The High Toss Football Catch
As a receiver, or
any player that is going to catch a pass, you know that not all passes
are going to go right to the chest. Here are some simple steps when
making a high catch: The first and most important is that you extend
your arms and keep your hands together in a diamond type shape to catch
that football. Never catch or try to catch a ball with your body,
especially a high ball. Once you have your hands around the ball, don't
take your eyes off the ball but follow it right into your tuck. If you
are taking your eyes off for any reason you will lose focus and have a
greater chance to miss the pass, or worse, fumble the football.
Strength and conditioning: Up Downs
Out
of all of the football conditioning drills up downs is one of the most
popular. Players will start this drill by running in place as fast as
they can, keeping their knees high as possible. From time to time the
coach will signal to the players, by whistle or a command, to get down
- meaning that they drop down do a push up and get back up as quickly
as possible to run again. Because this drill can be very taxing, it is
important to increase the time spent at this slowly over time as the
player's strength increases.
Some fundamentals of ball security
You
can't run with the football until you have learned some basic ball
security measures. Football teams have lost many games because a couple
of players were lax in there ball carrying and fumbled the football. A
great way to teach tight ball security is with four points. First grab
the football with your carrying hand with the tips of the football
being covered with your fingers. The second point is making sure that
your forearm is wrapped tightly on the outer rim of the football. The
third point is securing the other point of the football with your bicep
making sure that it is right up against it. The final point is keeping
the football high and tight against the ribcage. Practice holding the
football and having defensive players try and knock out the football by
any means possible. As your ball carrying continues to improve you will
insure less turnovers and greater success on the field.
Proper Catching Leads to Great Ball Security
To
insure a proper catch, a receiver must secure the football into a
proper carrying position. 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. The problem is that receivers have a tenancy to
start looking down the field before they have the ball properly
secured. This error leads to incomplete passes or worse, a fumble. To
overcome this habit set up a simple drill where two players pass the
ball to each other stopping at each critical step: the catch, the
follow through, and the tuck.
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