Running Techniques with/without Ball for Agility/Speed

• Palms are open, no fists. • Run on the balls of the feet, not on the whole foot.
• Light, nimble footwork, no stomping or heavy steps.
• The arms, bent at the body, move in alternation with the legs. Not away from the body.
• Quick, short movements.
• Side shuffles forward/backward: In a lateral running direction, the legs are alternately moved apart and together in parallel; the arms swing in sync with the leg movement.
• Crossover run: In a lateral running direction to the left, the right leg is brought in front of the left leg and placed before it. Then the left leg is brought behind the right leg and placed in front of the right leg (and so on). When the left leg moves forward, the hips and arms rotate in the opposite direction (backward), creating a twist between the shoulder and pelvic axes.
• Laterally offset jumps (skier jump/movement): With the upper body slightly leaning forward, the player jumps sideways forward alternating with the right and left leg (right leg forward-right, left leg forward-left). It is important that the takeoff and landing are on the balls of the feet. The arms swing supportively. When the standing leg lands after takeoff, the other leg is bent (no ground contact). Eyes face forward.
• Backward run: The legs move backward in a bent position on the balls of the feet. The arms are bent and move in counter-motion. The upper body is slightly leaning forward.
• 360-degree turns: Legs and arms are slightly bent. Upper body slightly leaning forward. The player turns on the balls of the feet around their own axis.
• High knees: The right leg is angled upward in the maximum high position. The left (bent) arm also goes upward. The left leg is almost fully extended. The player stands on the ball of the foot. When the right ball of the foot touches the ground, the same movement follows with the left. The upper body is upright. Short ground contact time, maximum speed.
• Bounding high/single-leg jump: The player pushes off powerfully and as high as possible with the left leg. The right leg is bent. The left (bent) arm also goes upward. The left leg is almost fully extended and pushes off on the ball of the foot. When the right ball of the foot touches the ground, the same movement starts with the left. Upper body is upright. Short ground contact time, maximum speed.
• Long jump (triple jump/gazelle): Long, ground-covering single-leg jumps. Alternating from the left to the right ball of the foot. Both legs are bent. The arms swing in the counter-movement of running. The upper body is upright. The goal is to push off far and high and stay in the air as long as possible.
• Quick feet: short, fast movements on the balls of the feet (not on the whole foot). The heels must not touch the ground; legs/arms are bent and swing according to the natural running counter-movement (right arm/left foot). The upper body leans forward. Short ground contact time, maximum speed.
• Single-leg hops: Serve to develop push-off power (increasing maximum and explosive strength with limited push-off time), i.e., acceleration speed. The player jumps forward from the right ball of the foot and lands on the same foot on the ball. Short ground contact with an explosive sprint. The left foot moves forward.
• Include a 1-2 minute rest after each drill.