Drill3 phasesRuns 2.5 s
Hop and Stick Balance
Partners face each other about three metres apart. First they pass on one leg, knee soft and over the toes; then short single-leg hops sideways with a landing held still. Balance work like this is the part of injury-prevention warm-ups coaches most often skip. Do it in the warm-up before practice; long static stretches belong after it.
- Difficulty
- Beginner
- Ages
- U8–Adult
- Minutes
- 5
- Players
- 2–20
- Balls
- 10
- Equipment
- No equipment: players and balls only.
Run it, tilt it, change it to fit your practice. Free to start. No account, nothing to install.
Coaching points
- Standing knee slightly bent and right over the toes, never collapsing inward.
- Stick the landing: hold still before the next hop.
- Both legs every time, weight on the ball of the foot.
- Master the basic stance before the harder versions (ball around the waist, under the knee, partner pushes).
Phase by phase
1Phase 1
Both stand on one leg, knee slightly bent over the toes, weight on the ball of the foot. Pass back and forth for 30 seconds, then switch legs. Every pair has a ball.
- A1 passes to B1
- B1 passes to A1
2Phase 2
Hop about one metre sideways on the same leg and hold the landing still: no wobble, knee over the toes, hips level. A1 keeps the ball in both hands.
- A1 cuts
- B1 cuts to the left slot
- A2 cuts
- B2 cuts to the nail
- A3 cuts
- B3 cuts to the right wing
3Phase 3
And back. A few hops each way on each leg, then a few more one-leg passes to finish.
- A1 cuts
- B1 cuts to the left slot
- A2 cuts to the high post
- B2 cuts to the nail
- A3 cuts
- B3 cuts to the right slot
Variations
- Harder balance: move the ball around the waist or under the raised knee while standing on one leg.
- Hop forward over a line and stick, then backward.
- Partners give each other a light push on the shoulder while balancing.