Lateral Bound to Sprint
Coordination & Body Control
Legend
- player
- cones
- movement path
How it works
Perform explosive lateral bounds across a 5-yard gap, then sprint forward 10 yards on landing, training power transfer between horizontal and linear movement.
What you need
- cones
Your focus
Athletes rarely switch from one movement plane to one direction , in sport, lateral movement collapses into a sprint constantly. A defender shuffles, then explodes forward to close a ball-carrier. A volleyball player moves laterally to a dig, then drives forward. This drill trains the exact transition: store energy in a lateral bound, release it in a forward sprint. It also builds single-leg landing strength, which is a key injury prevention adaptation.
Place 2 cones 5 yards apart (left and right markers) and 1 cone 10 yards ahead of the right marker.
Athlete stands at the left cone in a quarter-squat.
Load and jump laterally to the right, landing on the right foot only.
Immediately bound back left, landing on the left foot.
Bound right again, land on the right foot, and immediately sprint forward 10 yards to the cone ahead.
Walk back. Rest 60 seconds. Complete 5 reps.
Alternate which direction the sprint launches from.
Goal
You've got it when the transition from bound to sprint feels seamless, no pause, no reset, just redirection.
Helpful cues
- Land soft, absorb with the hip and knee, not just the ankle
- Don't double-hop on landing, single-foot strikes only
- The sprint launch comes from the same leg you just landed on
- Swing your arms hard to drive the lateral distance
Adjust the challenge
Make it easier
Strip it back
Replace bounds with lateral shuffles, same pattern, no jumping.
UpLVL it
Add the next challenge
Increase bounds to 5 per direction before launching the sprint.No account needed
Build a practice plan
Add drills, keep the plan in this browser, then share a link with your staff or parents.This library helps you find the right drill. Inside UpLVL the right drill finds the player.
This library helps you find the right drill. Inside UpLVL the right drill finds the player.After every practice, UpLVL automatically surfaces the drills each player needs to work on most. See it for yourself.