AGILITY, WHAT IS IT?
Agility can be defined as the ability to explosively start, decelerate, change of direction, and accelerate again quickly while maintaining good body control. Although I refer to the sport of basketball in this article any sport you are in requires agility!
When observing a well-tuned defense that rotates, closes in, and keeps up with ball movement, it is simply amazing to watch. Speed, stops, starts, lateral and angular cuts and deceleration, basketball requires players to have great multi-directional speed and body control. To be a complete offensive threat and defensive monster knowing and utilizing proper agility techniques is just part of the game.
Did you know that some of the fastest players are not the quickest? We all know some players that can accelerate extremely fast down the court or field, yet when they need to change direction they are slow. Why is this? The issue with this type of player is the fact they have poor body control and techniques when it comes to deceleration, change direction, and accelerate again. They struggle controlling all that speed they built up going in one direction and stop it, and re-direct it into a new direction.
Agility is often an overlooked component of any sport. In the case of basketball it is an extremely fast game that requires continual agility. Players need agility to be able to explode when penetrating to the basket, get into position to take a charge, or to catch up to an opponent after a turnover in a fast break situation. An individual, or team, who is extremely agile, will excel on fast breaks, defense, and pressing. Proper agility training and practice will help gain fractions of a second on that first step and those fractions of a second can be the difference between an uncontested layup and a turnover.
The key to improving your agility is learning and understanding what it is you need to do. If you go through agility drills with bad form and body position you will not gain much.
At HOOPZONE Basketball’s Speed, Strength and Agility camp we focus on player development with proper instruction. We not only explain proper form but we equip you with an Agility workout plan to take home and apply.
Don’t waste another minute begin today to becoming the best you can be!
Good luck with your game,
Coach O
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