is skipping good for netball?

Eleanor DurrPlayer, England

Hi Ekeesha, 

Yes skipping is likely to improve your netball, as it will allow you to get your feet quicker and maintain a narrow foot base of which is good for many aspects of netball including changing direction quickly and going for an interception. Skipping is also likely to improve your fitness which can help with the fast paced game and is something different to the usual fitness tasks such as running. 

Hope this helps. 

Ekeesha RathnayakePlayer, Australia

so do i have to do like half and hour of skipping each day and should i take a day off?

Eleanor DurrPlayer, England

Hi Ekeesha,

It largely depends on your schedule, if you have time to do a bit of skipping each day perfect, however I would probably advise a maximum of 5 times a week - this will give you improvements but not too much that you will lose enjoyment or over train.

Also, it does not necessarily have to be for a set time e.g. 30 minutes - one day you may only feel like 10-15 minutes, other days you may want to do half an hour - this is ok.

Like any practice, just listen to your body. If your body is tired and aching it is ok to miss that day and restart when you are feeling better.

However it is great you are looking to do independent stuff - keep an eye out over the next few weeks as we are adding in some exciting new categories I think you will really enjoy.

Hope this helps.

Ekeesha RathnayakePlayer, Australia

i``m starting to lose interest in skipping, but i want to keep on going with it. what should i do?

Eleanor DurrPlayer, England

Hi Ekeesha,

Sorry to hear you are losing interest in skipping, this may be because you are doing it too often and the same routine, therefore it is getting boring. I would advise you to cut down the amount of time you skip for, or lower the number of days, this will hopefully make it feel less of a task and you will regain your enjoyment.

Another fun way to improve you agility and footwork is either using a footwork ladder, or if not, set out some cones. You can then practice your footwork through the ladder/cones, ensure you are using your arms and keeping your head up. You can keep it interesting by mixing up your footwork patterns through the ladder/cones.

You can then use a mixture of these exercises within your week to maintain focus and interest and ultimately see the best results. However, do ensure you have enough rest in between.

Hope this helps.

Ekeesha RathnayakePlayer, Australia

Hi Eleanor Durr

thanks for the responses. do you think i could draw a ladder with chalk instead of buying a ladder, because i don`t think i`ll be allowed to.

thank you

Eleanor DurrPlayer, England

Hi Ekeesha,

Yes, that would be a great idea! I hope you enjoy this type of training and please do let me know how it goes.

Good luck.