Star drill

What you need

Players

1 to 4 players

Time

4 to 6 min

Level

Intermediate

Equipment

Cones

Ball fed by

Not needed

Space

Half a court

Setup

1. A flat marker in the middle of zone 6 and four cones in a square around it, each about 2.8 m (9 ft) from the center.
2. The athlete starts on the center marker facing the net.
3. Order: front left, front right, back right, back left.

How it runs

Four cones sit in a square around a center marker in the back of the court. The athlete goes out to each cone and back to the middle in turn: forward cones out with a run and back with a backpedal, back cones out with a turn and run and back facing the net. It trains quick cuts in every direction.

Time and reps: 3 to 4 rounds with about 45 s rest between rounds.

Coaching points

• Plant the outside foot and cut; keep the turns short and balanced.
• Bend the knees to touch the floor at each cone, back flat.
• Backpedal with small steps and the weight on the balls of the feet.
• Get the eyes around to the next cone before the body turns.

Ways to change it

• The coach calls a random cone each time.
• Shuffle to the side cones instead of running.
• Catch a ball tossed at each cone.

Terms on this page

Zones 1 to 6

The six court spots, numbered from your own side facing the net. Zone 1 is back right, where the serve is hit from.

        net
  4     3     2
  5     6     1
      end line

Safety