L-Drill

L-Drill – Agility Training

The L-Drill is a popular cone drill used to improve agilitybalancespeed and footwork. It is often used by professional athletes, esp. football players. The L-Drill is one of the major tests of athletic ability used at the NFL Scouting Combine. The L-Drill is also known as the 3 Cone Agility Drill.

This drill uses for 3 cones arranged like an upside down L. The cones should be spaced 5 yards apart. The L-Drill is usually a timed agility drill. During the drill, the athlete will the following route:

  1. Sprint forward and touch second cone
  2. Turn around and sprint back & touch first cone
  3. Turn around and sprint to the outside of the second cone (don’t touch)
  4. Turn right and sprint to the inside of the third cone (don’t touch)
  5. Circle the outside of the second cone and sprint back to the outside of the second cone (don’t touch)
  6. Turn left and sprint to the first cone (don’t touch)

Agility training allows martial arts students to change positions rapidly and effectively. This enables martial artists to evade an attack or get open to launch an attack (i.e. moving laterally in order to avoid an opponent’s blow and thus being able to quickly launch an effective counter attack against an off-balance opponent).

All stretches and exercises should be supervised by a trained martial arts instructor in order to prevent injuries and to ensure the proper technique is utilized. If you have had an injury or are in pain, please see a doctor before starting any stretching or exercise program. For other agility exercises (i.e. agility ladder drills), please visit the main Martial Arts Agility Training section.

Instructional Video for the L-Drill