Hey guys! Sorry for not posting
anything recently. As I talked about in my post before, I will be helping
people become a better player at a position that I played and know a lot about.
This will just be a step by step guide on how to become a better wide receiver.
Ok, so the first step during this
process will be learning how to catch a football. If you already play the game
you still might not have the best idea of how to catch a ball, or you might
have been taught the wrong way. So, first things first, take both your hands
and hold them out in front of you with your palms facing forward. Spread your
fingers as if you were to give someone a high five. Now, tilt them a little bit
and use both index and thumbs to make a spade symbol.
Now that you have the correct
position for your hands you are ready to catch the football. You always want to
catch the ball out in front of you, never in your stomach as this will just
make you get the wind knocked out of you and there is a better chance it could
be deflected in the air off of your pads. Also, always make sure to catch the
ball with the point of the football going into the spade, or that opening when
you form your hands. Catching the ball in front of you decreases the chance of
a defensive back getting to it and it also lets you see the ball coming into
your hands. As catching it is only half the battle. Not too many people can
catch with their eyes closed. My dad always told me, “Make sure you catch that
ball before you start looking up field, because the second you take your eyes
off that ball will be the difference between a catch and a dropped pass.” The
number one thing I struggled with was deciding where I was going to run up
field instead of keeping that extra second on the ball. So, for all the
beginners it helps that every time you catch a football in practice watch it go
into your hands, because if you don’t do it on the practice field then you’re
not going to do it in a game.
A couple of tips:
·
Ask your coach if you can catch the ball always with
one hand during drills. This is a simple way to improve your catching ability.
·
Once you make that catch make sure you tuck that
ball in. Catching it with your hands extended and not pulling it back quick
enough is an easy strip for a guy on defense.
·
Improve your ability to slowly bring your hands
closer into your body while the ball comes closer, this helps for keeping the
ball protected and will let you be quicker at cutting up field on a button –
hook route.
·
ALWAYS expect to get hit right after the catch,
being loose and relaxed after catching the ball can lead to injuries, always
try to think that you might get nailed on a catch, so make sure your body is
ready for impact.
·
TUCK IN THE BALL. This is a huge problem for new
wide receivers. After you make that catch you need to secure it, because a
fumbled ball won’t keep you in the game for long.
These are just some beginner tips
for you guys to hopefully practice with. I guarantee you if you follow this
simple advice then you will be seeing improvements on the field. Also, the whole “catching with one hand”
thing is ONLY for practice. Your coach will rip you apart if you drop a ball
because you didn’t get two hands on it.
