The Effects of Plyometric and Ladder Drill Training on Agility Performance in Boxing
Jorrye Jakiwa, Steve Yosores, Siti Azilah Atan, Shahrulfadly Rustam, Md Safwan Samsir, Zuliana Bacho et al. · International journal of human movement and sports sciences · 2026
Boxing is a high-intensity sport that requires not only strength and endurance but also quick footwork, coordination and agility. However, agility is often overlooked in traditional boxing training programs. Therefore, the
Aim: of this study is to examine the effectiveness of plyometric exercises and ladder drills in agility among amateur boxers. A total of 20 male amateur boxers aged between 17 and 28 took part in this six-week study. Participants were divided into two groups: a training group that followed a specialized program involving plyometric and ladder drills and a control group that continued with regular boxing routines. Agility levels were measured before and after the intervention using the agility cone drill and ladder drill tests.
Findings: showed that the training group made significant progress. They recorded a 6.5% faster completion time in the agility cone drill (p = 0.01) and a 22.2% improvement in ladder drill performance (p = 0.01). On the other hand, the control group showed only minor changes (1.1% and 5.9%, respectively; p > 0.05), which were not statistically significant. These
Results: suggest that incorporating agility-specific training such as plyometrics and ladder drills can lead to better improvements in boxing performance. This finding highlights the need to include specific agility development in boxing training programs to better prepare athletes for competitive demands.