Sharpening Collegiate Football Running Back Routines
Catching the ball high
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. When you have your hands extended you are performing a proper catch, remember, and dont ever catch it with your body. Once you have your hands around the ball, dont take your eyes off the ball but follow it right into your tuck. When you practice a high catch you are going to perform it subconsciously on the field, so remember extend the arms, catch and follow through.
Low Ball Catching Techniques
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. This ensures that the ball will not slip through your fingers. Second, keep low to the ground as a reference your knees should be level with your elbows, and if this means that you are down on all fours better a complete and no extra yards than an incomplete pass. Third, once the ball touches your hands scoop it up into your chest and tuck it away into a secure position. Remember, the cardinal rule of catching is to use your hands and not your body. Never use your body to catch a football. And always see the ball through, meaning that you are watching it into the tuck.
Weightlifting
Lifting weights is a fundamental requirement to improve your football skills. 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. Strong and powerful execution will enable fast plays, quick action, and recognition on the field. 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.
Hand off drill
Drills practicing fundamentals like an effective hand offs can make the difference between a mediocre team and an excellent one. This drill requires more than one player; it starts off with two lines, line A and line B, the front of each line facing each other a couple of yards apart. A player leaves line A with the football and runs at line B. In sync with that first player, a second player leaves line B, when they meet player A passes to player B. At this moment another player leaves line A and accepts a handoff from player B. The motion should be constantly moving from one line to another in this drill, almost like a juggling pattern. This is a great drill to help running backs practice hand offs, and should be run every day.
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. When you have your hands extended you are performing a proper catch, remember, and dont ever catch it with your body. Once you have your hands around the ball, dont take your eyes off the ball but follow it right into your tuck. When you practice a high catch you are going to perform it subconsciously on the field, so remember extend the arms, catch and follow through.
Low Ball Catching Techniques
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. This ensures that the ball will not slip through your fingers. Second, keep low to the ground as a reference your knees should be level with your elbows, and if this means that you are down on all fours better a complete and no extra yards than an incomplete pass. Third, once the ball touches your hands scoop it up into your chest and tuck it away into a secure position. Remember, the cardinal rule of catching is to use your hands and not your body. Never use your body to catch a football. And always see the ball through, meaning that you are watching it into the tuck.
Weightlifting
Lifting weights is a fundamental requirement to improve your football skills. 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. Strong and powerful execution will enable fast plays, quick action, and recognition on the field. 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.
Hand off drill
Drills practicing fundamentals like an effective hand offs can make the difference between a mediocre team and an excellent one. This drill requires more than one player; it starts off with two lines, line A and line B, the front of each line facing each other a couple of yards apart. A player leaves line A with the football and runs at line B. In sync with that first player, a second player leaves line B, when they meet player A passes to player B. At this moment another player leaves line A and accepts a handoff from player B. The motion should be constantly moving from one line to another in this drill, almost like a juggling pattern. This is a great drill to help running backs practice hand offs, and should be run every day.