How many reps of the Single-Leg Front-to-Back Line Hop should you do when you are new to the exercise?

Do 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 10 hops per leg, resting long enough between sets that ground contacts stay quick and light rather than heavy. Once the rhythm feels automatic and the knee stays steady over the toes, add a third set or extend the time per side before adding speed.

What can I use instead of a taped line for the Single-Leg Front-to-Back Line Hop?

Any thin, flat marker works: a piece of string, a yardstick, or even a crack in the pavement or a floorboard seam. If you have nothing to mark with at all, picture a line and hop the same short distance forward and back — the exact marker matters far less than keeping the hop small and the contact quick.

What is the Single-Leg Front-to-Back Line Hop good for?

It builds ankle and calf stiffness and single-leg control useful for runners and jump-sport athletes, and it works well in return-to-running progressions after a lower-leg injury. It adds little if you are chasing raw jump height or distance, since the amplitude here is deliberately small.

Intermediate

Single-Leg Front-to-Back Line Hop

Balancing on one foot, you hop quickly over a line on the floor, forward and back, keeping ground contacts short and springy. It builds ankle and calf stiffness, single-leg reactive strength, and the joint control that protects the ankle and knee. It is a low-amplitude drill, so it fits foundational plyometric work and return-to-running progressions.

Equipment: Body Weight
Body part: Calves, Quads
Type: Plyometric
Browse by muscle: Gastrocnemius Lateral Head, Gastrocnemius Medial Head, Rectus Femoris
Browse by movement: Gait Drill

How to do it

1
Stand on one foot just behind a line taped or drawn on the floor.
2
Hop forward over the line, landing softly on the ball of the same foot.
3
Immediately hop back behind the line, keeping the contact quick and light.
4
Stay tall with a slightly bent knee and the hip and ankle stacked.
5
Keep a steady, bouncy rhythm for the prescribed reps or time.
6
Switch to the other leg and repeat.

Tips

Spend as little time on the ground as possible; think hot floor.
Keep the hop small and controlled rather than reaching across the line.
Hold the knee steady over the toes and resist any inward collapse.

Variations

Common mistakes

The hips rotate or lean toward the landing foot instead of staying stacked over the base, so the free leg swings out to the side for balance.
The free leg swings loosely instead of staying tucked and controlled, throwing off the rhythm every time it drifts wide.
Some lifters pause to reset balance after every hop instead of keeping the bounce continuous, which turns a plyometric drill into a series of static balance checks.
Once the working leg tires, the ankle softens and the whole hop shifts to the knee and hip, losing the calf spring the drill is meant to build.
Switching legs after an uneven number of reps means one side quietly gets more practice than the other.

Frequently asked

How many reps of the Single-Leg Front-to-Back Line Hop should you do when you are new to the exercise?: Do 2 to 3 sets of 8 to 10 hops per leg, resting long enough between sets that ground contacts stay quick and light rather than heavy. Once the rhythm feels automatic and the knee stays steady over the toes, add a third set or extend the time per side before adding speed.
What can I use instead of a taped line for the Single-Leg Front-to-Back Line Hop?: Any thin, flat marker works: a piece of string, a yardstick, or even a crack in the pavement or a floorboard seam. If you have nothing to mark with at all, picture a line and hop the same short distance forward and back — the exact marker matters far less than keeping the hop small and the contact quick.
What is the Single-Leg Front-to-Back Line Hop good for?: It builds ankle and calf stiffness and single-leg control useful for runners and jump-sport athletes, and it works well in return-to-running progressions after a lower-leg injury. It adds little if you are chasing raw jump height or distance, since the amplitude here is deliberately small.

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