Best Low-Cost Ways to Test Agility in Athletes
Agility is an essential skill in sports, and testing it is the first step to improving it. Agility tests provide crucial data to measure performance, assess return-to-sport readiness after an injury, and track improvement. Unfortunately, most agility testing equipment is extremely expensive. In this blog, we’ll discuss what agility is, why testing it is essential, and the best low-cost yet effective way to do it.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AGILITY & CHANGE OF DIRECTION (COD)
Agility in sport is defined as “a rapid whole-body movement with change of velocity or direction in response to a stimulus” (Sheppard, 2006). The “response to a stimulus” was added to differentiate it from change of direction (COD), which involves only performing physical movements in a pre-planned environment.
Key point: Agility must involve a reaction to an external stimulus.
WHY TEST AGILITY VS COD?
Recent research has shown striking differences in the benefits of agility tests vs. change of direction (COD) tests.
AGILITY Tests
Provide a more accurate assessment of an athlete’s in-game agility performance.
Are more effective for identifying higher and lower-level athletes (Lockie, et al. 2014).
Examples include the Y-Test, NBA Reactive Shuttle, and Stop'n'Go Reactive Agility Test.
Change of Direction (COD) Tests
May be more helpful for identifying physical strengths and weaknesses.
Examples include the T-Test, Illinois Agility Run Test, and Pro-Agility Test.
ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS OF AGILITY TESTING
Randomized Stimulus: Real-game situations require athletes to respond to unpredictable cues—be it a defender’s movement or a ball's trajectory. Incorporating randomized visual or audio stimuli mimics these conditions, enhancing the test’s relevance.
Rapid Direction Changes: Agility hinges on the ability to decelerate, change direction, and re-accelerate efficiently. Tests should involve sports-specific multi-directional movement to assess how well athletes handle these transitions.
Response Time Measurement: Response time can be measured by how long it takes an athlete to react to a stimulus, change direction, and return to their starting position. This measures both speed of decision-making and change of direction, providing a more accurate metric of in-game agility performance.
BEST LOW-COST WAYS TO TEST AGILITY
Partner(s) & StopWatch
Y-Shaped Reactive Agility Test using two partners and a stopwatch
What you’ll need: 1-2 partners, a stopwatch, cones, and a measuring tape.
Set-up: Use measuring tape and cones to create a course (e.g., Y-Shaped Agility Test), then have one partner provide a randomized stimulus (e.g., hand gesture left or right) and one measuring response time with a stopwatch.
Test Procedure (Example Below): React to one partner’s visual or audio cues by sprinting, shuffling, or cross-stepping as directed, then the other partner records the response time with the stopwatch
Advantages: Human observation to provide qualitative feedback
Disadvantages: Requires multiple people and can have accuracy and consistency challenges due to variations in partner timing or setup, which may affect test repeatability
Box Reactive Agility Test using the SwitchedOn app
What you’ll need: A smartphone or tablet and cones.
Set-up: Download the SwitchedOn app on your phone or tablet, use measuring tape and cones to create a course (e.g., 4-Cone Box Agility Test), then use the SwitchedOn app to provide a randomized stimulus (e.g., color, arrow, number, etc.) and measure response time.
Test Procedure (Example Below): React to the randomized visual or audio cues from the app by sprinting, shuffling, or cross-stepping as directed, then touch the phone or wave your hand in front of the proximity sensor to record your response time and change the stimulus.
Advantages: It does not require multiple people and accurately measures response time.
Disadvantages: If testing by yourself, it lacks human observation to provide qualitative feedback.
TIPS FOR MAXIMIZING BENEFITS OF AGILITY TESTS
Standardize Procedures: Consistent setup and instructions ensure accurate comparisons over time.
Provide Multiple Attempts: Allow athletes to perform the test 3-4 times to help them get accustomed to it and get their best and most accurate score.
Record & Showcase Results: Record their average response time and show them to the athletes to see where they rank among their peers and how they progress over time. This will drastically help increase motivation.
Test Consistently: Re-test at least once a month to track progress over time and make informed training adjustments.
Personalize Your Tests: Modify your test to better replicate the demands of your sport. You can do this by changing the distance/direction of cones, movements used, number of reps, etc. See the video below for an example of how to do this for basketball.
Personalized agility test for basketball players using the SwitchedOn app. Drill name is “Ball-Handling Reactive Agility Test”
CONCLUSION
Testing agility doesn’t have to require expensive equipment or complicated setups. By using simple methods like the ones described above, you can measure and improve agility at a fraction of the cost. These low-cost methods can still deliver professional-level insights, helping athletes maximize their performance while staying budget-conscious.
For more resources and tools to elevate your agility training, check out the SwitchedOn Training App and start optimizing your athletes’ performance!