drill

17. • Start by facing a wall. Place both of your palms on the
wall, and lift your right foot slightly off the floor.
• Swing your leg across your body to the left. Then, swing
your leg to the right.
• Repeat the back-and-forth motion 10 or 15 times before
doing the exercise with your left leg.
Lateral Leg Swing Drill

18. • Agility is the ability to
maintain or control body
position while quickly
changing direction
during a series of
movements.
• By enhancing balance
and control of body
position during
movement, agility can
theoretically be
improved.
What Is Agility?

19. • Many different drills
• Among the most effective: ladder drills and cone drills
How Can You Improve Agility?

20. • Single-leg forward hops between ladder spaces
• Lateral jumps in/out of ladder spaces
• Horizontal jumps between ladder spaces
• Two vertical jumps in each ladder space: jump as high as
possible two times in each ladder space and continue until
the end
Ladder Drill

21. • X-Drill
• L- Drill
• Agility Shuttle
Cone Drills

22. • Place 4 cones 5 yard by 5 yard square
box.
• Start with a square stands.
• Run across diagonally from one cone
to opposite cone.
• Shuffle laterally to the opposite cone.
• Cross over back to the diagonal cone.
• Turn and sprint to the cone to the
starting cone.
X-Drill

23. • Cones should be set up in a L shape 5
yards apart.
• Start in a three point stands starting at
the middle cone (1)
• Come out of your stance sprinting low
for 5yards from the middle cone (1) to
the (2) cone
• Then go around the (2) cone shuffling
back to the middle cone (1).
• Turn and run backward from the middle
cone (1) to (3) cone.
• Shuffle around the (3) cone and sprint 5
yards toward middle cone (1).
L-Drill

24. • Set up 3 cone 5 yards apart for a total of 10 yards.
• Start in a three point stands starting at the middle cone (A).
• Come out of your stance with an explosive first step and
drive laterally to the (B) cone.
• Touch the ground with the same hand as the direction you
ran - ex. If you ran to the left, touch the ground with your
left hand. (Continue to next slide)
Agility Shuttle/5-10-5 Drill

25. • Then sprint 10 yards to (C) cone and touch the ground.
• Turn around and sprint to the middle (A) cone.
• Repeat in the other direction and do even sets in both
direction.
Agility Shuttle/5-10-5 Drill

26. • Agility and Speed can be improve regardless of physical
attributes.
• It takes athletes weeks - and even months - to see
improvements in speed and agility.
• Speed and agility should be trained as an important
component of the annual training regiment.
Let's Review

27. • Speed can be changed by increasing stride length and
stride frequency.
• Speed Training tools: power skips, running uphill, bound
drills, fast leg drills, resisted sprints, wall lean/toe taps,
leg swings and lateral swings.
• Agility can be improved by cone and ladder drills.
• Agility Training drills: X-Drill, L- Drill, agility shuttle (5-10-
5), single-leg forward hops between ladder spaces, lateral
jumps in/out of ladder spaces, horizontal jumps between
ladder spaces, and two vertical jumps in each ladder
space.
Let's Review

28. For more information, contact:
Dr. Michael Vishion
Clinic Director
Center for Performance Medicine & Rehabilitation
636-778-3028
DrVishion@GetHealthySTL.com