Athletic Evaluation: Testing Your Agility Part II

Part II of your athletic evaluation will be another agility test, “The L-Cone Shuttle or 3 Cone Shuttle”. Remember, agility is the ability to successfully perform multiple changes of directions at high velocities. During game situations, an athlete is constantly required to accept various forces that are imposed on the body, such as momentum, gravity and ground reaction. The body then needs to be able to eccentrically control motions due to the acceptance of these forces, primarily controlling the center of gravity going in one direction. Finally, the body needs to create a reaction in order to explode to another direction immediately thereafter. Those three words are important when we address agility.

The L-Cone Shuttle

Three marker cones are placed to form an "L." with cones at the corner and at each end, 5 yards apart.  The player starts by getting down in a three-point stance next to Cone 1. On the command 'Go', he runs to Cone 2, bends down and touches a line with his right hand. Then he turns and runs back to Cone 1, bends down and touches that line with his right hand. Then he runs back to Cone 2 and around the outside of it, weaves inside Cone 3, then around the outside of Cones 3 and 2 before finishing at Cone 1. The player must run forward while altering his running direction, as opposed to strictly stopping and starting in opposite directions.                                                                                                                            

Some top NFL players at skilled positions run the L-Cone Drill in 6.40-6.6 seconds.  How do you match up?

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