The humble road cone has been the focus of speed and agility drills for decades. It's such a popular exercise accessory that sporting goods stores now offer lighter-duty, less-expensive cones just for workouts. Although there's literally an infinite variety of cone drills, coaches and motivated athletes alike can benefit from a list to use as is, or as inspiration.
Slalom Runs
A slalom run, says Portland-based football coach Mark Barlow, develops acceleration and agility by forcing changes in direction while losing as little speed as possible. To set up slalom run, place two parallel lines of cones. Athletes run the course by alternately running around the outside of cones on opposing sides of the course -- just like a slalom skier on a downhill course. You can set up cones truly parallel, or stagger the cone placement -- both of which result in a slightly different workout.
Cone Shuttle Run
A shuttle run builds hand speed, acceleration and deceleration through a series of start-and-stop runs. Set up a cone shuttle run by nesting four to six cones together at the starting point for your course. Mark a number of points equal to the number of cones you have, each progressively more distant from your starting point. Athletes start by picking up one cone and running it to the first marked point. They place the cone there, then run back to pick up the next cone -- which they run to the next marked point. The athlete continues this pattern until all cones have been laid out, then reverses the action to stack all the cones back at the starting line.
T-Drill
Different variations of this football drill train running backward and ball handling skills. To set up for this drill, position five cones in a cross pattern, 10 to 15 yards apart. An athlete sits down cross-legged at the center of the cross. On command, the athlete jumps to his feet and runs backward toward one of the cones -- directed by the start command of "front," "left," etc. One option for this drill is to have a second player throw a ball for the athlete to catch while in motion.
Kicking Drill
This drill from martial arts instructor Dave Coffman builds kick accuracy while improving range of motion and strength in the hip flexors. Place a cone on top of a platform between hip and head height. Free-standing heavy bags and stools are good examples. Athletes take turns kicking the cone off the platform. This drill calls for accuracy. A kick too high misses, while a kick too low can sting. When setting up this drill, it's important to choose a platform that is either soft, or falls down easily. Both is best.
References
- Mark Barlow; Football Coach; Portland, Ore.
- Dave Coffman; Martial Arts Instructor; Beaverton, Ore.
- Sport-Fitness-Advisor: Agility Exercises Using Cones
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