Learning the Basics of Catching a Low Football Pass

Great plays are made through dedicated practice of the fundamentals. Making the plays means that you have practiced the non-optimal situation and know how to react to them. One situation that happens a lot in a game is catching the low passes. One not so perfect scenario is a low passed catch. First keep the pinkies together down low to make a shovel. First, keep your hands low and lock your pinkies. Locking your pinkies prevents the football from falling through your hands. Once you have the football in your hands scoop it up and tuck it away. Third, once you have caught the ball, tuck it away as soon as possible. Always watch the ball through from the first time you see it in the air until it is in a secure ball carrying position. Catch it first and then worry about running it.

Conditioning: Dot drilling

Conditioning drills are effective in training and helping athletes be strong and reactive. The intent of this drill is to increase accuracy, timing, and speed. Setting up this drill is very simple, you will need five markers placed about a foot apart in an x formation with one of the dots being in the center surrounded by four other dots in a square formation.

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. The next step is jumping on all five dots with both feet together. The last step is the same as the first hop scotch method but this time when the player reaches the other side they will turn around on the two dots. Players will need to increase their speed and accuracy to be effective with this drill.

Up Downs Conditioning Drill

The popular conditioning drill known as up downs is a very effective way to increase cardiovascular activity and endurance. Players will start this drill by running in place as fast as they can, keeping their knees high as possible. At the coaches signal the players will drop to the ground and do a push up, and then quickly get back up and start running again. This drill is an excellent workout and should be worked in slowly at first and then increased in intensity and length over time.

Building your muscles and endurance through Weightlifting

No practice regime would be complete without lifting weights. The effects of weight lifting will add muscle to your body and increase strength, this straighten will add to 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. We highly recommend working with a personal trainer when weightlifting to insure that you are doing it properly, and to help you design a program that will fit your position.