Hit Progression Drills
Purpose
These Drills for Defensive Linemen help to teach and work on taking on the contact correctly with full body control.
Description & Coaching Points
- Coach holds football on ground
- Defensive Linemen on knees and toes, hands in crotch, sitting on heels.
- Coach "snaps" the football
- Defensive Lineman gets off on snap, hand shiver pad
- Throws hips, arch back, head up!
- Hips should be end up on sled pad
- Knees should come off the ground
- Go three times
Hit, Hit, Hit
- Stay in hit position, cannot stand up
- Shiver sled pad using hands and arms only
- Take three good shots with locked elbows
- Don't take a step
Step and Lockout
- Same as Hit, Hit, Hit but with a six inch step
- Strike the pad with locked elbows
- Hands and foot hit at the same time
- Don't stand up, take three shots
Lockout, Hip extension
- Sit on heels with toes under you.
- Arms relaxed hands in crotch
- Strike pad and extend your hips to pad
- Force should bring knees off the ground.
Fire out with feet back
- Fire out from a good stance
- Leave feet back in starting position
- Face on pad and lockout arms
- Force will cause you to land on belly
Fire out and snap feet
- From a good stance fire out into pad
- At the same time you lockout, snap feet under you
- Don't move sled
- You should end up in a good hit position
Fire out and snap feet, chop feet
- From a good stance, fire out and lock out
- Simultaneously snap and "chop" your feet in place
- Don't drive sled, stay in hit position
- Keep feet moving until "Break"
Fire out and snap feet, drive sled
- Fire out and lock out
- Simultaneously snap your feet under you
- Without stopping your feet, drive the sled
- Drive sled until "Break"
Equipment
- Football
- Blocking Sled
This Drill is contributed by © 2007 Leon Criner, Assistant Head Coach and Defensive Coordinator and Jimmy Sims, Assistant Professor of Health & Physical Education / Head Football Coach at Los Angeles Valley College - The Los Angeles Valley College Monarchs play in the Western States Conference (COA).
