American Football Learning Routines
Weightlifting
Let's not forget weightlifting. It is one of the essential elements that will help you improve your game. The benefits of lifting weights are found in added strength, but more importantly it will increase your maximum power. Maximum power differs in importance to strength due to the fact that it is exertion during play and not just muscle mass. It is the quickness and exertion that will enable a football player to accomplish their plays with skill on the field. As you continue in your weightlifting program, we highly recommend that you get a personal coach to push you in your goals, teach you proper techniques, and ensure that you are doing the right work for your position.
Running will increase performance
Endurance is the name of the game when it comes to football, and running will help you endurance grow. Though dull and sometimes boring, these running drills will help you play your hardest until the end of the game. Though running drills can be a big help to your game, many people complain the most about the running. Because in the end, the team or players that are the fastest are the ones that win the championships. Running has a final help to your team, and that is learning how to push beyond your limits, you will be surprised how often that happens in football, and in life!
Conditioning: The five dot drill
Conditioning is meant to increase speed, endurance, and reaction time on the football field. For this reason, coaches like this drill for its focus on speed and accuracy. The drill set up is a mat or place on the field with 5 dots about a foot away from each other forming an X shape, exactly in the same shape as you would see diamonds arranged on a number five card in a poker deck.
The athlete starts at the edge of the mat placing their feet on two of the outer dots and proceeds to jump with feet together on the center spot and then out again quickly to the outer dots similar to a simple hop scotch motion. The second phase is having the player touch each of the dots with only one foot, and then switch to the other foot. Then continue around the dots with both legs together. The last phase is really returning to the original starting phase of jumping together and apart, however this time the athlete will change directions after they have jumped to the outer dots. Players will need to increase their speed and accuracy to be effective with this drill.
Angle tackling
It is a great idea to practice angle tackles with your defense because not all tackles are made with the opponent right in front of you. This can be done by having a player run with the ball on a straight line with the defender at any angle. As the defender he will need to adjust his body to cover the shortest distance towards the ball carrier, and make the stop by placing his foot squarely in front, and remembers for safety to put his head in front of the ball carrier. The defender follows through with the tackle by straightening his knees in a lunging type motion, wrapping his arms around the ball carrier to pull him down to the ground or push him off sides.
Let's not forget weightlifting. It is one of the essential elements that will help you improve your game. The benefits of lifting weights are found in added strength, but more importantly it will increase your maximum power. Maximum power differs in importance to strength due to the fact that it is exertion during play and not just muscle mass. It is the quickness and exertion that will enable a football player to accomplish their plays with skill on the field. As you continue in your weightlifting program, we highly recommend that you get a personal coach to push you in your goals, teach you proper techniques, and ensure that you are doing the right work for your position.
Running will increase performance
Endurance is the name of the game when it comes to football, and running will help you endurance grow. Though dull and sometimes boring, these running drills will help you play your hardest until the end of the game. Though running drills can be a big help to your game, many people complain the most about the running. Because in the end, the team or players that are the fastest are the ones that win the championships. Running has a final help to your team, and that is learning how to push beyond your limits, you will be surprised how often that happens in football, and in life!
Conditioning: The five dot drill
Conditioning is meant to increase speed, endurance, and reaction time on the football field. For this reason, coaches like this drill for its focus on speed and accuracy. The drill set up is a mat or place on the field with 5 dots about a foot away from each other forming an X shape, exactly in the same shape as you would see diamonds arranged on a number five card in a poker deck.
The athlete starts at the edge of the mat placing their feet on two of the outer dots and proceeds to jump with feet together on the center spot and then out again quickly to the outer dots similar to a simple hop scotch motion. The second phase is having the player touch each of the dots with only one foot, and then switch to the other foot. Then continue around the dots with both legs together. The last phase is really returning to the original starting phase of jumping together and apart, however this time the athlete will change directions after they have jumped to the outer dots. Players will need to increase their speed and accuracy to be effective with this drill.
Angle tackling
It is a great idea to practice angle tackles with your defense because not all tackles are made with the opponent right in front of you. This can be done by having a player run with the ball on a straight line with the defender at any angle. As the defender he will need to adjust his body to cover the shortest distance towards the ball carrier, and make the stop by placing his foot squarely in front, and remembers for safety to put his head in front of the ball carrier. The defender follows through with the tackle by straightening his knees in a lunging type motion, wrapping his arms around the ball carrier to pull him down to the ground or push him off sides.
Source...