JumpRope

Off season stuff. We all need to get better somehow. Quicker. Faster. Trim fat.
I don't care what sport you are in or play, jumping rope will help you. It seems too easy, but coupled with some pushups or quick weight workout it is great. This video is a breakdown of jump rope options to try. It is not meant to be a full workout by itself. Trust me, this guy makes it look much easier. Interval training is used by boxers a lot. 30 seconds slow, 30 fast. Try that for 3 minutes. Rest 2 minutes. About 10 minutes and you are tired. Repeat for 3 to 5 rounds. Or just jump for time and set goals (you should use a stopwatch, how else can you compete?)
I will add that I am not a professional trainer or doctor and you should be careful and ask your doctor before getting too gung-ho.

Play Action

While we at Goodrich do not usually run the zone plays, we do playaction off of our Iso. This video is a great breakdown of the 4 phases of a good playaction play. The QB should take pride in making every RUN look like it really is a playaction. The 4 phases are SET, SHOW, SNAP and SELL. The steps shown are for the zone handoff, which usually occurs deep in the backfield and opening directly to the playside. We will usually reverse out to reach the tailback, but the concept is the same. The first play in the video is actually a great example of a QB reversing out.
Also, we will use other types of fakes, sometimes just hand fakes and not the ball. We will still have the same four phases with every run or playaction. This was taken from Darrin Slack's QB academy.

3 Step and 5 Step Drops

A couple of videos on the straight 3 and 5 step drop appear next. They are not bad for the basic idea. A few details get overlooked, however. A right handed QB should pull that left foot back a little bit to increase the push back distance from the line of scrimmage on the first step. Basically, the toe of the left foot should be toward the middle of the right foot.

Another detail that is sometimes added is that some quarterbacks take a false step with that left foot. Meaning: the QB will pick that foot up and then put it right back down again without moving anywhere. A wasted step. To prevent this, I know some QB coaches tell their players to turn that left toe inward a little bit. This pigeon-toe move keeps the player from false stepping.

Blitz!

You should read the post BELOW this one first. If you are throwing against a rush, I can't explain any better than this video does about throwing the football. Again, if you don't know what the "target hallway" and "zero position" are then you need to go back to the QB Throwing Process post. (SEE under 2009 DECEMBER POSTS on the right side of this page if all posts aren't showing)



Notice in this video again how the follow through happens (thumb and index finger pointing down and to the sideline) and how the tricep (muscles on the back of the arm) comes into play on the release.

QB Throwing Process

What follows is an attempt to use the resources of the internet to put together a simple sequence of throwing. I claim no expertise, even though I was a QB. The information I am sharing has been gathered from various sources including Chris at http://www.smartfootball.com/ and also from http://www.quarterbackacademy.com/.

There are some "missing" pieces in this information, but again I am just trying to provide a consistent and simple way to teach and learn about the process.

THE GRIP
This video gives a good overview of the basic grip on the ball. I particulary like the part about the pinky, I think that gets overlooked by a lot of coaches.

The next video actually shows the entire throwing process but I think the first two highlights are the crucial part. The "Stride" and "Separation" phase of the throw. Take note of where the nose of the ball is pointing after separation. The rest of the throwing motion is also there and you will see an exaggeration at the end of leading with the elbow. This is what Darrin Slack calls "getting to zero". You will see more of that in later sections.

The next video takes the stride location into focus. This also ties into the "6 eye" concept of teaching the QB that I will share. Eye number one is the toe of the left foot which needs to "look" down that hallway in front of (or to the left of) the receiver.

The next thing I will share is the "6 Eye" method. I stole this from another coach off of the internet, but I did strip it down a bit to fit the high school level. Here is the excerpt:

Use Your Eyes for Proper Throwing Mechanics
Submitted By: Kirk Thor

Coach Thor has coached for three years at Rice Universityas a G.A. and Running Backs coach under Fred Goldsmithand three years as the Passing Game Coordinator/Quarterbacksand Receivers Coach at Ferrum College.

As the throw begins, the Quarterback must stride toward the target. The first "eye" emphasizes proper foot placement. The first eye is an imaginary eye next to the big toe of the left foot. Our QB’s know that on the initial stride, this eye has to look at the target. This eye accomplishes two things:
-It forces the QB to step slightly to the left of the target, which fully opens the hips on the throw.
-It places the QB’s body in proper position to make a horizontally accurate throw. It sets the positioning of the rest of the body.

We also talk about the length of the in, itial stride. Over-striding causes the ball to sail, while under-striding causes the ball to drop. A perfect initial stride should be measured at the follow through. If the throwing shoulder finishes above (in line) with the inside of the front knee, then the stride length is correct.

After the front foot and knee set, the hips follow the path to the target. The imaginary second eye is on the belt buckle. This is where the momentum is transferred to the upper body. The eye of the belt buckle should "look" at the target. A young QB can feel the momentum generated during the throw if you drill this eye.

The third eye, the eye in the middle of the numbers (chest) follows the belt buckle. This imaginary eye begins to bring the ball forward as it "looks" at the target. The QB does not have to concentrate on this eye as much as the fourth imaginary eye.

The fourth eye is on the tip of the throwing elbow. (This is "getting to zero"). This eye is extremely important in the vertical accuracy of the throw. Placing the imaginary eye on the tip of the elbow accomplishes the following things:
-It forces the QB to keep the elbow above the throwing shoulder. If the elbow drops below the shoulder, then the tip of the elbow cannot be "looking" at the target.
-It forces the QB to lead with the elbow
-It keeps the throwing shoulder higher than the non-throwing shoulder

The fifth eye ensures rotation on the football. This eye is on the tip of the index finger. As the Quarterback releases the ball, he must point his index finger at the target so the tip of the thumb and palm are pointed toward the ground. This allows for the proper release of the football. It is important to note that the QB might not want to rotate the palm to the sideline because this may cause unnecessary tension in the forearm.

The actual eyes of the Quarterback are the sixth eye. This is one of the most prevalent problems in young Quarterbacks. Many times the QB is so concerned about looking off the defense that he does not focus in on his target. Once he finds his receiver, we want him to stare at the target until the throw had been made. It is amazing how many NFL Quarterbacks stay focused on the target in spite of defensive pressure.

Once the ball is released, the Quarterback must have a proper follow-through. The throwing hand must come down to the left hip. The throwing shoulder should finish just inside and above the inside of the left knee. The QB needs to be careful not to rotate too much after the release. If the chest rotates too far this can affect the accuracy of the throw.

To add to this text, there is quite a complicated explanation as to why you want that elbow to do that. Simply stated, we are looking to use the triceps muscle in our arm. Once that guy fires, it will add that zip to the throw. Putting the elbow at zero allows that to happen fully.

Additionally, a strong wrist is needed. A lot QBs sling the ball with a weak wrist. Think of it this way: If you were arm wrestling, you wouldn't cock your wrist slightly backwards would you? Hopefully you'd want to have it strong, or as if you were going to karate chop something. This also keeps everything in the hallway toward that target.

Finally, the follow through as mentioned in the article and shown on the videos. You want to keep that index finger on the ball as long as possible (for spiral and control). To do this, you must "pronate" the wrist on the follow through. Basically, get your thumb and index finger to point down and slightly toward the sideline. See images here of QBs. Now might be a good time to go back through the videos again to put it all back together.

*Notice the pronated wrist and thumb and index finger pointing to sideline...