Abstract This study compared the effects of weight training, ladder training and combined weight and ladder training on speed and hand touch ability among women kabaddi players. Sixty women players (N = 60) aged 18 to 25 years selected drawn from Dr. Sivanthi Aditanar College of Engineering, Tiruchendur, Govindammal Aditanar College for Women, Tiruchendur and Wavoo Wajeeha Women's College of Arts and Science, Kayalpatnam, Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, India. Every participant had a minimum of two years of kabaddi experience and had played for a college and club team. Using a pre-test and posttest randomized group design the players were divided to four groups of fifteen weight training group (WTG), ladder training group (LTG), combined weight and ladder training group (CTG) and control group (CG) that continued on with its usual practice sessions. The three experimental groups trained on alternate days for twelve weeks. Speed and hand touch ability were measured before the programme and again after it. Within group changes were examined with the paired t-test and between-group differences in adjusted post-test means with analysis of covariance, Scheffé's post hoc test was applied wherever the F-ratio was significant. The significance level was set at 0.05. The results revealed that weight training, ladder training and combined weight and ladder training produced significant improvements in speed and hand touch ability among women kabaddi players. It was further observed that the combined training programme produced greater improvements than the individual training programmes and the control group.

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