Sharpening High School American Football Defensive Routines
Football Catching Fundamentals
Catching the football properly and effectively is fundamental to a strong offense. A great catch can be broken down into three steps: First, keep your arms extended out in front of your body with your hands out forming an imaginary triangle with your fingers and thumbs. Second, keep your eyes on the ball through the entire catch. Third, roll the ball into a secure ball position before you take your eyes off the ball. Bad habits can form easily as many receivers look away mid catch to scan the field for defenders. Taking your eye off the ball increases incomplete passes, fumbles, and turnovers. To prevent this, have two receivers throw to each other and as they catch it have them slow down the motion so that they pause at each catch, follow through and tuck.
Forcing the Fumble
The faster your defense is at getting the ball back into the offensives hands the more likely you are to win a game. Forcing a fumble is one of the quickest ways that you can turn the tides and retain possession of the football. Practice dislodging the football on the field in pairs of players. The point is to have the defensive player throw the fist into the football causing the offensive player to fumble the football. Practice these movements slowly to start muscle memory and to correct bad habits.
Building your muscles and endurance through Weightlifting
No practice regime would be complete without lifting weights. The benefits of lifting weights are found in added strength, but more importantly it will increase your maximum power. Maximum power should be the goal of your training, because it involves muscle strength and muscle excursion during play. This exertion will help you as a football player to execute your skills on the field with speed and force. Weight lifting can cause injuries, and as such we highly recommend having a professional coach on hand during weightlifting sessions. You trainer will also help you accomplish your weightlifting goals and teach you new techniques.
Ball security: The Gauntlet Drill
Ball security has to be the most important aspect of a strong offensive team. Quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers should work on this skill constantly. That is why the gauntlet drill was created, to test and practice effective ball security. The point to the gauntlet drill is to have a player run through several opponents that try to dislodge the football. Each of the defenders can line up in any way making the ball carrier run any sort of patterns with the ball, the point is to pose a challenge to hold onto the ball. To be effective with this drill have the ball carrier run the drill holding the ball in several different positions.
Catching the football properly and effectively is fundamental to a strong offense. A great catch can be broken down into three steps: First, keep your arms extended out in front of your body with your hands out forming an imaginary triangle with your fingers and thumbs. Second, keep your eyes on the ball through the entire catch. Third, roll the ball into a secure ball position before you take your eyes off the ball. Bad habits can form easily as many receivers look away mid catch to scan the field for defenders. Taking your eye off the ball increases incomplete passes, fumbles, and turnovers. To prevent this, have two receivers throw to each other and as they catch it have them slow down the motion so that they pause at each catch, follow through and tuck.
Forcing the Fumble
The faster your defense is at getting the ball back into the offensives hands the more likely you are to win a game. Forcing a fumble is one of the quickest ways that you can turn the tides and retain possession of the football. Practice dislodging the football on the field in pairs of players. The point is to have the defensive player throw the fist into the football causing the offensive player to fumble the football. Practice these movements slowly to start muscle memory and to correct bad habits.
Building your muscles and endurance through Weightlifting
No practice regime would be complete without lifting weights. The benefits of lifting weights are found in added strength, but more importantly it will increase your maximum power. Maximum power should be the goal of your training, because it involves muscle strength and muscle excursion during play. This exertion will help you as a football player to execute your skills on the field with speed and force. Weight lifting can cause injuries, and as such we highly recommend having a professional coach on hand during weightlifting sessions. You trainer will also help you accomplish your weightlifting goals and teach you new techniques.
Ball security: The Gauntlet Drill
Ball security has to be the most important aspect of a strong offensive team. Quarterbacks, running backs, and wide receivers should work on this skill constantly. That is why the gauntlet drill was created, to test and practice effective ball security. The point to the gauntlet drill is to have a player run through several opponents that try to dislodge the football. Each of the defenders can line up in any way making the ball carrier run any sort of patterns with the ball, the point is to pose a challenge to hold onto the ball. To be effective with this drill have the ball carrier run the drill holding the ball in several different positions.
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