Wide Receiver Drills And Coordination Skills
Using the Speed and Agility Ladder during athletic training will help athletes improve their coordination skills. The quick footwork required to execute the ickey shuffle and other ladder exercises will greatly aid an athlete in their particular sport.
For example, a great running back must work extremely hard on their coordination skills to learn how to control their body as they elude would be tacklers. Great footwork and coordination skills make great wide receiver drills and are also essential in sports like soccer, tennis, and basketball. Using the Speed and Agility Ladder with additional athletic training equipment like the Kbands Leg Resistance Bands, Victory Ropes, or Running Parachutes will help athletes gain additional coordination skills, speed, and power from the resisted training.
Dynamic Rapid Response Ickey Shuffle Ladder Sequence
The Dynamic Rapid Response Ickey Shuffle Ladder Sequence is a series of Advanced Ladder Drills. Athletes who have not mastered ladder drills like the Ickey Shuffle and other ladder sequences found in the 1-2-3 Reaction Pro should first master these skills prior to moving into these Advanced Ladder Drills.
Athletes will execute five different exercises to complete the Dynamic Rapid Response Ickey Shuffle Ladder Sequence. The set up for all of the coordination skills drills will be the same requiring a Speed and Agility Ladder laid flat on the ground and a set of Kbands Leg Resistance Bands securely attached just above the knees.
Athletes will begin the Jab Crossover portion of the ladder sequence by standing at the side of one end of the Speed and Agility Ladder and tapping their inside foot inside of the Speed and Agility Ladder. Athletes will then bring their foot out of the box and then immediately cross their outside leg over and tapping it inside of the same box tapped by the inside foot. Athletes will then move through the box and to the opposite side of the ladder by quickly laterally shuffling and tapping one foot inside of the next box on the Speed and Agility Ladder. Athletes will tap both feet outside of the box before repeating the jab and crossover sequence used on the first box. After athletes have moved halfway down the Speed and Agility Ladder they will continue the same jab, crossover, shuffle sequence but will reverse the crossover taking the outside leg behind the body as it taps inside of the Speed and Agility Ladder.
This is a very advanced footwork sequence on the Speed and Agility Ladder. Athletes should take the time to master the footwork, rhythm, and timing before attempting to perform this ladder exercise at 100% speed. Complete sic down and back sets of the Jab Crossover exercise before moving into the next portion of the Dynamic Rapid Response Ickey Shuffle Ladder Sequence
Coordination Skills For Athletes
The second portion of the Dynamic Rapid Response Ickey Shuffle Ladder Sequence is a less advanced footwork sequence that athletes can perform at a high level of intensity.
The Rapid Response In And Out Singles will be performed with the athlete standing to the side of the Speed and Agility Ladder looking down the ladder. With Kbands Leg Resistance Bands secured just above the knees, athletes will quickly tap both feet outside of the box, then quickly tap their inside foot in the box also tapping the outside foot. Pull the foot back out of the box and perform this same tapping sequence for 15 seconds. After completing one set athletes will switch legs and perform another 15 second set of the exercise with the opposite leg. Athletes will perform the coordination skills drill for 6 sets of 15 seconds on each leg.
The next coordination skills drill in the Dynamic Rapid Response Ickey Shuffle Ladder Sequence is the Stationery Ickey Shuffle. Athletes will line up at the side of the Speed and Agility Ladder with Kbands Leg Resistance Bands attached and tap their inside foot in the box next to them. Athletes will tap the same foot on the opposite side of the box while tapping the back foot inside of the box. Athletes will continue this motion for 15 seconds. At any given time there should only be one foot inside of the Speed and Agility Ladder, as one foot is leaving the box the opposite foot should be replacing it with a tap inside of the box. Practice this foot sequence before performing at 100% speed. Complete 6 sets of the Stationery Ickey Shuffle, advancing the speed as you go.
Advanced Coordination Skills
The next coordination skills drill in the Dynamic Rapid Response Ickey Shuffle Ladder Sequence is a more advanced version of the previous ladder drill, the Stationery Ickey Shuffle. This ladder drill is called the Stationery Step Over Ickey Shuffle and is similar to the crossover portion in the Jab and Crossover coordination skills drill.
To perform the Stationery Step Over Ickey Shuffle athletes will line up to the side of their Speed and Agility Ladder with their Kbands Leg Resistance Bands attached just above the knees. Athletes will cross their back leg across the front of their body as they tap that foot inside of the Speed and Agility Ladder. Athletes will take their not crossed over leg and tap to the outside of the opposite side of the Speed and Agility Ladder. Athletes will follow with a tap on the same side of the ladder with the foot which had been inside of the Speed and Agility Ladder before crossing over their back leg and repeating the sequence. This Ickey shuffle foot sequence is another test of an athletes coordination skills and balance. Complete 6 sets of 15 seconds before moving into the final portion of the Dynamic Rapid Response Ickey Shuffle Ladder Sequence the Reverse Step Over Ickey Ickey Shuffle.
To complete the Reverse Step Over Ickey Shuffle athletes will perform the same foot sequence as the previous Step Over Ickey Shuffle but will instead take their leg to the rear of their body when reaching into the Speed and Agility Ladder. Perform the Reverse Step Over Ickey Shuffle for 6 sets of 15 seconds to complete the Dynamic Rapid Response Ickey Shuffle Ladder Sequence.