Upper Body Power Training: Ladder Drills

Posted by: AFTLI on November 23, 2010

Upper Body Power Training: Integrating upper body movements into your speed programs.

Part 4 Ladder Drills

By John Gaglione

In case you missed parts 1, 2 or 3 click here.

Ladder Drills are a great tool for improving coordination, quickness and timing. The athlete will learn to have fast feet and hands as well as having very accurate feet and hands. These ladder progressions do not necessary need to be added in after the hurdle drills they can be worked on at the same time as some of the other drills. If you do not have a ladder at your facility you can simply put tape down on the floor and put the desired number of boxes. I like the ladder better than the tape because when the athlete makes a mistake the ladder will move and give you immediate feedback. The ladder can be used to teach running mechanics and give a great conditioning workout as well.

I personally like to use the ladder for conditioning with my more advanced athletes because I can force them to use a complicated pattern when under fatigue. In sports we must be able to keep good form and speed even when we are tired and in the final minutes of a game or match. Pretty much any pattern that can be done with the feet can be done with the hand, but there are a few patterns that I find work particularly well. When performing the hand variations it is important to try to maintain a flat back and keep good posture. They can straddle the ladder with their feet so their feet will not get in the way. The ladder can used to help increase speed and improve conditioning as well as stability.

You do not want to let your athlete’s hip sag as this can create stress at the lower back. Think of the hand ladder drills as kind of a dynamic plank. This will help them build stability in their core as well as their shoulders while developing quick hands and feet. Sometimes when going for speed the hips will rise up a little high and I think this is okay as long as the back isn’t severely rounded. When training for stability I recommend keeping a neutral spine while keeping the abdominals and glutes squeezed very tight. If you have very strong athlete you can even use jumping variation for the hands with the ladder.

Ladder drills are a great way to develop speed, strength, and stability for both the upper and lower body. We typically start off with simple patterns such as two feet in the box and then progress to move advanced moves such as the Icky Shuffle. The simple moves are great for speed work and the advanced more are great for coordination and agility training. The complex patterns really teach the athlete to change directions quickly. Jumping and hoping variations can also be utilized to develop reactive ability and power endurance. Here are a few examples below.

Ladder Drills

Linear Drills

Linear One Foot