Shuttle cone drills are traditionally used by many football coaches to hone their players' skills. Performing these drills regularly during practice sessions can help you build agility and speed. Some of the drills are designed to help improve your ability to make cuts at sharp angles and sprint faster through short distances. By using the many different shuttle cone drills available, you can design a variety of routines to keep practices from getting boring day to day.
Shuttle Drill
The shuttle drill is a basic sprinting routine that requires four cones placed in a line with five yards of space in between each. Starting at the first cone, you should spring forward to the second cone and back to the first. Then sprint forward to the third cone and back to the first. And then sprint forward to the fourth cone and back to the first. Do not stop in between each sprint--the drill should be one continuous sprint back and forth from each cone. When you reach a cone, bend down and touch the line or ground as you turn to sprint toward the next cone. This drill will help you with sprinting abilities and endurance.
3-Cone Drill
The three-cone drill is one that all aspiring professional football players should experience. It is one of the shuttle cone drills used by the NFL in the combine tryouts for the draft. For this drill, you need to set up three cones in an L shape with 10 yards in between each cone. Start at cone one with the cone on your right side and sprint forward to cone 2, touch the ground, and sprint back to cone 1. Without stopping, sprint back to cone 2 again and go around the cone clockwise and continue sprinting toward the right side of cone 3. Go counterclockwise around cone 3 and continue sprinting back toward cone 2 again. Turn at cone 2 and continue your sprint to cone 1 to finish. This is a grueling drill that will help you with your sprinting and cutting abilities.
Zigzags
The zigzag drill requires seven cones placed 12 yards apart with 12 yards in between each other. Align the cones in a zigzag or slalom-type formation with three in a line on the left and four in a line on the right. Starting at the first cone, sprint on an angle to cone 2. Go around cone 2 on the outside and sprint back across the field to cone 3. Go around cone 3 on the outside and continue sprinting across the field to cone 4. Continue sprinting in this fashion until you reach the final cone, cone 7. This drill should be a complete sprint throughout without stopping or touching the ground. This routine will help you with speed and cutting abilities.
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