Everybody has different bag conditioning drills that they use. Today, we’re going to focus on using them for agility training. For most of them, we’re going to keep our ball.

Open field cut

We’re going to face the coach and using high knees, focus on catching the ball, changing direction, and coming through. We use the very high bags on purpose here. We want to emphasize high knee action. These are not little step-its; these are big sausage bags. Again, we’re working on high knees. Rapid arm fire, foot fire, and focus. The last time, they want to catch the ball, turn, and get up the field. When we come back, we’re going to go laterally across. Halfway through we’re going to switch directions in traffic and turn the opposite way. We’re looking for a smooth transition and agility. We also want to work on switching the ball to the other hando. If coach isn’t doing it in this progression, we would do that next.

High knee drill

This drill a little bit different than we ran last time. This is just one in the hole.

Coach will stand by a cone off to the side and flash the numbers with his fingers, so that the backs have to keep their head and eyes up. Again, we’re going to work this drill with really high bags. We want them to get high knee action. We want their head and eyes up looking down field into traffic, anticipating what their cuts are going to be.

“Bags and Cans” for agility and demeanor in traffic

In this drill, we’re trying to get players able to turn their hips in traffic after they get through the line of scrimmage. They get to the second level of the defense and they have to get around traffic and around blocks. They use their hips to use lateral steps. They’re through the line. They’re behind some blockers. They have to get through traffic. They’re using lateral movement to accomplish that. And that’s what this drill is working.