Tech using tennis ball machine

I heard their WR coach talk at the AFCA this year and he mentioned it. He said that they stand at about 15 yards away. The coaching point that he mentioned was putting the thumbs and forefingers together extended ready to catch the ball and "noose" the tennis ball. He told a funny story about a freshman who didn't feel the need to "noose" it and got hit in the throat and couldn't talk for a week.

TX

I have a bucket of tennis balls for catching drills. We don't get to footballs until they can catch a tennis ball properly.

I have a dvd with Texas Tech wrs doing this drill. I think I also read on the board that you can increase the concentration level of the player by writing a number on the tennis ball and make them yell out the that see when they catch the ball.

We didn't have a tennis ball machine, but warmed up every morning of 2-a-days by catching tennis balls (first sitting, then backing up, then standing, then running routes). Seemed to work well for us, so I can only imagine how much a machine might help.

(Unfortunately, my school doesn't have a tennis team, thus doesn't have a spare machine laying around...)

Is buying a machine really that much better than having a coach or teammate throwing them?

We use the tennis ball machine every day. I think it is the best thing a receiver can do during the off season to develop the ability to consistently catch a football. Since we have added this drill to our off season program our receivers very rarely drop a routine reception. Our program has not had an abundance of physically gifted receivers in recent years, but our passing game numbers have continued to improve each year.

Using the ball machine really develops a receiver's hand positioning. You must keep your hands together to consistently catch a tennis ball fired at high velocity and it also develops a softening of the hands. It also forces the receiver to catch the ball out in front of his body and with a relaxed flex in the elbows. It is almost impossible to catch a high velocity tennis ball with your body. The rapid succession of the balls firing at the player develop a somewhat subconscious ability for proper hand placement and concentration that is crucial in consistent pass catching.

The obvious short fall of using the machine is that the drills are performed with the player in a stationary position. We are currently experimenting with some techniques were the player performs a repetitive squatting motion as he catches the balls. My theory for this is to train the receiver to make the catch with his eye level in a constantly moving situation. We also are implementing a drill where the receiver rapidly hops on one leg as he catches balls fired in rapid succession. The theory is to train body control, hand positioning and concentration. We just started with these methods and some of our players are struggling to achieve consistent success in making catches with these new drills. I do not know if these new drills will transfer to more success on the field, but what the hell, it can't hurt to try something new. Good luck with your off season programs.