Starting Position: The movement of this drill requires a zig-zag pattern which requires both lateral and forward movement.
Begin by standing to the left of the ladder with your feet hip width apart.
Bend your hips and drop into an athletic ready position with the knees are slightly bent, spine is straight and tall. Drive the left foot into the ground while picking up the right foot. Your arms are moving in opposition to your legs (e.g. when the right knee is in the air, the left arm is forward, right arm back) Plant the right foot inside the agility ladder to begin the lateral and forward movements for the drill. Once the right foot is planted inside the ladder the left foot is brought in to the ladder and placed next to the right.
Keep the left foot planted inside the ladder and pick up the right foot to move it to the outside of the ladder. Plant the right foot to the side and forward of the square where the left foot remains.
Close-up Illustration: The left foot is on the outside of the ladder to push-off and the right foot is moved forward and to the right so that it can be placed and planted inside the ladder. When the right foot hits the ground, drop back into an athletic ready position and prepare to pick up the left foot to move it inside the ladder to place it next to the right.
Close-up Illustration: Both feet are planted inside the ladder. Maintain an athletic ready position, bending at the hips, spine straight and tall and the eyes looking straight ahead (not pictured).
Close-up Illustration: Once both feet are next to each other in the square, pick up the right foot and plant it on the outside of the ladder. Push off the right foot and pick up the left foot to move it forward to the next square in the ladder. The foot pattern is: (R)in-(L)in-(R)out-(L)in-(R)in-(L)out. (The right foot in the square-left foot in the square-right foot outside the square, left foot picked up and moved forward to the next square, right foot is picked up from the outside of the square and brought into the square next to the left; the left foot is then planted on the outside of the square and the right foot moved forward to the next square).
Exercise Variation: When learning the drill, you can plant just one foot on the outside of the ladder, as you improve your skill and speed, you can bring both feet outside the ladder-plant the right foot, then bring the left foot outside the ladder to hit the ground next to the right before being moved to the next forward square. Another variation is to keep your eyes off of your feet and looking straight ahead where your opponent would be during an athletic competition.
Keep your hips flexed with a tall, straight spine to ensure the athletic position throughout the entire range-of-motion of the drill.