Improve Your Baseball Game with these 11 Agility Ladder Drills

Have you trained with agility ladders before? These are great to incorporate into your training to improve cardio and athletic performance. 

That’s why we decided to include these baseball agility drills so you can improve footwork, speed, agility & quickness to help you score that winning home run.

Baseball requires footwork, speed, agility and quickness, along with arm strength and a fine-tuned core.  Both flat and raised agility ladders will be beneficial in your exercises. 

You can use the rungs on the raised to challenge your arms and core, not to mention taking higher steps just like you need to when avoiding a baseman, sliding or jumping over a ball as you run the bases.

Agility is equally important to infield and outfield players for quicker reaction times and fielding ground balls that hop unpredictably. And that is how we narrowed down these exercises.

From infielders to outfielders and pitchers to catchers, the 11 baseball ladder drills will help you “steal” the show and a few bases.

Ladder Shuffle

This drill is for fielders who require similar footwork while throwing grounders during the game.

1. Step into the agility ladder with your right foot.
2. Bring your left foot in. You are now in the first square.
3. Step out of the square with your right foot.
4. Your left foot now moves up to the next square.
5. Bring your right foot in.
6. Take your left foot out.
7. Put your right foot in.
8. Continue with this footwork pattern all the way up the ladder.

Walking Push-Ups

Walking push-ups focus on your arms and chest while also strengthening your core. For extra resistance or if these are too easy, add a weighted vest.

1. Start in a high plank position with each of your hands in the first two boxes of the agility ladder. 
2. Move your body down to the bottom of a push-up. 
3. Push your body up to the top of a push-up. 
4. Walk your hands into the next two squares.
5. Move your body down to the bottom of a push-up. 
6. Push your body up to the top of a push-up.
7. Move laterally down the ladder doing a push-up in each square.
8. Repeat on both sides of the ladder.

Forward Running High Knees

One of the most popular speed exercises, high knees improves both your stride length and foot coordination. If you’d like to make this more challenging, ankle weights will be a great option.

1. Standing facing the ladder. 
2. While driving your knees up to waist height, run down the ladder as quickly as possible. Land both feet in each box. 

Plank Jack

As a total body exercise that improves your stability, plank jacks also help reduce the risk for injury.

1. Start in a push-up position with your hands inside the first box. 
2. Jump your feet wide outside of the ladder then together as if doing a jumping jack.
3. At the end of the ladder, turn yourself around and work yourself back down the ladder.

Ladder Fielding Drill 

The Ladder Fielding Drill improves an infielder's foot speed and teaches you to maintain their balance throughout their movements during the game.

1. Run down the center of the agility ladder with each of your feet coming in contact with the center of the boxes. 
2. Once you get to the end of the ladder, have your teammate roll a ground ball toward you.
3. Catch the ball and throw back to your teammate. 
4. Turn back and repeat. 
5. Each time you repeat this, vary the direction of the ground balls (center, left, right).

Ladder Burpees

These burpees work on your power, speed, balance, and agility.

1. Lower your body into a squat with your agility ladder in front of you. 
2. Place your hands inside the first two boxes, and shift your weight onto your hands.
3. Jump your feet back to land in a plank position.
4. Jump your feet forward right behind your hands.
5. Jump up into the air while reaching your arms overhead. 
6. Take a step over and repeat the sequence in the next ladder space.

Pat-a-Cake Plank

Planks build a strong core. They help with balancing, stability, and increasing your overall body strength.

1. Begin in a plank position with your hands and feet inside of the agility ladder. 
2. Move your right hand outside the first box, then the left. 
3. Return your right hand, followed by the left. 
4. Repeat for 60 seconds.

Ladder Block Drill

This drill is for catchers to build up your reflexes to quickly pop up to make a throw or run down a ball that may get away from you.

1. Start on one side of the ladder and get into a blocking position. If possible, have a partner throw baseballs in your direction so you can actually block them.
2. Quickly do side-steps down the agility ladder making sure to get both feet inside each box before moving on to the next box.
3. At the end of the ladder, get into your blocking position, pop up, and then side-step down the agility ladder in the opposite direction. 

High Knee Side Steps

Improve the coordination and control of your lower body with this drill.

1. Start on one end of the ladder standing to one side of the ladder.
2. Raise your right knee and step into the first box. 
3. Raise your left knee and step into the first box.
4. Raise your right knee and step into the second box. 
5. Repeat until you reach the end of the ladder.

Hopscotch Ladder Drill 

Both your speed and agility are improved with this Hopscotch Drill.

1. Step into the first box with your right foot. 
2. Step into the first box with your left foot. 
3. Move the right foot outside the second box. 
4. Move your left foot to the other side of the same box. 
5. With your right foot, step into the third square followed by the left foot. 
6. Repeat and work your way down the ladder. 

Whether you are a beginner or simply just trying to level up your game, baseball agility drills improve your footwork, speed, agility and quickness, so you can join the big leagues and get that base hit.

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