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Post by dsqa on Dec 9, 2008 8:30:10 GMT -6
Well, it appears the cat has torn its way out of the bag! Good! Its time.
Gentlemen, The cost is half of the typical digital video editing system, and if you have a digital video editing system it will make what you do so much better. Your players live in this world everyday, all we've done is make it so you can go there with them and coach them.
The product is released, you can sign up for a webinar and go for it. We are offering a discount if you attend one. Check the site for details. We have been working in the dark for 6 months getting this ready, and here you go.
This may sound cheesy, but I want you all to know that this is still about serving you the coaches with the best stuff we can, I think this will take that concept, and your program, to a whole new level.
Every player on your team can be linked by the Zone network to you. You can test ALL your players at distance, or in the office...it is just unbelievable what it can do. And it is all customizable to your stuff.
I will post a few option read vids here in a minute.
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Post by dsqa on Dec 3, 2008 22:45:09 GMT -6
Chris, are you typing with your tongue in your teeth - relief?? LOL
The Simple Answer, hold the ball in the front hand longer in the stride, and lengthen the stride to the necessary requirements of the throw, but not beyond landing on the ball of the front foot to protect the transfer of weight...Builds core torque, encourages a leg drive, rather than a step, and increases the sense of urgency for acceleration. There are some really cool, fun things in there.
However, there is one critical component required to make this happen... you have to know where you are going, and how to get there, with the arm - and that my friend, is where zero comes in, along with the understanding of sequential release, compression, extension, and the trampoline effect. All very cool, common sense, stuff that makes throwing the football fun to learn. And what is even cooler is that they understand it.
Unfortunately, the prevailing thought on throwing is to encourage QBs to get as tall as possible, on the balls of the feet, generate a high elbow release as fast as possible, and thereby assist gravitational force by pulling down and around on the release, and that pretty much negates the whole ball of wax. Just move everything faster with a really short stride.
What most coaches who borrow NFL ideas, like the short stride, fail to grasp or mention is the widening of the QBs base that precedes the short stride. Thus, at the lower levels, you get a shoulder width apart prepass position, and you end up with an unnaturally stilted stride (we call it the pole valut- LOL), from an overly tall QB, whose release takes forever, because he hasn't understood something very basic...if you hold the ball longer, the release is faster. (Provided you understand how to support in your body timing, the newly, and highly, accelerated arm, things can get pretty awesome in a hurry!)
Its too bad really, Chris, because it is scary how good some very talented QBs could be, if they really understood some of these common sense concepts and how to apply them.
We are slowly getting there. But, thanks for asking, it is always fun to coach a little here.
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Post by dsqa on Dec 3, 2008 14:24:03 GMT -6
fatkicker - LOL, I use big words when I am pontificating... As a pure thrower, at the risk of sounding like I am contradicting myself, he will take a beating at the hands of those "experts" I mentioned before. On the move, he is more in control of his timing, and therefore excels. His dropback accuracy comes from strength, great vision down field (meaning spatial awareness between receivers and DBs), and a lot of sheer willpower, not necessarily the finesse that he will so definitely need. In other words, his dropback mechanics are lagging behind his much more significant strength, vision, and will. He will be slammed for this in the draft run. His release is too long, and NFL DBs will make him pay for it. Matt Flynn has a very quick release(.367-.383 seconds - avg. D1/NFL - .4 seconds - Timed from off hand leaving the ball) and talked to us about how difficult it was to stay ahead of the DBs. They are just so fast, and read so well, not just the QBs, but the receivers, that this will be something he will need to adjust. It can be changed, and changed quickly, if he gets the right folks around him. This doesn't diminish one bit of his potential, and because of his humble character, it is my bet, he will get the help he needs make the changes he will need to make and do just fine.
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Post by dsqa on Dec 3, 2008 9:27:07 GMT -6
I think Tim will do fine in the NFL, because it requires the intangibles he possesses to play there. Yes, he is physical and capable, and an average thrower, but he has the mental faculty and character to survive. Do the investigation on which ones make and those who don't. I am not talking about freakish talent that plays because of the dollars invested to justify it, I am talking about the second tier player who will have to fight for his dinner at the table. Tim will be an underdog as he comes out, and he loves being there, just look at what he has done since coming up short on 4th and 1 against Ole Miss.
For what its worth, here's my take....
He will be drafted lower than he should because of the naysayer prognosticators who pontificate wildly, and oft times ignorantly from their vast Pop Warner level experience at Quarterback, and he will land in an NFL camp that values those attributes about him.
He will develop in the shadow of a veteran, and become a fine NFL quarterback that might get his chance, if the starter gets hurt and he proves himself worthy of the opportunity. He will run some, and will probably be given some "wild...." opportunities, and be reasonably mobile. The thing I do believe about him, is that when he plays, he will win. Not because he is the best quarterback in the league, or even better than the opposing quarterback he is playing, he will win because he doesn't believe he should lose - ever.
Matt Flynn did it, because he has those traits, and Tebow is a similar type of competitor. The NFL QB has that 10% mix of intangibles that isn't present in those who just talk about it. It can be described from many different vantage points and angles, but in the end, it isn't talent alone that makes the NFL QB- That special mix is simply character - and it always will be.
Sorry to resurrect a dead thread, but I just got to reading...
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Post by dsqa on Dec 1, 2008 22:55:44 GMT -6
caseyd123, Simply put, thank you. I am so encouraged by your words. They inspire me to remember why I scroll this board, and try to do what I can. Not always sure its helpful, but I am glad this was...
For what its worth, I do hope you find in this game all you are looking for, but more importantly, I hope you find something even more meaningful in the young men's lives you will be impacting. Truth is, the day will come when you will have to scratch and claw to hang in there, and will yourself to go out on that field "one more time" and believe that it is still worth it. I don't wish this for you mind you, but it is the rite of passage for any aspiring coach...that moment when his love for this game transitions to a genuine love for the guys he is serving as their leader. At the same time it will be one of the most painful, yet rewarding, times in your life. There will be other days, when things aren't so hard, and the athletes are better, but those won't necessarily be the team pictures you keep in your top drawer, or hang on your wall. You will enjoy those better teams mind you, but when you are sitting around the table at your umpteenth coaches clinic, drinking your favorite beverage, with all your coach buddies telling stories about their war wounds, you might be surprised that won't pull out the State Title teams, rather you will tell everyone about that "team", you will know the one I mean - funny, you will probably remember them a little bit like that mirror you so eloquently talked about...LOL.
All the best, and keep us posted on your progress, and thanks again for sharing.
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Post by dsqa on Nov 15, 2008 15:49:06 GMT -6
For what its worth, the sophomore will be supported by the pressure being split between the TB and himself, and will be less apt to tank on you emotionally. If you can mix them in and out, and work the QB into the mix both in a platooning mode, and in your wild hog look, this will keep the defense off balance as to what to expect, and you can still do both. You may have to put your QB in at other positions to keep them guessing as to what you are doing at the QB spot, but they won't be able to adjust in one game. Just thoughts.
Good Luck
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Post by dsqa on Nov 2, 2008 17:50:36 GMT -6
Throwing at a camp isn't going to hurt, or necessarily help your athlete, but the mechanics input might swing him one way, or the other. It is important to talk your QB through his approach at the camp, and what to be looking for in the way of development, and what to be careful to avoid if you don't agree. Repetition isn't the most important thing, informed repetition is the most important thing. Just because you are in another city, doing the same thing you've always done, just more times than you do it normally won't change a thing, nor will it make you better. IMO, camp attendance should be purposeful and productive for improvement, not just repetition. Just prep the kid for the camp, and honor your coach's wishes. It is his call. He is the HC. If a door opens to discuss it, take a look at one of our winter camps if that would serve you. Good Luck
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Post by dsqa on Oct 30, 2008 7:38:30 GMT -6
This is why I so enjoy spending time on this board. It is a reasonably humane experience with a chance to communicate and help.
Don't beat on coachgreen too hard, he has his opinion, it is all good. But I respect greatly the integrity of this board.
Jarrett is a freshman who is getting better every week, and we will do all we can as he wishes us to assist him.
You all know I do not typically respond to this stuff, but when it comes to Matt, the record is tilted to the grossly uninformed, and I do feel a special need to assist in setting it straight with him.
I guess every player is average until you have the privilege of interacting with them to make them better. As a coach, when a player responds to input and improves, they cease to be an average player to you. It is that really cool mix of investing on your end, and the kid responding and improving that leaves you very proud to have worked with him. The stats may not bear it out, but stats have very little to do with what makes a QB exceptional.
BTW, Matt Flynn is exceptional, and given time, he will prove it.
One story, since this dead thread seems to have been re-energized for a day. And I won't say post any more on it after this.
One of the most important attributes an exceptional QB can possess is the drive to compete, not the desire to win mind you, but the will to win. Matt spent four years behind Jamarcus competing, and cultivating this already pent up passion. We all know the history of 9 games, injured, last minute wins, and a crystal ball on the podium, and beating out a second round pick, slated to go first round, in preseason camp (how often does that happen?)
But that is not the story, in my facility in Orlando, we have a competition board for a throwing challenge using our net system, etc. There are some recognizable names on the board, and some no names, but it just a fun post workout challenge for guys. It takes 20 seconds to complete a circuit, and it is all go with 6 drops and throws of various kinds. It gasses you! Believe me, I am reminded of the hastily fading dream in my life when I do it.
Matt came in for his final 2 hour workout before pro day at LSU, and declares, I am not leaving until my name is on top of that board. He didn't want to do anything else.
Now, understand, this is not a big deal, it is just a challenge board, and he was already on it from previous efforts. But it didn't matter, he wasn't first.
Now the challenge isn't easy by any stretch, especially as you fatigue. He ran circuits on that course for 2 hours straight and broke every time on the board. Now, why is that important, so he could set records? No, it goes to character. No one knew, ESPN wasn't there, I was, it was nothing. But for him, going to the NFL wasn't about appearances, or "tweaking" mechanics in a workout, or doing just enough - he does things like taking a pointless, throw away competition and he decided to dominate it.
When you think about who you want playing for you when the game is on the line, don't look for the kid with all the pedigree and outward appearance, look for the kid who when he is losing a game of checkers to you, won't get up, won't eat, won't leave, but he just keeps smiling respectfully and says, "again." There is nothing average about that kid.
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Post by dsqa on Oct 26, 2008 17:44:14 GMT -6
I have raised 5 kids as a coach, athletic director, and developing a camp business throughout. I respect the very difficult decision you are facing, I can't tell you many times I wanted to spend more time with my family, feeling like my job had "stolen" it from me. I guess the only thought I would offer is to talk through it with your family, they usually have a lot of wisdom to offer. I was always amazed at how much they believed in me and what I was trying to do. They wouldn't let me stop. Now that was me, but for what its worth, it was always helpful.
Just my two cents.
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Post by dsqa on Oct 20, 2008 6:51:54 GMT -6
We are looking to bring a two day camp to SoCal in early April, 1st or 2nd weekend. We will be in the Fresno area, in early July(6-7). We are looking to returning to Arizona, but it may be a winter Power camp.
Dates and information I hope to have up by 11/1.
Thanks, and I look forward to seeing you there.
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Post by dsqa on Oct 4, 2008 12:47:22 GMT -6
Chris and brophy, Thank you so much for your incredibly kind acknowledgements. I could not be more proud of Matt's climb to this position. I too, hope he does well. He really is a gamer, and for what its worth, he is actually extremely intelligent. According to McCarthy, one of his strengths was his near perfect checks, calls and reads in the preseason. brophy, I am really excited to see the progress in Andy Hatch and Jarrett Lee both this season. I think LSU has a real shot if those guys keep playing well. They are both very coachable and I have enjoyed working with them. It is important to note here that the regular influence on these guys is one of my staff coaches, Tom Rathmann, who lives in Baton Rouge. Tom is a very talented coach, and does an amazing job with these guys. While the parents and players have pursued us for help, Coach Crowton has been incredibly kind to include us in the process, and that is just another reason I have such respect for him as a man and as a coach. phantom, I could not agree more. I would much rather Matt have more time to get up to speed. I am not sure how this will go. It kind of forces Matt to have sustain his backup position too early. If he struggles, you know Brohm will get his shot. Nothing against Brian, but I am biased on this one. But it is still not exactly how you draw it up Geaux Packers and Tigers. Thanks again gentlemen.
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Post by dsqa on Sept 24, 2008 7:18:10 GMT -6
For what its worth,
Might be good to talk to your captains alone, and find out what they think is happening. Make sure they are off the record, and that there will be no recourse on their opinion or what they say, so they can feel free to be honest. As a father of 5, I have found that when the family isn't firing on all cylinders, or I am not getting it done as a Dad, it helps to get the kids involved in their perspective. Found that to be true as a Head coach as well when things aren't where they need to be. Not suggesting they run the program, but their perspective is invaluable, if for nothing else than drawing out where they are, and what they are feeling.
just my opinion.
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Post by dsqa on Sept 17, 2008 12:04:48 GMT -6
ownership is the key. great stuff dubber. Nothing wrong with questions, but if they are questioning things during the game openly to other players or coaches, it is usually indicative of other issues that need to be addressed in leadership. Input to play calling is one thing, insubordination is another.
Just my two cent.
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Post by dsqa on Sept 6, 2008 13:01:54 GMT -6
thank you aj
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Post by dsqa on Sept 5, 2008 7:04:09 GMT -6
BTW coachvann and coachnichols,
you were both spot on. It is a perfect world when you can pull your staff together first. And beyond that
I am also with you on character first.
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Post by dsqa on Sept 5, 2008 6:26:35 GMT -6
First, I would make sure the administration is willing to hire good football coaches, and that there was some budget to do so.
Then, I would search out coaches who understand that for the first 2-3 years they won't be coaching football per se, they will be building football players.
I would make sure that they were relatively vertical ambition free in their career, because the drag of this required patience in building a football player, which includes a significant investment in building their parents into "football parents", would discourage most who just have their focus on scheming their way to victory with a, "Hey, I am just here to coach football" mentality.
They must have the maturity to realize, that the emotional drain on them in the beginning will be 5 times greater than any other football job they have done. Not saying there won't be fulfilling moments initially, its just that until you get THEM all to buy in emotionally, and ultimately passionately, the staff will have to be the emotional investment for the entire program. Like capital in a new business, it is a huge investment of emotional capital up front with little, to no, guarantees.
The risk is great, but so is the reward, if you have a staff willing to hang in there. That requires more than knowledge and a scheme, much more. Those kind of quality coaches are usually already working somewhere else significantly better because they are that way. That is why, if you find one, fight for him hard, because they are few and far between come August.
Starting a program from scratch, and creating a football culture, requires a patience and resolve that many, NOT ALL, young coaches may balk at.
Not because they don't love football, they would give their right arm for the game, its that some just haven't matured past their own coaching ambition to love the kids that are playing for them more than their career potential. So when a new player they are coaching doesn't execute, because he's never done it, they take it personal, and things can get high maintenance in a hurry.
This endeavor isn't so much about pure football knowledge, as it is about knowing, and caring about the kids and community, and wanting them to experience the incredible story that this game can give them. To want THEM to experience the life long lessons that this game teaches.
To have the resolve to START a brand new program, in my opinion, must include a staff, beginning with the head coach, who understands that the privilege will not be that he gets to build a stepping stone for a career, rather he will have the unspeakable honor of sharing with each one who dons a helmet, how this amazing game of football, introduces a man to himself. And through that introduction, impacts his life, like nothing else does.
You want to create a culture, take the greatest game ever created, that we have the privilege of talking about here every day, and hold it up like the greatest tool ever created for the development of a man's character - a mirror to his soul.
If we can get that young man, and by extension, his parents, to glance at that mirror for a little while, and to contemplate what they are seeing about themselves - even the slightest bit - they will be imprinted for a lifetime. Now, in those defining moments, when a kid, or parent, catches an honest look at themselves, what we as coaches standing behind them, whisper in those kids/parents ears as they gaze into that mirror, will define the culture we create, both in the heart of the kid, and in the community.
Here's the real challenge I have found in starting a football program, and creating a culture, it is just real hard to get those kids and parents to stop looking down at themselves long enough to look in that mirror.
Sorry to wax all psycho on you, but having done this "start a program" process twice in my career, I guess it has caused me to have some time to look into that mirror myself, and it changed me forever - that is why I love this game, and love coaching it.
Just my two and 1/2 cents.
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Post by dsqa on Aug 16, 2008 13:37:06 GMT -6
I believe the toughness issue goes all the way to the heart of the athlete's character. The physical collisions must, and in my opinion, will, mature with the athlete's sense of team, manhood, serving, sacrifice, and all around will to compete. Each aspect of what has been mentioned will find its way into that athlete's progression from soft to tough. I also believe a solid diet of character developing attributes and accountability is a mission critical ingredient.
I saw it in my own sons' development. When they started, they shied from contact, despite tough talk, they were looking to avoid contact - and like coachbdud said, it was important to acclimate. However, the inclusion of peer pressure through team hitting drills, games where they cannot avoid contact, positive reinforcement, and just plain getting a little bigger in the weight room - all contributed to their striking disposition that exists now.
I never once condemned them for struggling through the acclimation to contact/collisions, but when it came to their response to contact, and the character demonstrated in the midst of those experiences, they were held to extremely high standards of accountability. Attitudes, whining, outbursts, complaining, exasperation, etc. I dealt with severely in all my athletes publicly and privately, regardless of their talent. I never struggled with a young man's difficulty in collisions - that was normal, but their attitude and actions surrounding those moments was observed VERY CLOSELY and addressed relentlessly. The result, in my experience, was better heart driven decision making with regard to pain associated with collisions - "they sucked it up better", and self control when they got the better of the other in a hit, or vice versa. There seems to be a value to a steady diet of exposure to both elements. The adversity of hitting, coupled with the furnace of accountability at the heart level worked pretty well.
No matter what though, every athlete must be engaged in that process of physical maturity with each of the facets of what has been mentioned for them to toughen up faster.
In my experience, I found no better toughening tool, then game playing time where I could get them in. If games were out of reach one way or another, I had coaches assigned to mass substitution at every position, in order to accelerate the "ktpoot" process. ("knock the puss out of them")
Just my two cents.
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Post by dsqa on Aug 1, 2008 11:41:02 GMT -6
As you can see, this idea of being a trainer of athletes is a noble one, but there are endless perceptions that exist in the minds of coaches about the value of such training. I think the key to starting anything like that is word of mouth, and it doesn't hurt if you have credibility in your methods. Obviously, there are thousands of ways people try to differentiate themselves, but Coach Huey is right, if you keep the coaching around what matters most to serving the coach - it won't be a threat at all - it can be a blessing to them.
Coach Huey I am still committed to that project we discussed recently, and we are close to having something for you to look at - I will be in touch.
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Post by dsqa on Jun 22, 2008 21:15:31 GMT -6
For what its worth after almost 19 years of marriage and 5 kids, if you are going out on the town and seeking entertainment on Saturday, etc. I would offer up for your consideration that you ratchet down Wednesday night's expectation, and use it as a night to have a meal, or go out for dessert and draw her out on your relationship, kids, her week - planning for the following week. OR, you ask her if she would like to double date with one of her friends and their husbands. You can also take turns on the double date plan, but inviting one of your coaches and their wives out with you both to build relationship outside of football.
Just some ideas for using Wednesday a little differently.
Hope that helps.
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Post by dsqa on Jun 22, 2008 16:15:58 GMT -6
No, we avoid anything to do with the seams, stitches, and laces and in fact, the ball. In order to be his fastest and avoid undue mechanics influence, he will need to tap into "the force," while he channels Luke Skywalker, redirecting the shotgun snap in middair to the receivers. That would insure the best possible method of removing the QB from the equation. Now, if the QB lacks the ability to contact his inner Jedi...
Oh, I am doing it again...
Anybody know how I can get in touch with George Lucas...
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Post by dsqa on Jun 18, 2008 11:47:24 GMT -6
nm
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Post by dsqa on Jun 17, 2008 23:47:17 GMT -6
brophy, I missed you in Lafayette today! We had a great camp at St. Thomas More, and had a great turnout and a lot of fun. Sorry you couldn't join us. For what its worth, I'd like to offer my own sarcastic, and tongue in cheek turn on this...so here goes... It just seems funny to me that, at least Geoff believes it is worth it to attempt to teach throwing mechanics with an enthusiastic effort and hope that someone might actually improve. The higher you climb up the Ego Maniacal Passing Guru food chain, the less any of them believe you can actually change, or really improve, a throwing motion. There is just nothing more hilarious to me than someone not even believing in what they teach enough to think that it will change anything - WHY, AND HOW, FOR PETE'S SAKE, CAN THIS BE? I would sooner send my son to Geoff the expert for training, than the winningest super duper bowl, double powered, evaluator extraordinaire, college scholarship promising, guru who doesn't even buy what he is selling. I assure you, in comparision, Geoff is a salt of the earth, harmless, albeit misinformed, instructor. While I have laughed my fair share at his videos, I am increasingly doing so to my shame. Why? The more I think about what he is trying to do, regardless of its ineffectual presentation, I applaud his simple belief that in peddling his wares, somebody might actually improve. In my respect for those who seek to teach throwing on any level, he is distancing himself from those pharasaical, self-proclaimed gatekeepers of all athletic potential, those dismissers of the larger percentage of young men's dreams who pompously declare with an arrogance that nauseates my soul, that only those so anointed by divine grace with a current, and clearly undevelopable, ability to throw can enter. In their self-sovereign, and self-serving, assessments of all things quarterback, they unwittingly assume that because their exceeding coaching talent cannot produce lasting, or effective, mechanics changes in a QB despite their years of collecting checks in the name of providing the most cutting edge QB development, that it obviously cannot be done above the belly button - or it isn't worth it to try because everybody knows, "you either can, or you cannot throw the football." No, in light of this incredulous insanity, I think I will be the first to applaud Geoff the Expert's training here on the huey board, because, although he claims himself an expert - when I consider many of those who would similarly, and seemingly more legitimately, lay hold of that title - at least Geoff doesn't think sharing "brutal truth in the name of saving kids a false sense of hope," is good concept. He just keeps trying. As laughable as his work may be, it isn't nearly as hilariously, and painfully foolish as the abject ignorance of the devastatingly misappropriated presumptions of many of my QB training peers who persist in peddling teaching they don't even believe in themselves - Hail Geoff! (sarcasm, sarcasm, sarcasm, sarcasm, sarcasm, sarcasm, sarcasm, sarcasm, sarcasm) Pardon the interruption, we now return you to the lighthearted, fun poking banter of funny videos and those who produce them - Nothing to see here folks, just keep moving, no raving lunatics here, just read on...next post...we're all just telling jokes - How about them bears!!
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Post by dsqa on May 12, 2008 7:04:18 GMT -6
Contrary to popular opinion, players love to learn. In my opinion, you can install a lot more, and sustain attention longer, if you get them to buy in to what you are "teaching" them, not telling them.
There is certainly a limit to how much, but meaningful interaction with players during the install can assist their ability to process and recall.
Just spitballing.
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Post by dsqa on May 4, 2008 7:51:34 GMT -6
brophy,
I was at LSU working with Matt last week in prep for the move to Green Bay, and I was able to work with each of the LSU QBs while I was there on MATT's nickel, NOT LSU's.
He wanted to help the guys coming behind him so he setup those guys to join him with Crowton's okay. Want to be careful about not making it sound like LSU is setting this up - they cannot.
Jarret Lee is the front runner at the moment. Good quick release and made some great throws in the Spring game
Andrew Hatch I will be seeing at the end of May, but his shoulder is rehabbing from a scope surgery. They like his mobility and he also has a good arm
Jordan Jefferson. An incoming freshman I worked with. Has a very strong arm, and looks like a great athlete, but he is definitely going to need some work on the feet.
Coach Crowton is one of the finest men and coaches I have ever met, and it is an honor to work with these guys.
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Post by dsqa on Apr 23, 2008 14:56:01 GMT -6
Love to have the coaches, and they are my guests free of charge this season.
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Post by dsqa on Apr 22, 2008 21:25:27 GMT -6
Coach Waddle, Your words were a great encouragement to me, your timing could not have been better.
Coaches, thanks for your pursuit of the camps, I look forward to seeing you this summer. The camps are $249/player. Scoresomemore, we currently don't have any discounts listed on the site for multiple QBs. I don't want to mislead anyone expecting a multi player discount. If there is a need, we will always do what we can for those folks, but currently it isn't being offered due to simplifying the process. We keep the price low overall, rather than setting up layers of discounts. I hope that doesn't deter anyone, as we believe the value of the camp is well worth the fee. I guess this thread will sell that.
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Post by dsqa on Apr 9, 2008 6:35:26 GMT -6
saintrad and sf16, you are on the right track, and it can involve the grip as the others suggested. Assuming the grip is right for a moment, because the grip alone isn't what is causing it, essentially, the QB is "slashing" across the ball to make it rotate. The force of the wrist firing from the 3/4 position across his body creates the strong tilt to the right. Now, here's the trick...
You want the ball to fly the way his is flying, but not so much. It is how he is getting there that is the problem. There is always a limit and a minimum to every mechanic, in his case, he is affecting great spin, but I would bet he has about 20-30 percent more power than he currently realizes.
For any behavior to change permanently, the belief that fueled it must be dealt with. He "believes" that if he continues to pull across and down on that ball, he will get the desired result. There is another, more powerful, and effective way, but until he understands and believes that, he will fight change. So be prepared for some push back. Hopefully, he will be open to change.
My own son is a receiver, and we are making changes to his mechanics, and he is pushing back, because while he sees the change could be necessary, he hasn't bought into the why? yet. It is a challenging change he is trying to make, because he had some serious and good coaching that he has taken too far, and it will take some convincing, but I have some help to move him along from receiver guys.
The simple answer here is, he needs to get his wrist to pronate through the motion more vertically above his elbow with the wrist cokked(spelling? to get around the word change) to permit him to extend deeper into the release, and reduce the slash. For this to happen though, he has to learn to get his elbow into a better position in relation to his throwing shoulder - zero.
This more vertical position will get more of his body into the throw, thus reducing the ability of the slashing arm, and wrist, to dictate the angle of the ball. The more force that is driven from the body, the less the arm is able to solely determine the angle of flight. This opposing tension between the body and arm is a treasure trove to unlocking power, flight control, accuracy, touch, etc. but it starts with the QB's awareness that something needs to change. If he is open, he will see results quickly.
In this case, if he works harder at getting his wrist "through", and not "around" his elbow, he will be able to see less tilt angle. The tight spin and reasonable nose up and to the right flight are what you want, but it sounds like he has taken that angle too far by "slashing," and this is why.
Please understand, the possibility exists that other changes with the elbow will become necessary as he works more vertical, but this will get you started. If he struggles, PM me and I will be glad to help.
Ideally, you want the ball to start up and to the right(RH) slightly, and if it does rotate over at all, it will fly straight. You don't necessarily want the ball to dive down into the receiver. We are looking to sustain flight, so a nose over at the end, while natural on a high trajectory ball, is not desirable on a ball thrown on a line. That is an extension issue, and that is another thread.
Hope that helps.
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Post by dsqa on Aug 31, 2005 6:47:20 GMT -6
I coach a team with 20 and a few things we will do periodically to keep it real for scrimmages is to break down our players in teams and go 8 on 8. We will have three linemen(must have 4 on LOS and 1 lineman on either side of the ball is eligible) and go from there. You still get a reasonable look, and the kids a have some fun. We will let them call plays with the coaches help. It is a defensive emphasis day when we will do this, so I don't care what the play call is, we have to get to the ball and cover receivers. This is also a good way to develop your younger guys in a mixed(veterans and new guys) set up. Your seniors will also show their leadership, or lack of it, as well. We will keep score, down and distance, a running clock, and call penalties. We will usually have something on the game like extra conditioning for the losers. Another drill we do is to start the defense with no safeties(9 players), and the drill is that they lose a player of their choosing each down until they stop the scout team offense(The MLB picks a player to leave the drill). We will double the yards gained by the scout squad on each play except third down, and that puts the pressure on your top LBs and DBs to come up and make a play before they run out of players. It is interesting to see how they distribute 5 players on 3rd and 5 against 11. It works and our defense understands the importance of getting the offense stopped quick.
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Post by dsqa on Aug 17, 2007 8:25:06 GMT -6
I am glad he is throwing well. Here are a couple of suggestions and questions to ask him.
Are you distracted by your field of vision being reduced by the line fighting in front of you? Is this causing you to lose sight of the receiver for a moment and therefore causing you to hesitate? Are you looking at the receiver, or the defender in an area?
That last question can help a lot. if he can learn to spot the defender and throw off him as the receiver approaches, it is a better way than staring down the receiver, and having the defender appear larger than he is in our peripheral vision. In this case, he needs to "quiet" his eyes and take in more action, watching how the defender is reacting during the play, and not get locked in. But, that may not be it, and probably isn't, but this is common.
The vision of the QB taking in all of that movement in front of him, and around him, all at once, can severely reduce response time.
Here is what I suggest -
Individual Drill: Use objects like pool noodles, light and brightly colored plastic balls, square forearm pads, etc. As the QB drops hit him and seek to get him to flinch, by throwing the objects at him(this drill is demonstrated on Volume 5 of my video series) as he drops. You need to get him uptight, so throw the balls hard at his face(with or without a helmet, depending on what you are using). Get him aware of your intent to "harm" him. Put a receiver standing like a running back checking down outside the tackle, or in the middle of the field. He is looking to make simple 5 to 7 yard throws right in front of him.
If you can get in his head, he will duck on fakes of the throwing the ball at him, he will over react to you and he will throw the ball too hard, too high, too far, due to adrenaline flow. He needs to learn to control his response and reaction time. This is only the first part of the process, but it is an important step to getting him aware of how he is reacting to the rush.
Next, stand behind him and have him drop with a receiver coming into the area you want the ball thrown. Clap when the ball should be thrown. Now, make sure you clap at the point the QB should begin the throw, not when he is in the window. He needs to respond to the clap as fast as he can. Now, add all the distraction, and do it again.
Another way to challenge him is to put black electrical tape strips on his helmet. Attach them to the top bar of his mask through the open slot to the front of the mask, as far down as you think. Put multiple strips and stagger the tape with spaces of varying distances. Switch up the tape location throughout the drill. The idea is to put the visual blocks front and center, and have him make the throws, with these things in the way. Don't put huge blocks in one place, but you can cut him down to slivers! He can even do this throwing the route tree. This can simulate the line's effect on the the QB's vision without having to add anyone. Just make sure the QB doesn't tilt his head back trying to see under the tape.
The hesitation in the QB is mental pause brought on by the prospect of "something happening" to him that he doesn't want(sack, personal space invasion, geting bumped, lost sight of the receiver, etc.) It isn't fear per se, it is just not wanting to be kept from doing what he should.
The "pause" can be two fold: The presence of defenders crossing in the secondary around the receiver, and the proximity of the linemen. It can cause a slight paralysis in movement that feels like you are playing in a pool of syrup. His actions can feel to him very tight, and "thick". Often to his surprise, the ball still comes off good when he fights through it, so no one says anything about it, and of course the feeling quickly passes, so he thinks it is normal and just continues to fight through it. What you need him to do is get to a point where he just doesn't feel anything anymore except relaxed and calm.
The idea is to work him through this "state" by simulating the situation in different parts and pieces, putting the routes in question in motion with defenders, in a controlled and staged environment, and then having him throw the ball when you want.
The blowhorn concept while effective in pointing out the problem, won't necessarily fix it. First, it creates additional unnecessary tension in the QB, and he will only stiffen up more becoming more aware of the impending horn, than the value of getting the ball out. The idea of conditioning him to respond is good, it is just too loud. Like any player, in any position, you have to recreate the situation, under control in the drill, and work him through your expectation and his response.
In college, my coach would stand behind me and yell, "There he is! Get it gone!" While I may or may not have seen what he saw, his yelling was a greater distraction than everything on the field in front of me. One day, I just had to turn around and tell him, "Coach, let me throw the ball, then coach me up!" I am afraid as a coach myself, I have had to catch myself saying that same thing to my QBs in throwing periods.
What you can do: Work on opposite side of the defender releases, it makes a difference. What I mean by "opposite side of the defender" releases is that you put a receiver running the last part of a route in an area we would normally expect him to be at the end of the route. A place we need to "anticipate." Like a slant, off a flat defender. Receiver starts on one side, and the ball is thrown off the ear of the defender. QB has to let it go before the receiver crosses the defender, etc. Add defenders as necessary to create the holes you want anticipated.
The way to get reps on this in a more violent setting is when the line is working on pass pro, have the QB work on this simple 2 or 3 man relationship(1/2 defenders and a receiver) in different configurations. The line is getting coached on protection and you are working on the QB's timing. Even if it is just two linemen working, it helps. Just make sure they are in the QB's field of vision. The drill takes no time from 11 on 11, it can be done during individual, and can create what you are looking for.
If you cannot use the line. Use the ball distraction, noodle pounding, bag throwing approach from video 5 during his drop, and wave the noodles and hit him during the throw. Just make sure you don't hit his arm or block the ball flight. Make sure you are creating pressure. Be loud and scary, but make it fun, because your QB is going to be embarrassed a bit, by his flinching, etc. He needs to fight through it, and with encouragement he will.
As he does these drills, talk to him about what he is experiencing. Are you tensing up? Tell him that is normal, as it is a natural response to these things, but we have to get that under control...
As he relaxes in getting more comfortable with a smaller personal space, and gets better at delivering the ball in space with anticipation, his timing will improve. You may find it helps to segment the experience to work him through it. I am sure you will build on these ideas, I am just trying to give you some insight into what temptations exist inside the head and heart of a QB under pressure.
Hope this helps.
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Post by dsqa on Jul 9, 2007 21:09:08 GMT -6
Coach, Can I ask what you specifically saw them doing wrong, and what you were trying to get them to do? If you can describe what you see them doing wrong, I can give you some drills that will help them feel what you are looking for. If they can't feel, and see, the difference, they won't change. It really isn't intended to be disrespectful, they just can't feel the separation between what you are describing and what they are doing wrong. We have to drive the wedge of feeling the difference one rep at a time. The key is getting them to believe in the need for change first by what you have said to them, and then identifying a drill or two that might get the process rolling. I have some that will do the trick, but it would help to know what you are seeing so I can help you get them started. Or, if you post some video here, I can suggest something that can help crack the code for them. Keep believing the best, it just may take a few more steps to get them to feel what they are doing. If you want my help, I am glad to assist. If this is too forward, I apologize and no worries if you have a direction you would rather go. Just an offer. Coach Darin Slack www.quarterbackacademy.com
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