Ladder Single-Leg Lateral Hop
Quick Information
Category
Agility & Footwork
Difficulty
Advanced
Equipment
Agility Ladder
Primary muscle group
Gastrocnemius, Soleus, Tibialis Anterior
Secondary muscle groups
Quadriceps, Hip Flexors, Gluteals
Movement pattern
Unilateral Jump Pattern
Training goal
Plyometrics
Sport
Football, Soccer, Basketball, Boxing, Tennis, General Athletic Development
Overview
Purpose. Develop lateral single-leg stiffness and landing control, the quality most closely related to cutting and to ankle injury resilience.
How it fits the system. The most demanding unilateral pattern in the Agility & Footwork section. Related work in the library: Ladder Single-Leg Forward Hop and Lateral Bound.
Primary muscles
Gastrocnemius, Soleus, Tibialis Anterior
Secondary muscles
Quadriceps, Hip Flexors, Gluteals
Movement pattern
Unilateral Jump Pattern
Equipment
Agility Ladder
Difficulty
Advanced
How to Perform
- Balance on one leg beside the first square with the knee softly bent.
- Hop sideways into the first square, landing on the ball of the same foot.
- Continue one hop per square along the ladder without putting the other foot down.
- Repeat on the other leg and in the other direction.
Coaching Cues
- “Land under the hip with the knee over the foot.”
- “Hips stay level.”
- “Stick each landing before the next hop.”
Common Mistakes
- Allowing the knee to drift inwards on landing.
- Using the free leg as a counterweight rather than controlling with the stance hip.
Progressions & Regressions
Progressions
Increase tempo, then hop two squares, then add a reactive stop on a call.
Regressions
Perform two-footed lateral hops until landings are controlled.
When to Use It
When to use
Warm-ups, foot-speed and coordination blocks, and low-load days between heavy sessions.
When not to use
Acute lower-limb injury, or when the pattern cannot be completed without stumbling.
Programming
4–6 passes per pattern, 2–4 patterns per session, full recovery between passes.
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