Daily Drills that Matter

      A part of my philosophy as an offensive line coach is that every day or at least a majority of the week there must be a daily regimen of drills that improve on flexibility, foot speed, and balance. I’m not promoting that an hour a day should be dedicated to these drills. No, these drills should only take a maximum of 15-20 minutes to complete and can be done in the off season to complement workouts. Here is a quick list of drills that I did as a player and have found to work in developing flexibility, foot speed and balance.

1. Jump Ropes - Even though I hated this drill the most, it is one of the easiest ways to develop quick feet for an offensive linemen.2  Remember to work different kinds of jumps such as,
1. 1 foot hops on the left and right leg
2. Running in place
3. Boxer (Ali) shuffle
2. High and Low Hurdles - Stepping over low hurdles and stepping under low hurdles are a great way to develop good ankle and hip flexibility. Always emphasize that the lineman should keep their chest up and to not bend over at the waist, sit in the chair.
3. Bag Drills1 - Set 5 bags up about half a yard apart and you can implement a variety of drills that will work all three areas of development.

1. High Knees:

1. Lean Forward  Run on Balls of Feet – Pump Arms – Eyes Forward

2. Same:

1. Both Feet in Every Hole

3. Lateral Shuffle:

1. Pick Feet UP – Eyes on Coach

4. Pass Set Weave:

1. Kick Slide Up and Back Changing Feet – Technique – Hands Up – Increase Tempo

5. Two Man Shuffle:

1. Change of Direction on Coach – Get Feet Down and Into Hole – Plant and Sprint Out on Command

    Like I said before these drills are not meant as an hour a day kind of thing, but something that can be completed in a 15-20 min time frame in an off-season or pre-practice setting. The question is, what are you doing to get better? Gary Ryan Blair said it best, “Do more than is required. What is the distance between someone who achieves their goals consistently and those who spend their lives and careers merely following? The extra mile”.

1.Daily Drills - Offensive Line Drills - Football Drills. (n.d.). Retrieved February 14, 2016, from http://www.footballdrills.com/offensive-line-drills/daily-drills/

2.Agility Drills For Offensive Linemen « Football Coach Daily. (n.d.). Retrieved February 14, 2016, from http://footballcoachdaily.com/2011/08/16/agility-drills-for-offensive-linemen/