A speed and agility book is the cheapest coach a home gym can buy — a few hundred pages, a drill library, and a programme you can run on any strip of ground. No motor, no screen, no subscription. Just drills, progressions, and the reasoning behind them, for as long as your legs and focus hold out. 📚
Open the book, pick a drill, run it, repeat. The book’s type decides how you train, its level decides whether the drills fit you, and its format decides whether it survives a gym bag.
But let us be plain from the start: books teach drills and programmes, but they do not build speed by themselves, they do not prevent injury by themselves, they do not replace coaching or progressive training, and they do not make a crowded or slippery drill area safe.
Used the right way — the right book for your level, drills progressed slowly, the area checked before every session — a good training book is one of the cheapest ways to add real speed and agility structure to a home gym.
How We Picked These Speed and Agility Books
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This guide is research-based. We did not buy or hands-on test these books, and we do not claim otherwise.
We compared verified buyer reviews and publisher specifications, and we checked each book’s Amazon listing status through search results and listing trackers.
We picked 6 books that are genuinely sold and cover different needs: a best-overall drill library, an agility and quickness reference, a pure speed science guide, a plyometric classic, a high-performance training reference, and an illustrated anatomy guide.
Prices are not quoted in this guide because they change often. The check-price links take you to the current listing, where you can see the latest price and availability.
Availability and editions vary, so if your option shows as unavailable, check the listing’s other options before switching books.
One note before we start: level is the least forgiving figure in this guide. A coach-level science reference overwhelms a beginner, while a beginner drill book bores a coach — read the level section before you trust any single number.
Quick Comparison
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| Book | Type | Drills / focus | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness | Drill library + programmes | 262 drills, video library | Best overall drill library |
| Developing Agility and Quickness | Science reference | 130+ drills, 12 tests | Best agility reference |
| Developing Speed | Science reference | 12 sports, sprint focus | Best pure speed guide |
| Jumping Into Plyometrics | Plyometric classic | 100 exercises, 7 categories | Best plyometric classic |
| High-Performance Training for Sports | High-performance reference | Elite protocols, speed chapter | Best high-performance reference |
| Plyometric Anatomy | Illustrated anatomy guide | 94 exercises, 78 variations | Best illustrated guide |
1. Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness — Best Overall Drill Library
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Who it suits: coaches and home athletes who want one book for everything — drills, tests, and programmes for speed, agility, and quickness across sports.
Lee E. Brown and Vance A. Ferrigno’s Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness (3rd edition, Human Kinetics, 312 pages) is the complete workout guide for movement skills: 262 drills with proven assessments for customising programmes and tracking progress, plus an online video library of the most effective drills and exercises. Sample programmes cover baseball and softball, football and rugby, basketball and netball, combat sports, track and field, soccer, lacrosse, tennis and badminton, and racquetball and squash.
The drill count is the honest advantage here: 262 drills with video is the deepest library in this guide, and the assessments let a coach build a programme around an athlete’s actual gaps rather than guessing. The video library is the other half of the story: watching a drill beats reading about it, especially for complex footwork.
Pros: 262 drills with assessments and tracking; online video library included; sample programmes for 10+ sports; expert authors (Brown is a former NSCA board president); suits coaches and serious home athletes alike.
Cons: the Amazon link below rests on a single Amazon-sourced listing, so confirm it matches the 3rd edition before ordering; 312 pages is a lot to work through for a beginner; the video library needs an online connection, so it suits connected training, not offline reading.
👉 Check price on Amazon (please confirm the listing matches the 3rd edition, since the link rests on a single source).
2. Developing Agility and Quickness — Best Agility Reference
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Who it suits: coaches who want the science behind agility — evidence-based drills, tests, and programmes from the world’s leading conditioning body.
Developing Agility and Quickness (2nd edition, Human Kinetics, edited by Jay Dawes for the NSCA) gathers 19 of the NSCA’s leading experts to present evidence-based assessment tools, exercises, drills, and training regimens for rapid whole-body movement. More than 130 drills with instructions, photos, and diagrams build the ability to accelerate and decelerate in three dimensions, twelve agility and quickness tests gauge present ability, and sport-specific plans cover 15 sports.
The NSCA pedigree is the honest advantage here: nineteen leading experts writing for the world’s leading conditioning organisation is the strongest authority signal in this guide. The three-dimensional focus is the other half of the story: most agility books drill forward and back, while this one trains cuts, turns, and deceleration in every direction.
Pros: 130+ drills with photos and diagrams; twelve tests for measuring ability; sport-specific plans for 15 sports; NSCA expert authorship; suits coaches and advanced home athletes.
Cons: the Amazon link below is a search link — no confident US product page was pinned down — so confirm the listing matches the 2nd edition before ordering; science-heavy, so beginners may find it dense; a reference first, so it suits planning more than quick drill lookup.
👉 Check price on Amazon (search link — no confident US product page was found, so confirm the listing matches the 2nd edition).
3. Developing Speed — Best Pure Speed Guide
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Who it suits: coaches and athletes who want speed itself — sprint starts, acceleration, maximal velocity, and speed endurance, built on science.
Developing Speed (2nd edition, Human Kinetics, 296 pages, edited by Ian Jeffreys for the NSCA) is the definitive resource for scientifically sound speed programmes: 19 top NSCA experts cover sprint starts, acceleration, maximal velocity, speed endurance, and sport-specific application, with drills, photos, and assessments for 12 sports — baseball, softball, basketball, football, ice hockey, rugby, soccer, tennis, field hockey, lacrosse, sprint cycling, and speed skating.
The speed-only focus is the honest advantage here: where the other books split attention across agility and quickness, this one goes deep on running speed alone — which matters when sprint speed is the gap. The 12-sport coverage is the other half of the story: speed programmes shaped to the sport, not one generic template.
Pros: 296 pages of speed-specific science and practice; sprint starts through speed endurance covered; drills and assessments for 12 sports; NSCA expert authorship; 2nd edition updated for 2025.
Cons: the Amazon link below is a search link — no confident US product page was pinned down — so confirm the listing matches the 2nd edition before ordering; speed-only, so agility and quickness need a companion book; science-heavy, so beginners may find it dense.
👉 Check price on Amazon (search link — no confident US product page was found, so confirm the listing matches the 2nd edition).
4. Jumping Into Plyometrics — Best Plyometric Classic
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Who it suits: coaches and home athletes who want the original plyometric book — 100 illustrated exercises for explosive power, from the pioneer of the field.
Donald A. Chu’s Jumping Into Plyometrics (2nd edition, Human Kinetics, 1998, 184 pages) presents 100 illustrated plyometric exercises in seven categories, with the latest research of its time, a much-improved drill format, and sidebars on star athletes who benefited from plyometrics. Chu — who pioneered research-supported plyometric training in the Western hemisphere and consulted for the USTA and for NFL, MLB, and NBA teams — shows how to choose exercises and build a plyometric programme for any chosen sport. More than 140,000 copies have sold since 1994.
The classic status is the honest advantage here: this is the book that brought plyometrics to coaches’ attention, and its exercise selection still shapes programmes today. The trade is its age: a 1998 second edition, so some research is dated — read it as a drill classic, not as the latest science.
Pros: 100 illustrated exercises in seven categories; programme-building guidance for any sport; pioneering author with elite-team consulting; over 140,000 copies sold; compact 184 pages.
Cons: the 1998 edition means some research is dated — pair it with a newer reference for current science; plyometrics only, so agility and quickness need a companion book; high-impact drills, so progress slowly and land well.
5. High-Performance Training for Sports — Best High-Performance Reference
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Who it suits: coaches who want the elite picture — cutting-edge philosophies, protocols, and programmes from leaders in athletic performance, including a speed chapter.
High-Performance Training for Sports (2nd edition, Human Kinetics, 2022, edited by David Joyce and Daniel Lewindon) builds on a first edition that changed athletic conditioning when it appeared in 2014: contributions from global leaders in performance training, coaching, and rehabilitation share the knowledge and techniques used with Olympians, elite athletes, and professional teams. The second edition is fully reviewed and updated, with new chapters and contributors, and a companion continuing-education exam is available separately for certified professionals.
The elite breadth is the honest advantage here: where the other books drill one quality, this one covers the whole performance picture — which matters when speed sits inside a larger programme. The updated second edition is the other half of the story: new chapters and contributors keep a 2014 classic current.
Pros: global elite contributors across performance, coaching, and rehabilitation; fully reviewed and updated 2nd edition; speed covered inside a whole-athlete framework; companion CE exam available for certified professionals; suits coaches and advanced readers.
Cons: the Amazon link below rests on a single Amazon-sourced listing, so confirm it matches the 2nd edition before ordering; broad rather than drill-deep, so pair it with a drill library for daily sessions; advanced level, so beginners may find it dense.
👉 Check price on Amazon (please confirm the listing matches the 2nd edition, since the link rests on a single source).
6. Plyometric Anatomy — Best Illustrated Guide
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Who it suits: home athletes and coaches who learn by seeing — illustrated plyometric exercises with the muscles behind every movement.
Derek Hansen and Steve Kennelly’s Plyometric Anatomy presents 94 plyometric exercises, with 78 variations that increase in difficulty for continued development over time. Hansen — coach and consultant to elite athletes and professional and collegiate teams — and Kennelly — assistant head athletic trainer for the New York Football Giants — share the training they have used to propel athletes at all levels, with anatomy illustrations showing which muscles drive each movement.
The illustrations are the honest advantage here: most drill books describe a movement in words, while this one shows the muscles working — which matters when form, not just effort, decides whether a drill helps or hurts. The progressions are the other half of the story: 78 variations that grow harder over time keep one book useful for a season.
Pros: 94 exercises with 78 progressions; anatomy illustrations for every movement; elite-team authorship; suits visual learners and home athletes; builds from beginner to advanced in one book.
Cons: the Amazon link below is a search link — no confident US product page was pinned down — so confirm the listing matches the Hansen and Kennelly book before ordering; plyometrics only, so agility and quickness need a companion book; anatomy detail suits careful readers more than quick drill lookup.
👉 Check price on Amazon (search link — no confident US product page was found, so confirm the listing matches the Hansen and Kennelly book).
How to Choose the Right Speed and Agility Book
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Start with your level, then your drills, then your format. A book that cannot be read where you train is decoration, and a book whose drills never leave the shelf is shelf weight you paid for.
Then buy in this order: a drill library first if you want drills today, a science reference first if you coach a team, and an anatomy guide first if you learn by seeing.
Book type: programme vs drill collection vs science reference — what each actually does
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Programme books (Brown and Ferrigno, Joyce and Lewindon) give drills plus the plan around them: assessments, progressions, and sport-specific schedules. They suit a buyer who wants a full season mapped — but they take longer to read before the first session.
Drill collections (Chu, Hansen and Kennelly) give exercises with instructions and illustrations: they suit a buyer who already plans sessions and just needs movements — but they leave programming to the reader.
Science references (Dawes, Jeffreys) give the reasoning, the tests, and the evidence: they suit coaches who design programmes for others — but they suit reading at a desk more than quick lookup on the field.
Book length and level: what each size actually suits
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Under 200 pages (Chu, 184 pages) suits quick learning and gym-bag reading: the book covers one quality well without overwhelming. This is where most real beginner book buying starts.
Around 300 pages (Brown and Ferrigno, 312 pages; Jeffreys, 296 pages) suits serious study: drill libraries and science references that reward a full read. This is where most real coaching book buying happens.
Level follows the same rule as every progression: start with a drill library or anatomy guide, then add science references over seasons, never at maximum depth on the first read.
Format and usability: print, ebook, and video — what keeps a book alive
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Print is the gym standard: a paperback survives a bag, a bench, and a sweaty hand, which is why it outlasts a phone screen under daily use. Check the edition before ordering — a book you can read on the field will be used more than one that stays on a shelf.
Ebooks are the search standard: they travel light and search fast, but they need a charged device and a dry hand. A book stored on a phone lasts far longer than one left in a wet bag.
Video is a usability signal in disguise: Brown and Ferrigno’s online drill library shows movements words cannot — while a book without video needs its illustrations to do the same job. Check whether the edition you buy includes video access before ordering.
Surface and storage suitability: shelf, bag, and field
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A shelf is the kindest storage: every book here sits well, nothing bends, and pages stay clean. This is where every book performs best, and where reference books earn their keep.
A gym bag needs toughness: a paperback in a bag bends at the spine, so a protective cover or an ebook suits field work better than a bare book. Dry hands work well — wet hands do not, and they will warp both the pages and the binding.
A field wears books fastest: it cracks spines, fades covers, and punishes pages left in sun. If the field is your only reading room, buy the ebook and accept that the print copy is a shelf book, not a field tool.
Storage decides whether a book survives the season: a shelf or a bag keeps books together and visible, while loose books in a corner get lost, bent, and forgotten. Shelf, bag, and bookmark the book before every session.
What no book makes safe
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A book does not make a drill safe by itself, does not fix a floor that is wet, uneven, or crowded, and does not protect ankles, knees, or Achilles tendons that are already injured. The book describes the drill; it does not judge whether the drill is wise for you.
Check the drills and the area before every session: no movement beyond your level, patterns laid evenly, and a drill area clear of obstacles, holes, and other people. A drill run at full speed before its technique is clean ends the session abruptly.
Start slow: learn each drill at walking pace, then add speed in small steps over sessions, never at maximum effort on the first rep. Keep the area clear of the course’s ends and of anything you could land on. Never train through sharp pain, and never run a drill hoping it holds one more session. If you have an injury, or a condition that affects how safely you can train, talk to a clinician or qualified coach before starting book drills. This guide is general information only, not medical advice.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Which speed and agility book should a beginner buy first?
Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness: the widest drill library with video, so a beginner sees every movement before running it. Beginners should start with a drill library and move to science references only when they coach others.
Do I need a book, or can I learn drills online?
Online clips teach single drills; a book teaches progressions, testing, and programming — the plan around the drills. A book suits a full season, while clips suit a single session.
Are these books useful for home gyms without a coach?
Yes, if the level fits: drill libraries and anatomy guides suit solo readers well, but check form carefully and progress slowly. Science references suit coaches best, and solo readers should start with the simpler books.
What is the difference between speed, agility, and quickness?
Speed is straight-line running fast; agility is changing direction fast under control; quickness is reacting fast to a signal. The books in this guide cover all three, but each leans toward one — check the comparison table before ordering.
How do I use a book without getting injured?
Start with technique at walking pace, progress in small steps over sessions, warm up fully, and stop at sharp pain. A book cannot see your form — a coach, a mirror, or video of yourself can.
When should I replace or upgrade a training book?
When its science is dated, its drills no longer challenge you, or a newer edition covers your sport better. Worn books mislead drills — replace them before they do, and keep the old edition for reference.
Our Pick in One Line
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If you want one answer: Training for Speed, Agility, and Quickness is the best all-round buy because its 262 drills, video library, and sport programmes cover almost any home-gym athlete — but if you coach a team, buy Developing Agility and Quickness first, because nineteen NSCA experts writing on agility and quickness is the strongest authority a coach can shelve.
For the rest of your home-gym setup, see our reaction lights guide and our agility training sets guide, and for the ladders those book drills complement, see our agility ladders guide.
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This guide is research-based: we compared verified buyer reviews and publisher specifications, and we did not buy or hands-on test these products. Prices and availability change, so check the listing before ordering. The training information here is general information only, not medical advice — if you have an injury or a condition that affects how safely you can train, talk to a clinician first.