Football Agility Conditioning: Bag Drill

Maintaining control of your footwork during high-pressure moments on the gridiron is a key part of the game.

Good footwork is very important for all football players, regardless of what position you play.  There are a variety of different bag drills that can help in developing your footwork, but here are two to start with.

DRILL ONE

In the first bag drill, lay four stepover bags in a line about one yard apart from each other. Beginning at one end of the line of bags — facing forward with your body perpendicular to the bag — you’ll shuffle over the bags, lifting your legs and pumping your arms as you tap your feet inside the bags.

If you shuffle left, start by pushing off your right foot while lifting up your left foot to go over the first bag. As your left foot hits the ground in between the first and second bag, your right foot will follow. You want to quickly tap the ground with each foot before picking them up again to go over the second bag, third bag and finally the last bag.

Stay low and keep your shoulders over your toes. Stay bent at your knees and waist with your eyes up. Remember to swing your arms in a running motion to help propel yourself more quickly over the bags. Focus on limiting your steps and maintaining body control throughout the drill.  After going to the left, complete the drill again to the right.

DRILL TWO

Now, change it up by placing the stepover bags in a staggered position. You will again use four bags, placing them about one yard apart. The idea is to shuffle in between each bag.

Start in an athletic position at the end of the line of bags. Stand behind to the last bag, facing down the line of bags so that your toes are pointing toward the side of the bag in front of you.

When ready, begin the drill by shuffling to the right to get around the first bag. As you get to the outside of the first bag, plant your outside foot to create some power as you transition and shuffle in the opposite direction. Your feet should be going in between bags one and two, until you reach the left side of bag two. At this point, you will again plant on your outside foot and begin shuffling to the right between bags two and three. And so on.

It’s important to focus on staying low and centered while in your shuffle. Try to limit the number of steps in between each bag to three steps. For example, plant on your right foot, then shuffle LEFT, RIGHT, LEFT to plant on your left foot and move back in the opposite direction. Your shoulders should be over your knees, with your knees bent slightly so they are over your toes. Put your arms out wide to your sides to help maintain body control. Repeat this drill numerous times, starting both left and right. You can also go backward through the bags for a third variation.

Timing yourself could provide motivation and the ability to track your progress.

Add these bag drills to practice to help improve footwork and overall agility. For an even more advanced variation, check out this bag drill.