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Post by midlinemoney on Nov 19, 2008 11:23:24 GMT -6
We once again exited the playoffs after being beat physically?
We only lose a couple of seniors and have a tremendous amount of of players back, but I'm concerned of ending up in the same boat next season.
What I'm wanting to know is what do you guys do in the off-season to win the physical battle?
Obviously, weight lifting and speed training are apart of everyone's offseason program.
How do you train athletes to play low?
How do you train athletes to win the physical battle up front?
How do you prepare athletes in the off-season to win those battles in the trenches? or 1 on 1 tackles? or getting that extra yard?
Looking for any ideas. Willing to think outside the box?
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Post by rideanddecide on Nov 19, 2008 11:28:06 GMT -6
I'm guessing by your username that you are already running a scheme that doesn't demand you to be able to physically dominate, correct?
We got out of the I for this reason and now run option. Offensively we weren't physcially defeated once last year---just couldn't hang onto the ball!
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Post by midlinemoney on Nov 19, 2008 11:32:56 GMT -6
actually this year we were a very successful spread team, and we won the physical battle in all but 2 of our games.
i want to know what is done to take a group of good athletes and make them a dominating physical team.
we have all the elements in place, we just need to go that extra step.
how do you preach being physical and playing low year round?
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Post by warrior53 on Nov 19, 2008 11:40:37 GMT -6
One thing I have seen is for offensive linemen to roll something up a hill (for us it was a big barrell with wheels on it, for another it was a big tractor tire) makes them keep a low center of gravity and use their hands, really gets them in a good drive block position.
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Post by jpdaley25 on Nov 19, 2008 11:59:37 GMT -6
Been struggling with getting them low myself. It's our only chance because we will never win the physical battle with a line that averages 155. Here's what I've done and it has helped to a degree, but we are not there yet. Below parallel squats, duck walk, cheese run (chest over knees), bear crawl, tire flips (although we didn't do it uphill - may try that), death crawls, chutes and boards, and we built a 32X8 foot ground battle chute to drill and scrimmage under. Next, I'm going to buy one of those 10x10 foot battle shoots to put in our matt room and have them work under that ALL WINTER LONG. Hope this helps.
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Post by coachnichols on Nov 19, 2008 12:39:36 GMT -6
we built a 32X8 foot ground battle chute to drill and scrimmage under. Built? How did you build it? |
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Post by rbush on Nov 19, 2008 12:40:00 GMT -6
We had to stress staying low to tackle the entire year. Here are a couple of things we did.
1) We would do block shedding drills on tackling dummys. The kids would stand about a step away and had to drive and lift the bag up. The bags were about four/four 1/2 feet tall. They had to hit them before a certain point. A lot of them were surprised by how much trouble they had.
2) This was my favorite. We had the kids line up about five yards apart. One was the ball carrier, one the tackler. On the whistle both would go at each other, staying on the line. A coach would stand two yards away from the tackler, off to the side. As the tackler approached the coach would swing an agile at face height. The kids either got low or got one in the facemask. A few tried ducking the bag and then popping back up. They learned pretty quick that was a bad idea.
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Post by tothehouse on Nov 19, 2008 12:59:02 GMT -6
We do a drill called "Lockhorn". 3 bags creating two chutes. An offensively player gets in his stance behind the middle bag (length wise)...and the D player does the same on the other end of the bag. On a whistle it is the job of the D player to hit and shed the O player in either of the chutes. The O player can go either direction he wants. The objective for the O is to get the D player turned while blocking...without holding. The D player has to HIT AND SHED. It is an extremely violent drill....if the coaches coach it this way.
It's technique AND TOUGHNESS!!!! You can't hide. Every player is made tougher in this drill. One of the best ones we run.
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Post by lochness on Nov 19, 2008 13:03:31 GMT -6
I'm guessing by your username that you are already running a scheme that doesn't demand you to be able to physically dominate, correct? We got out of the I for this reason and now run option. Offensively we weren't physcially defeated once last year---just couldn't hang onto the ball! I think it is a misconception that you can only line up in the "I" if you are physically better than someone else. It all depends on what kinds of blocking schemes and backfield actions you are using out of the "I". For example, why couldn't you have stayed in the "I" and just converted to option? The best option team in our state is an "I" Veer team. Anyway, to answer the question...it really comes down to building competitive spirit in the weight room. It's not just about lifting, but building confidence through setting and achieving goals and mental toughness through peer competition. You can also do a lot of live drills in the OL chutes. We use the OL chutes for everything...not just OL man blocking drills. Use them for shedding blocks and 1-on-1 tackling on defense. |
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samson
Freshmen Member
Posts: 18
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Post by samson on Nov 19, 2008 15:29:09 GMT -6
Watched a state quarterfinal game Sat. where the defending state champs played another very good, well coached team. The other team has a 6'2 QB , 215lb that had thrown for 2700ish yards and ran for 1000 out of the spread. This teams had four 6'0" receivers and a huge 6'1" running back. They were not huge up front but out manned the state champs significantly. They were a very well coached spread team. State champs had 5'5", 5'6" and 5'7" D backs covering these receivers and the same guys running the football out of a tight T formation with a small line. They got crazy later in the game and split out an end and with a wing. The other team had 11 in the box with 3 LBs averaging 215. The state champs only threw the ball twice that day. Watching them warm up you were wondering why they are even playing this game. The state champs don't have a chance. The state champs won 48-39. Great game. Makes you wonder what are the intangibles that allow a significantly smaller team with an antiquated offense beat a superior team with a significant advantage in terms of size, possibly speed, and the latest well coached offense.
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Post by midlineqb on Nov 19, 2008 16:17:58 GMT -6
To help keep linemen low, block empty plastic 55 gal. barrels. If they hit it too high they tip it over. If they stay low it slides along the ground.
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Post by goldenbear76 on Nov 19, 2008 16:22:17 GMT -6
Loch i hear you...that statement about the "I" made me spit my coke out. Toughness has absolutely zero to do with a scheme that you run, it has to do with having kids willing to play hard all the time, even when things are not going your way. Physical toughness is more mental than it is actually physical..some of the toughest SOBs i've coached were 5-7 150lbs as seniors!!
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Post by knighter on Nov 19, 2008 16:29:53 GMT -6
One of the toughest kids I ever coached was 5'5 and weighed 145 pounds soaking wet. He played nosetackle, and didn't look it, but if you didn't double him all night you were in deep trouble. He was also a nasty little pulling guard. Might have been small, but that kid played big. Had a motor that absolutely would not stop, ever. I think if I would have cut one of his legs off, he simply would have hopped and made plays. Toughest kid I ever coached.
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Post by CoachCP on Nov 19, 2008 18:16:40 GMT -6
I went to a HS where we were the smallest or 2nd smallest team in the league but known for our hard hitting ability. We also always had the least amount of D-1 athletes, and were one of the slowest teams. But throughout the last 20 years or so, we've made the playoffs almost every year and been known to be the heavy hitters. This was quite an accomplishment since we played at the biggest level in the state and what is argued by many to be the best conference.
I think a lot of it was because we went full pads every day minus the day before game day from our Freshman year on. The only days we didn't were the days we couldn't because the state rules. The intensity of the coaches helped a lot from the lower levels on. Saturdays as Freshman we're delegated to be hitting days since we played on Thursdays. So after a day of rest we got right back into the cycle.
I'd also like to mention there are very few injury problems at that school and that has been the trend.
This is compared to my current coaching situation, where we occasionally may go "Pro Pads" (something we never heard of) or shells if we feel we are beat up or just need the day. We are also not very physical, and I think that is a direct result.
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wcw
Probationary Member
Posts: 11
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Post by wcw on Nov 19, 2008 19:29:42 GMT -6
I'm guessing by your username that you are already running a scheme that doesn't demand you to be able to physically dominate, correct? We got out of the I for this reason and now run option. Offensively we weren't physcially defeated once last year---just couldn't hang onto the ball! I dont agree with this statement - The most physical team in our section runs the triple option. They physically beat teams down by pounding them. |
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Post by jpdaley25 on Nov 20, 2008 17:09:32 GMT -6
Coach Nichols,
One of my buddies is a welder. I showed him a picture of a ground battle chute in the Rae Crowther catalog and he said it would be pretty easy to make. He was the skilled labor, I was the helper. Ours is actually longer than the one in the catalog and we can run a full scrimmage underneath it. The one in the catalog cost around $5,000. We did ours for around $900.
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Post by wingt74 on Nov 20, 2008 17:58:21 GMT -6
lots and lots of squats..
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Post by NC1974 on Nov 21, 2008 14:45:38 GMT -6
LOW is important but it's not the only factor. We had an undersized OL he last coupld of years and I think the thing that helped us the most was finishing blocks. This was something we worked constantly. It's both a skill(proper technique) and an attitude. We were a zone team. We weren't always blowing guys off the ball, but we always had bodies on bodies until the whistle.
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