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Post by flexspread on Feb 11, 2007 18:51:50 GMT -6
Coaches,
I would like to start throwing the ball more but I don't seem to have any athletes that have good hands. What are some ways that I can improve my WR hands? Thanks.
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Post by sls on Feb 11, 2007 19:16:14 GMT -6
Do all of your WR ball drills with tennis balls.
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Post by saintrad on Feb 11, 2007 19:34:44 GMT -6
use NERF footballs to teach the players how to look the ball in. RUn the last 3 steps of a route with their hands behind hteir back and use their eyes to catch the ball. We give the receiver a permission should they get the ball stick in their facemask.
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Post by bluboy on Feb 11, 2007 20:22:57 GMT -6
I once read where some pro receiver played catch with a water balloon in order to develop soft hands.
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Post by djwesp on Feb 11, 2007 20:23:36 GMT -6
have you guys seen these little balls that attach to the center of the players hands?
what are these and how effective are they?
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Post by flexspread on Feb 12, 2007 10:49:28 GMT -6
Do any of you write something, like a number, on a few footballs and then make your WR tell you what number was on the ball to help their hand/eye coordination? If you do use this, does it work?
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Post by CoachMikeJudy on Feb 12, 2007 11:06:54 GMT -6
A good friend of mine is a WR coach in SEC. He swears by always doing hand drills while moving- never any stationary catching drills.
I believe that kids have to practice the fundamentals you teach them on their own at some point to become great receivers. You could do ball drills all day (I have before) and they still will not develop the hands you want them to have- they must run routes and catch balls live (on air or thud).
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Post by khalfie on Feb 12, 2007 19:28:24 GMT -6
have you guys seen these little balls that attach to the center of the players hands? what are these and how effective are they? Hear a NFL WR speaking on the Balls, can't remember the name, but for some reason I want to say the WR out of Denver... They are designed to strengthen your fingers... Catching with your hands is a misnomer... we really catch with our fingers... if the ball hits the (entire) hand, more specifically the palms, you are usually in trouble. So the half Tennis Balls, train you to catch with your finger tips, by not allowing the ball to hit your palm, and forcing you to make the catch with your fingers.. |
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Post by fbdoc on Feb 12, 2007 20:17:56 GMT -6
Agree with whitemike - to a degree. We do stationary drills and movement drills. I beleive the best thing we've ever done is to get a JUGS machine just to increase the reps our kids get. I think a variety of drills (both kinds) are important. Had a coach tell me he loved how our kids always caught the ball "high and with their hands". I beleive its from all of their work with the JUGS.
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Post by coachveer on Feb 13, 2007 6:12:21 GMT -6
I just want to echo what SLS. Just keep firing tennis balls right at their dome. They will start to catch them sooner or later.
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Post by flexspread on Feb 13, 2007 7:45:07 GMT -6
Any ideas where I can get a fairly cheap tennis ball machine, since I will probably have to pay for it? Do you recommend getting one that oscelates so the WRs have to catch and move or a stand still one?
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Post by coachveer on Feb 13, 2007 8:15:26 GMT -6
Coach,
You may want to ask your schools tennis coach if the have something in storage. You may also want to contact any of your local tennis clubs.
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Post by 5point0shelby on Feb 13, 2007 11:58:11 GMT -6
have you guys seen these little balls that attach to the center of the players hands? what are these and how effective are they? GreatCatch.org We are ordering some this spring. |
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Post by 5point0shelby on Feb 13, 2007 11:58:55 GMT -6
Do any of you write something, like a number, on a few footballs and then make your WR tell you what number was on the ball to help their hand/eye coordination? If you do use this, does it work? We do this as well. Teaches them to "put their nose on the ball". |
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Post by khalfie on Feb 13, 2007 13:25:25 GMT -6
have you guys seen these little balls that attach to the center of the players hands? what are these and how effective are they? GreatCatch.org We are ordering some this spring. Might have to cut some tennis balls in half and athletic tape them to my Wr's hands. |
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Post by warrior53 on Feb 14, 2007 18:43:15 GMT -6
I agree with catching in motion and I know it sounds silly, but catch bricks wrapped lightly in tape to not cut up the hands.
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Post by khalfie on Feb 14, 2007 22:54:47 GMT -6
No my brother... I will not be throwing bricks at kids... I know it worked for Jerry Rice... but that was his dad throwing those bricks!  |
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Post by Coach Bruce on Feb 15, 2007 0:26:31 GMT -6
Bricks? whoa!
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Post by Tooch43 on Feb 15, 2007 6:51:21 GMT -6
have you guys seen these little balls that attach to the center of the players hands?
Anyone know what these are called?
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Post by flexspread on Feb 15, 2007 7:42:59 GMT -6
Posted by warrior53 on Yesterday at 6:43pm
I agree with catching in motion and I know it sounds silly, but catch bricks wrapped lightly in tape to not cut up the hands. Wow, Bricks! I guess that's one way to get your kids to be tough but as I said before, my kids do not have very good hands so it is likely one would slip by, so I'd better stick to things that won't get me fired. |
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Post by Coach Bruce on Feb 15, 2007 7:55:00 GMT -6
I ordered the tennis balls for my son (Great Catch is the name) So far it works great. Catch with your tips fine, catch oterwise and the ball plunks to the ground. I like it. Will get some for the team also.
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Post by brophy on Feb 15, 2007 8:44:41 GMT -6
screw the HANDS...............it's all about the FINGERS!
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Post by los on Feb 15, 2007 8:51:05 GMT -6
Super glue or lots of "stickem"? Or make them defensive backs? lol!
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Post by Coach Bruce on Feb 15, 2007 9:51:34 GMT -6
Brophy must know my wife..to heck with BOTH of ya!!
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Post by wingman on Feb 15, 2007 10:50:00 GMT -6
No substitute for catchng tons of balls. I used to catch a couple hundred from Jim Zorn 5 days a week in the summer. He dropped and threwq and I ran the last few yards of a riute and caught.
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Post by threeback on Feb 15, 2007 11:37:46 GMT -6
When I coached receivers, had a kid come out his sophomore year- one of the worst pair of hands I've ever seen on a kid. Hell, my three year old would smoke him in a catching contest. Used the tennis ball in corner in the offseason to improve hand-eye coordination. When I worked the weightroom in the summer, spent about an hour after workouts throwing 1-200 balls at him. As he got better, started picking up the speed of the ball- big time. Did all the drills pretty much everyone does, but I also gave him a ball to bring home. I told him before he went to bed every night, lie on your back and toss the ball up and catch it at least fifty times. His junior year, his hands got somewhat better- although he was still not a dependable receiver. Did the same thing his junior year- even blackened both eyes with a football when I was drilling it to him (thought I was getting fired). But by his senior year, he became our best receiver. Hell, he caught the winning touchdown on an unbelievable over-the-shoulder catch.
I guess what I'm trying to say in so many words is it's all about muscle memory and hand-eye coordination. Let's face it, you're not going to make a kid that has poor hands (from lack of hand-eye) into Jerry Rice in a few months. It's going to be a long and painful trip.
Drills- tail-end route running, over-the- shoulder, turnarounds, bad ball, gauntlet, goalpost, one-hand drill
Throw to the kids ALL the time- during water breaks, during special teams, any time that you can- it will pay off.
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Post by warrior53 on Feb 15, 2007 21:52:11 GMT -6
Guys, I am not talking about launching bricks from a rocket launcher!! Just underhand toss them to each other - I was skeptical too. Try doing it and then right after feel the difference of catching a football thrown to you.
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tedseay
Sophomore Member
Posts: 164
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Post by tedseay on Feb 16, 2007 7:45:59 GMT -6
use NERF footballs to teach the players how to look the ball in. saint: Glad you mentioned this -- it is probably the single most overlooked detail in catching the football (and that goes for gun QB's and option backs as well): [glow=red,2,300]LOOK THE BALL INTO YOUR HANDS.[/glow]This involves eyes, hands, and the ball. Leave any one component out and you have an incompletion, a fumble, or worse. The ball gets looked right into the hands by the eyes. Don't gloss over this, don't skip it, don't let your guys forget it. |
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Post by ocinaz on Feb 16, 2007 11:24:12 GMT -6
All great replies. In college we played something similar to hot potatoe with bricks that were duct taped....Stationary and movement drills with tennis balls, then we move to footballs. I like the nerf ball idea...Could be a heavy dose of Nerf for spring and summer to go along with what we usually do....
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