[Hooligan]

It's amazing when multi-million dollar pros watch footballs bounce off their helmets, numbers, and through their hands on a regular basis. Recently a big deal has been made about guys like Rod Gardner, Antonio Brown, etc.

If somebody at this stage in their career, meaning the NFL, still has trouble securing the ball when it's thrown to them, how much can they still be taught? Are they a lost cause? Is it one of those "it" things you either have or you don't?

[Chris Luva Luva]

I think if you can't catch then you're a lost cause. You either can or you can't. I think some people can you some tweaking in their technique but thats if they can already catch pretty well.

College balls are bigger, and most College QB's dont have the velocity of a NFL QB. Plus in College they probally dont have a Sean Taylor type player lurking around every corner.

[JansenFan]

HAven't you seen the Little Giants? You just have to tell them to pretend it's a roll of toilet paper. Works like a charm.

[Chris Luva Luva]

[cvillehog]

You can definitely improve your technique.

[air_hog]

Well if you can't "teach hands", you can always buy gloves.

[tcwest10]

Stickum was the way to go before they outlawed it.

[Chris Luva Luva]

[butzadams]

(FROM AN ARTICLE):

BUGEL BLOCKING TECHNIQUE


Bugel's current and former players believe his success stems from masterful motivational skills, communication ability and teaching acumen. Returning Redskins say they have improved markedly through Bugel's emphasis on hand techniques to hinder defenders.

Last season, Thomas, a gifted athlete who is agile despite his 6-foot-5, 306-pound frame, relied on a flawed blocking method -- blocking wide, with his hands several inches apart. It left Thomas' chest open to defenders, making him more vulnerable. A lineman has more control over the defender by keeping his hands close together inside the chest area -- "tight hands," Bugel explained -- before punching out.

The Redskins also have incorporated one of Bugel's trademark techniques: the arm pump, which is used in run blocking. The lineman cocks, or pumps, his arms to his sides before forcefully pushing upward -- "like a fork lift," Bugel said -- into the defender's chest area. It diminishes the chances of holding and keeps the lineman from being passive.

"He wants us to hit 'em in the chest and make their heartbeat stop," Thomas said. "It stuns them at the line because the defense is taught to hit you in your chest, so it's better if you hit them first."

Bugel used imaginary handcuffs, teaching his players through repetition and constant reminders. Thomas, a sixth-year veteran, had previously known a similar technique but stopped using it last season because it wasn't emphasized. Samuels, who is coming off perhaps his worst NFL season, picked up damaging tendencies in recent years -- dropping his head and using his hands improperly.


*************************************************************

This is good also:

Two thumbs up


A man finds out who his friends are when he has two broken thumbs, and if he's in the NFL that man also finds out what kind of player he is--or needs to be.

Earlier this season, Redskins tackle Jon Jansen broke both of his thumbs within a matter of days--his left one during practice and his right one in the opening game against Chicago. But Jansen didn't miss a snap, continuing to play with foam rubber covering the casts on his thumbs.

That didn't mean life was easy.

Jansen couldn't grab on to buttons, so he wore a lot of T-shirts. Turning a door knob was a new experience in persistence and patience. Tying his shoes was an excruciating exercise, especially when teammates repeatedly untied them during meetings.

"It took a lot longer to do a lot of things," Jansen said. "It was frustrating."

On the field, Jansen was unable to rely on his "steering wheel" blocking technique, by which he gets an inside grip on a defender's jersey on both sides of the sternum and steers him one way or the other. So he had to concentrate more on technique, footwork and balance.

Jansen now is playing without the cast on his left thumb and hopes to shed the cast on his right thumb soon. Redskins line coach Joe Bugel isn't sure that's such a good idea.

"I told him he's going to have to wear the casts all year," Bugel says. "We're not taking them off. He's playing too good."

[Deadskins]

[butzadams]

Ball Handling Drills

A wide receiver must be able to concentrate intensely on the flight of the ball and ignore distractions from defenders. A receiver must make a strong effort to catch any ball thrown in his direction. In positioning his hands for a catch, a wide receiver should extend his hands away from his body. If his hands are too close to his body, the ball can hit his body and bounce out of this hands. To catch a low pass, the receiver should hold his hands palms-up, with the little fingers touching. He can use this same hand position for an over-the-shoulder catch. If the pass is high—above the numbers on the jersey—the receiver should hold his hands up, with the palms perpendicular to the ground. The thumbs should touch. If the pass is to the side, the receiver can use his outside hand as a “mitt” to stop the ball and use his other hand to trap it against the “mitt.”
A wide receiver drill that practices these hand positions has the coach calling out the ball positions. The coach says “left,” “center,” or “right,” and then calls out the height of the pass: knee, thigh, waist, chest, shoulder, or above the head. The receiver shows where and how he would position his hands. For passes at the chest level or higher, the receiver should have his hands in the up position with thumbs touching. For other passes, he shhould have his hands in the down position with little fingers touching. The arms must be extended in both cases.

email: butzadams@hotmail.com

[Deadskins]

I meant a link to the article.

[butzadams]

Email me. Not SURE what you want.

[Bob 0119]

What do you call a receiver who can't catch? Defensive Back

[butzadams]

Yeah, that's probably true. However, I'll take Darrel Green & Champ Bailey on offense (even IF they dropped a few). They would "blow the top off the coverage" going deep, allowing all kinds of stuff to open up underneath. WHEN they caught one - it would be all over for the "D"!!!