Tennis Footwork Exercises - Agility Ladder tennis footwork exercise<br /><br />Mazin Hadi Kzar<br />Physical Education and Sport Sciences Department, Al-Mustaqbal University College, 51001 Hillah, Babil, Iraq<br />[email protected]<br /><br /><br />The main purpose of the agility ladder exercise is to improve your foot speed and to improve your body control. <br />Just like the jumping rope exercise, you need time to develop confidence in doing the ladder agility exercise. But as you continue with your workout, you will realize that it is not as hard as you think. You just have to be persistent on doing the exercise until you master it. Another reminder when you do this exercise is to do it slowly, take time to rest if you’re exhausted. Soon, you will realize that you are able to develop your body movement accordingly. <br />Before you can perform this exercise you have to purchase the exercise ladder which is very cheap. However, you also have the option to make it yourself with the use of rope or just a piece chalk. Below are some basic ladder agility exercises:<br />Single leg run <br />This tennis footwork exercise is performed by moving up the ladder with only one foot stepping each ladder step. Just imagine you are going upstairs to the second floor of your house. First you step with one foot on the first step of the ladder then you step with your other foot in the second step. When you do the exercise, do it quick. <br />Double leg run <br />this ladder agility exercise is performed by moving up the ladder with your two feet stepping on each of the step of the ladder. Same as the single leg run, this exercise has to be done in a fast speed. <br />Double side step <br />this ladder footwork exercise is accomplished either by single leg run or double leg run. However, instead of going forward with your body facing ladder, you have to do the exercise in sideways position. <br />Ickey Shuffle <br />to do this agility ladder exercise, you have to step with your left and right foot on each step of the ladder. You can either step with you left foot or right foot first. Instead of going straight to the second step after your feet have stepped on the first step, step your left (if you step first your left feet) outside the ladder to the left. Then continue with double leg run in the second step. Again before going to the third step of the ladder, you have to do a side step outside the ladder and this time you have to do it with your right foot (if your right foot did the second step on the first step of the ladder). Continue the drill up to the last step with an alternate sidestep (left and right foot) outside the ladder along the way<br /><br />Key words: Tennis, Footwork, Exercises – split, <br /><br />