Jump rope drills are one of the best ways to develop athleticism—agility, quickness, coordination, endurance and smooth footwork. Why? Well sports are played from the ground up, and jumping rope strengthens the muscles in the feet and ankles while also increasing your explosiveness in the same way as plyometrics.

Even better, a jump rope is one of the least expensive and convenient pieces of athletic equipment, and you can use it virtually anywhere.

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These tried and tested drills will immediately improve your speed, agility and footwork.

Single-Foot Hops

This drill requires you to continuously jump over the rope with one foot (you can alternate feet after a certain number of hops). This trains your balance and single-leg explosiveness.

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Side-to-Side Jumps

To perform this drill, simply skip side to side as you jump rope. This develops lateral quickness needed in sports to juke past defenders.

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Ali Shuffle

Start with one foot forward and the other back. When you jump, quickly switch your foot position, shifting your front foot back and your back foot front. This is a perfect drill for agility and body control while backpedaling, something that’s necessary for good defense.

Twisters

This involves rotating your lower body so that your hips, knees and toes turn left and right during each jump, while your upper-body orientation remains the same. This drill is for body control and improved speed when changing directions.

Jump Rope Workout

• Jump Rope Drills – repeat 4 times
• Basic Hop- 30 seconds
• Single-Foot Hops – 15 seconds each foot
• Side-to-Side Jumps – 15 seconds
• Ali Shuffle – 15 seconds
• Twisters – 15 seconds
• Basic Hop – 30 seconds

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