5 Easy Ladder Footwork Drills For
Tennis, Agility & Speed
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Strong footwork and conditioning are essential for any player to achieve their maximum potential on the tennis court.
However, for many players and coaches, footwork and agility training are an afterthought that receives little attention compared to other aspects of the game despite its ability to help players win more matches.
In this guide, I’m covering five easy ladder footwork drills to introduce tennis players to agility equipment that can improve their footwork and elevate their game.
Video Overview
In this video, we break down five essential ladder footwork drills that are great for beginners and getting players comfortable.
For quick reference, here are timestamps for the different sections:
For quick reference, here are timestamps to jump to different sections throughout the video:
0:12 – Intro
0:40 – Drill #1: One Step
1:03 – Drill #2: Fast Feet
1:28 – Drill #3: Side Step
1:46 – Drill #4: Side Hop
2:07 – Drill #5: Crossover
2:27 – Wrapping Up
Keep scrolling for extra detail and notes about each drill.
Here’s the ladder I use, which I mention in the video.
Explanation & Demo Of Drills
Let’s break down each of the five ladder drills, so that you know exactly how to perform them and start practicing them today.
Drill #1: One Step
‘One Step’ is the easiest of the bunch. Start facing forward with the ladder in front of you and your feet staggered, i.e., one foot forward and the other behind.
Bring your back foot forward and step over the first rung into the first square and continue stepping forward with your opposite foot over the next rung repeating for each square down the ladder.
Keep your arms at your side and allow them to alternate swinging forward and backward with each step you take.
Repeat the drill in the opposite direction, starting with your opposite foot.
Drill #2: Fast Feet
‘Fast Feet’ is a slightly modified version of ‘One Step,’ the first drill, and is excellent for improving foot speed, which is essential as you approach and prep for each groundstroke.
Again, start facing forward with the ladder in front of you and your feet staggard. Push off with your back foot and step your front foot into the first square while allowing your back foot to follow and step into the first square as well.
Repeat down the entire length of the ladder leading with the same foot while keeping your arms at your side, pulsing with each step.
Repeat the drill in the opposite direction, starting with your opposite foot.
Drill #3: Side Step
‘Side Step’ is another fantastic drill for improving your side to side movement at the baseline.
This time, start with your body sideways at one end of the ladder, then push off with your back foot. Step your front foot into the first square and allow your back foot to follow. After you plant your back foot, push off and step your front foot to the next square repeating the entire ladder.
Repeat the drill in the opposite direction, starting with your opposite foot.
Drill #4: Side Hop
The ‘Side Hop’ is another excellent drill for improving your split step.
Start facing forward with the ladder in front of you and your feet together. Hop with both feet so that they land outside the first square and hop again so that they land simultaneously within the first square and repeat down the entire length of the ladder.
Drill #5: Crossover
Last but not least, the ‘Crossover’ is another footwork drill that’s ideal for improving baseline movement.
Start with your body sideways ad the end of the ladder. Step your back foot over the top of your front foot into the first square and then allow your opposite foot to follow and step into the next square and repeat down the entire ladder.
Repeat the drill in the opposite direction, starting with your opposite foot.
Why Do These Drills?
If you’ve played tennis for any length of time, you’ve likely heard that footwork is essential, but why is that?
Each stroke in tennis is complex on its own, but that complexity increases as a player travels around the court to meet the ball.
A player must be quick enough to track down the ball before it passes them, but they also need to position themselves appropriately to hit their desired shot with proper technique.
If players are too slow to get to the ball or don’t achieve adequate positioning, their ability to execute their best shot will diminish or force an unnecessary error, which can quickly erode a player’s performance.
Of course, repeated unforced errors can quickly lead to frustration and lower a player’s confidence and a subsequent downward spiral.
By improving your footwork, you enhance your ability to execute your game to the best of your ability, which can improve your confidence and help you maximize your performance.
Key Benefits
It’s easy to become complacent and practice more comfortable or basic movements that are frequent on the court.
However, one of the best ways to take your footwork to the next level is by challenging yourself beyond what’s typical. The payoff is that your movement as a whole becomes effortless.
Here are a few noteworthy benefits for spending time working on it.
Conditioning
When you practice your footwork, you’re spending valuable time improving your fitness, which will translate to better performance on the court. Early on in a tennis match, that means you’ll be fresh so you can execute at your highest level to try and take an early lead.
As a competitive match wears on, you’ll be better equipped to go the distance and maintain a higher level of play, which can be the difference-maker when it comes to sealing the win.
Speed
Quick footwork is a learned skill. Although some players have more natural athletic ability, which makes them faster without having to try as hard, all players can improve.
Slower players can improve their foot speed and level the playing field by putting in the time to practice, while fast players can build their footwork into a significant competitive advantage.
Regardless of which end of the spectrum you fall into, you have nothing to lose by dedicating time to and undoubtedly will see improvements in speed by consistently challenging yourself with a ladder.
Balance
Footwork ladder drills for tennis will help improve your balance, which is extremely helpful for confident movement.
Regardless of how good your balance is today, there is a broad range of drills that can challenge beginners to experts.
Mental
Footwork drills require players to challenge their body and mind to execute complex movements successfully, which in turn helps you learn other valuable skills and techniques more quickly and easily.
Of course, the mental benefits extend far beyond the tennis court.
Tips For The Best Results
Spending any time improving your footwork with a ladder is better than nothing, but here are a few tips you can keep in mind for the best results.
Go at Your Own Pace
It’s easy to watch a few footwork ladder drill videos and be intimidated or to push yourself too hard, which can lead to injury.
However, the point of practice is not to replicate what someone else is doing. Instead, it’s to improve your baseline over time.
If you need to start slower, then, by all means, start where you’re at and improve from there. Also, it can be helpful to ease into these kinds of drills if you’ve never done them before.
Ladder drills, in particular, will challenge you to stay on your toes, which can lead to some discomfort if you overdo it the first few times out.
Practice with a Purpose
It’s easy to throw down a latter and run through a few basic drills and then move on to the next thing. However, what’s better is showing up with a game plan.
Learn or bookmark a few resources with a handful of drills and commit to running through each a set number of times. Also, set your rest period between each exercise, so that you’re challenging yourself and ideally track your performance – a simple note your phone will do the trick.
Here’s an example plan using the drills covered in this guide:
Warm-Up
Slowly and lightly move through all five drills to build some muscle memory and warm up your body.
Drills
Run through each drill four times (each “time” is the equivalent to one length of the ladder) alternating which foot you start with for each time you work your way down the ladder.
Rest for 10 seconds after completing each length of the ladder.
Rest for 20 seconds after completing each drill.
Repeat the entire circuit twice.
Simple planning, as described above, will help you maximize your time working on your footwork by dedicating a predetermined amount of effort. It will also ensure you’re bringing new drills with you to help switch up your routine and continue challenging yourself.
Last but not least, you’ll be able to gauge your improvement over time, which is super motivating.
Move Your Arms
Your footwork is the main emphasis when working on an agility ladder, but don’t forget to keep your arms involved.
Keep them at your side, and with each step, you can pulse or lightly swing each arm so that your entire body stays involved.
Where to Look
When you’re first getting started or learning a new ladder drill, it’s going to be helpful to look at your feet.
However, as you get more comfortable, you will want to begin lifting your head and looking straight forward as you would when playing a tennis match. It’s a quick and easy way to take a simple drill and increase the difficulty level.
Work Both Sides of Your Body
Many drills will have you lead with one foot as you make your way down the ladder, which means one side is getting more work than the other. To balance things out, be sure to repeat drills with the opposite foot leading.
With or Without Your Racquet
Another easy way to switch up drills on the ladder and keep things fresh is to hold your racquet. To start, get comfortable without your racquet and then add it in to see how it changes up the feel.
Time Yourself
Another fun way to improve your speed is by timing yourself and working to beat your previous best.
Pick a ladder drill and challenge yourself to complete that drill a specific number of times and then measure how long it takes you to complete it from start to finish.
Not only is it fun to measure your performance, but it gives you a target to continually try to improve.
Practice with a Friend
If you like the idea of practicing your footwork, but you’re having trouble getting started or motivating yourself, then suggest the idea to a friend and go practice together.
It’s helpful to have a cheerleader as well as someone to challenge you, and it will make things like tracking your time easier too.
On or Off Court
You can practice your footwork with a ladder anywhere – on our off court.
Your backyard or driveway are great options for setting up your ladder on days you might not have enough time to make it to the court, but you still want to work on your game.
Another excellent time to practice your footwork with a ladder is while waiting for players to exit a public court. Instead of sitting and wasting your time, you can break out your ladder and run a few quick drills.
Incorporate Other Footwork Drills
The ladder is one of many tools a player can use to improve their footwork, but it can be exciting when you start to combine different equipment such as cones to make a full-fledged circuit.
Of course, you don’t need to start here, but keep it in mind as your movement improves, and you’re looking for new ways to challenge yourself.
Dynamic Warm-Up
A great way to use ladder drills is to run through them ahead of a match to get your body warm before even stepping on the court.
They’re great because they get your mental and physical muscles working so that you head into your match sharp and focused.
Buying an Agility Ladder
Agility ladders aren’t the most complicated piece of equipment, but there are a few things you’ll want to keep an eye on when buying one.
Durability
It should go without saying, you want to find an agility ladder with durable rungs. Over time, they do take a beating and will have to withstand periodic missteps.
The most common material for ladder rungs is plastic, which you want to be pliable enough to withstand stepping on here and there.
The straps that connect the rungs don’t usually present a durability issue, but they should be thick enough to take some pounding as well.
Length
One of the main differentiators between agility ladders is their length. If it’s too small, you’re going to limit the number of steps you can take and, subsequently, the difficulty level.
On the other hand, the longer the ladder, the heavier it gets, and the more annoying it can be to unpack and pack.
I’ve found the sweet spot to be a 12 rung ladder, which is long enough to keep yourself challenged while remaining easy to handle.
Pegs
Many agility ladders will include four small pegs that can be pushed into the ground at the corners to prevent the ladder from moving out of place when hit during minor missteps. If you’re practicing on a hard court, these have no value, but in a yard or field, they can work great.
I’ve found them to be most useful when a team is using the ladder to train so that everyone can keep moving without having to adjust the ladder every time someone bumps it.
However, keep in mind that when you fasten the ladder to the ground, you’re increasing the likelihood of someone breaking a rung if their foot accidentally gets caught on a rung.
Adjustable Rungs
One of the ways players can inject more variety into their training with agility ladders is to adjust the space between each rung.
This feature is also helpful when training with different levels of players because the space between each rung can increase or decrease the difficulty.
Helpful Tip
One of the biggest complaints with ladders is how tangled up they get, can be super annoying. The easiest way to avoid a tangled mess is by picking the ladder up one rung at a time and stacking them cleanly so that they’re ready for the next use.
Wrapping Up
Ladders are an excellent piece of equipment that tennis players can use to improve their footwork, coordination, balance, and speed.
Hopefully, if you’ve never used a ladder before, you’ll consider giving them a try with the drills covered in this guide as a useful starting point.
If you have any questions about the drills I covered, please let me know in the comments below – I’m happy to help.
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