By Shane Austin
Twitter: ShaneAustin10
Instagram: ShaneAustin10
Some footwork drills I love to do are the “wave drill” and ladder work. The “wave drill” is where you drop back and your buddy (or coach) randomly points you in either four different directions: front, back, left, and right. After you’ve quickly shuffled your feet in the direction he points at least six times or more, then he will clap and immediately you throw a strike to your target from wherever you are. It’s as simple as that!
However, the more you rep it, the quicker your feet will become and the faster your reaction time will be when you have a live rush from hungry D-Linemen that can’t wait to absolutely crush you! As for the ladder, set a rope ladder (not a metal ladder—that’s how you get injured) flat on the ground in a straight line in front of you. Start by running through it placing one foot in each opening in the ladder as fast as you can. Then two feet in each. Then shuffle through it sideways. You can hop through it on one foot as well. The possibilities are endless with ladders, and they are a great tool to improve your fast-twitch muscles and create quicker feet.
When it comes to throwing fundamentals, I like to refer to Tom Brady’s four reminders his JC coach would have him focus on before each practice. The first one is to make a letter “C” with your hand when holding the football. If you look down at your hand and it looks more like an “L” or “V,” then you might want to adjust your grip accordingly. Number two, is “bicep to ear.” What that means is that you have to have your elbow up when throwing so that your bicep is near your ear. If your elbow is too low and your bicep isn’t close to your ear, your pass might sail on you and result in an inaccurate throw.
Three, is “POP!” As you’re coming over the top with your throw, “pop” your arm downward while flicking your wrist outward giving your ball zip and a tight spiral. Last but not least, “follow through.” One of the most important fundamentals is following through with your throw. Make sure you follow all the way through so that you basically smack the inside of your thigh. Those four simple reminders should get you off on the right track toward torching opposing defenses and leading an aerial attack on the football field. But most of all, have fun while you’re doing it!
And maybe someday, you can do some tricks like in this video!
