The 5 Best Netball Footwork Drills To Sharpen Your Agility
Quick, nimble feet are essential for netball, whether attacking, defending, or intercepting passes. In this fast-paced game, footwork is fundamental. This article will outline 5 best netball footwork drills to improve your lateral movement, change of direction, and court coverage through improved agility. Let’s get to work on those feet!
1. Ladder Drills
Place a ladder on the ground and spend time moving laterally through each rung quickly with control.
Focus on pushing off the balls of your feet and pointing your toes outwards for a low center of gravity.
Make forward and backward motions along with a side-to-side shuffling.
Time yourself passing through 15 rungs in 30 seconds.
2. Shuttle Runs
Set up cones 3-5 meters apart and sprint laterally between each one, touching the ground each time.
Work on an explosive push off one leg and a soft landing on the other.
Add variety by running forward, backward, and side-to-side in a zig-zag pattern through the cones.
Aim for sub-6-second runs over 10 cones.
3. Mirror Drills
Partner up and face each other in a squaring-off stance a few meters apart.
One player initiates a quick change of direction movements like sidestepping Cariocas and backpedaling, which the other mirrors exactly.
Keep upper body and feet aligned and head up.
Swap regularly over 5 minutes for a cardiovascular challenge.
4. Agility Ladder Drills
Similar to the basic ladder drill but incorporate more complex footwork patterns within the ladder this time, such as double under, lateral hops, crossovers, and butt kicks.
Record times completing a circuit of 10 moves.
Progress by adding a ball juggling component once patterns are embedded.
5. Cone Weaves
Set up multiple short lines of 3-5 cones, each a meter apart.
Weave in and out of the lines with sharp lateral cuts and changes of speed/direction.
Add reactions like jump-stopping or 180-degree spins after completing a line.
Time yourself completing an obstacle course of 8 cone lines in 60 seconds.
FAQS ABOUT NETBALL FOOTWORK DRILLS:
Some footwork drills for netball are fast feet, lateral cone, zig-zag, and hopscotch. These drills help improve agility, balance, and speed.
Footwork is vital in netball because it allows you to move quickly and efficiently on the court, avoid stepping violations, and create space for yourself and your teammates. Good footwork also helps you catch, pass, and shoot the ball accurately and effectively.
You can improve your footwork in netball by practicing drills that challenge your coordination, reaction time, and change of direction. You can also work on your strength, flexibility, and endurance to support your footwork. You can also watch and learn from other players with good footwork skills.
The rules of footwork in netball are that you can only take one step after catching the ball and not drag or lift your landing foot until you pass or shoot the ball. You also cannot hop or jump while holding the ball. If you break these rules, you will be penalized for stepping.
It would be best if you warmed up for footwork drills in netball by doing some dynamic stretches, such as lunges, squats, leg swings, arm circles, and ankle rotations. It would help if you also did light cardio exercises like jogging, skipping, or jumping jacks. This will help you to prepare your muscles and joints for the drills.
Conclusion
When performed consistently, these netball drills build agility, speed, coordination, and foot-eye skills. Have fun improving those netball feet with a partner for competition and feedback on technique.
Keep progressing by adding intensity, distances, and reaction speeds for accelerated court coverage.
