Improving Agility

Although there is no definite definition to agility, it can generally be defined as the ability to explosively start, decelerate, change direction, and accelerate again quickly while maintaining body control and minimizing a reduction in speed.1 Agility, by this definition, has been shown to be a defining factor of success in sports.1,2  Although many coaches know the benefits of agility, the characteristics that contribute to improving agility are still amiss to many

Training Time:

        Agility is a neural skill that is developed over time with the use of repetition. It takes athletes weeks and months to see improvements in agility speed.1 This means that if sport specific agility is not trained during the off-season, an athlete will not have enough time to reach their full agility speed potential. Agility should be trained as an important component of the annual training program.

Type of Training:

        A common misconception about agility is that speed training will improve your agility speed. In actuality, these are two separate qualities that each need specific training.The key to improving agility is to minimize the loss of speed when redirecting your body’s center of gravity.2  An athlete must train using drills that require rapid changes of direction forward, backward, vertically and laterally. This has been shown to improve agility as well as coordination.2

        Agility is a neural skill that can be developed and improved. Repetition of rapid changes of direction forward, backward, vertically and laterally is to be used when training agility speed. An athlete must be allowed enough training time in order to reach their full agility speed potential. If coaches use these characteristics when designing their exercise programs, they will see more agility and sport related success.

References

1 Graham, J. (n.d.). Agility Training for Athletic Performance. Retrieved June 29, 2015, from http://tinyurl.com/otcfzaz

2 Sheppard, J., & Young, W. (2006). Agility literature review: Classifications, training and testing. 


Journal of Sports Sciences, 24(9), 919-932. doi:10.1080