Last Updated on: 15th April 2021, 11:44 am
Over the past few weeks, we’ve looked at a lot of the training equipment on offer from Pendle Sportswear. We’ve offered information about each piece and given you a few suggestions for how to use them. Previously we’ve looked at agility ladders, hurdles, training cones and markers, rebounders, and evasion belts. This week we’re focusing in slalom poles. These simple training aids are the perfect thing to help improve agility but that’s not all they’re useful for.
Pendle Slalom Poles
Slalom poles are a versatile and incredibly useful piece of training equipment. You can set them up in whatever way you need them for and set your players to work. At Pendle, we can provide with plenty of great quality training equipment and have everything you’ll need to add agility poles to your sessions. Whether you are using them to test your players’ dribbling skills or getting them to make tight turns at speed, these poles will prove invaluable.
Each slalom pole is highly durable and jointed for easy storage. They measure in at 1.7m high and are made from sturdy plastic. The 100mm spike will ensure that they won’t budge after you’ve set them up and, thanks to our handy bases, they can be used in both indoors and outdoors training sessions. Stick the spike into the ground or the base if you don’t practice on grass. No matter what your facilities are like, you will be able to make use of these great training aids.
Of course, you’ll be wanting to get a decent supply and, thankfully, Pendle Sportswear offers great deals on their slalom poles. Buy them individually for £3.25 each or get a bundle of 10 or more for only £2.99 each. Alternatively, grab a bundle of 12 with a bag to carry them all in. This set will cost you a mere £34.99 and will provide you with 4 red, 4 orange, and 4 yellow poles.
Agility
Agility is an important skill that your players should always be developing. It is the ability to change your speed or direction quickly and without losing your balance. The best football players should be able to change direction in one fluid motion without compromising their form. Being able to change the direction that you’re moving in really quickly is an important skill for attackers and defenders. Whether you’re trying to get past a defender or stick with an opposing player, you’ll need to be nimble.
Slalom poles are a great piece of agility training equipment. You can set them up in a line and have your players weave in and out. For a twist on the traditional slalom, set the poles at an angle so your players have to think about how they need to move their body and where to place their feet. Alternatively, you can set your poles up in a cluster to allow your players to move in multiple directions. However you decide to do it, make sure your focus is on getting them to the point where they can turn and keep moving as quickly as possible.
Plyometrics
The key to speed is power. To get the explosive movement needed to move at speed, you need power. Plyometric training will help build a player’s power because it focuses on strengthening the muscles using jumps, hops, bounds, and skips. It is an important area for any footballer player to think about developing. Plyometrics is based on the principle that a muscle that is stretched before it contracts will do so quickly and with more force. For example, when jumping off the ground bending your knees will stretch your muscles and give the jump more power. And it’s not just jumping, this has an impact on any explosive movement. Changing direction, sprinting, and kicking will all benefit from plyometric training.
You can use your poles to set up some simple plyometric drills. They can be placed on the ground as a rudimentary agility ladder and your players can hop from one gap to the next. Or set them out in pairs as crosses and have your players jump over them. Changing the angle will alter the jump height. This versatile piece of equipment can have a great impact on your training.
Dribbling
Dribbling is, unsurprisingly, an incredibly important skill for any footballer. Your players need to be able to control the ball as they move down the pitch. Practicing your dribbling will mean a player gains better control of the ball as well as keeping their balance and correct form. Though it may seem like a fundamental thing for most players, it is one of the key skills that you should always be trying to develop. Dribbling is all about ball control and footwork. You aim to get the ball past your opponents without them taking possession. This means having an awareness of where both you and the ball are going.
A set of slalom poles can help develop dribbling skills because they promote good footwork. Set up a line of poles and have your player dribble the ball between them. This simple drill will force them to focus on their movements and keep control of the ball in tight spaces. Add an extra layer to this drill by placing the poles in a more random formation. This gives more opportunity for movement and direction change. As long as your player focuses on maintaining control and manipulating the ball, their dribbling will improve.
Passing
Maintaining possession of the ball is the key to winning any match. Passing the ball quickly will get the ball upfield and reduce the risk of giving away possession. Teams that show an understanding of how and when to pass will dictate play, save energy, use all of their resources, and score more goals. Good passing is about technique, judgment and vision. So it’s important that it is always being developed. Adding several passing drills to your training will ensure that every player is ready for a variety of on-pitch situations.
A set of slalom poles can help in passing drills. Set them up as a marker of where to pass. Set up a box using 4 poles and have one player stand on each side. The two players pass the ball to each other and move from one side to the other.
Agility Pole Drills
When it comes to using your slalom poles, you can use them in several different ways. It all depends on what you are trying to achieve. You can combine them with your other training equipment to create intricate drills that will push your players to the limit.
For a few examples of what you can do with your agility poles, check out the videos listed below. Or feel free to post some of your favourites.
- Training with agility poles
- First Touch 4 Post Drill
- Agility Pole Drills
- How to better your dribbling and passing
- FC Barcelona’s Training Session
What are you waiting for?
Now you have more ideas of what to do with your slalom poles, you’ll want to head over to our training equipment and grab yourselves some bargains. Get the best price and quality from Pendle today.