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Football Crescent Jumps | Football Catching Drill

Football Crescent Jumps | Football Catching Drill

30th Sep 2019

Football Catching Drill | Football Crescent Jumps

The Football Crescent Jumps Drill is a great drill to help build balance, explosiveness, as well as reaction time to the football. With 4 to 6 powerful jumps, football players will be challenged to enhance their abilities on the field. By building power and concentrating on each individual catch, you will develop the skills needed to perform at your best. Spend time developing technique and understanding body positioning with the video below.

 

 

Football Crescent Jumps Set Up

To set this drill up you are going to need five speed and agility cones. One agility cone will be the center point and the other 4 will be placed as a goal for each lateral bound. The distance between the center cones and surrounding 4 cones should be the distance needed to challenge each and every jump. An ideal distance is about 4 to 6 feet but can extend up to 8 feet for more advanced football players. 

The distance between the 4 agility cones making the crescent edge will be different. The key here is to maintain natural jumping form to maximize results. Placing too much distance between these cones will alter each football players hips as we naturally jump back and forth. It is important that we make the distance a natural progression as we round the crescent. Alter the distances as needed, but suggested distances are between 1 and 3 feet. This will all depend on the athleticism and the size of  the athlete.

Increase Power and Concentration | Football Catch

Now that we have the drill set up, coaches or partners need to be ready for the football toss on the outside jump. Challenge the positioning and make the football player react to different ball placements. It’s important that we take the chest off the midline on each individual jump so that we can challenge power immediately followed by balance and stability. The key thing to remember here is that throwers must rotate around the crescent as the football player gains ground. It is important to maintain a toss angle that allows the football player to continually focus on power rather than having to shift his or her hips for the jump back to the center. By moving with the jumper it will be easy to keep the football player's hips in the correct position for an explosive jump back too the center cone.

Spend time mixing up the throw positioning so that each football player has to react in different directions. By challenging reach, as well as balance, we will be able to optimize results and center of gravity during competition on the field. Throw the ball short or throw the ball wide and let the football player react to each individual toss.

 

Football Crescent Jumps Enhanced With Kbands

 

Kbands Increase Muscle Activation 

Kbands are going to be a great addition to this drill, promoting muscle activation. As football players explosively jump laterally we will receive complete muscle activation through the glutes and hips. As a football player lands the added resistance will also challenge stability and control. Notice in the video as the athlete lands his legs are still spread in an athletic stance. This power position will utilize Kbands challenging stability and control while still allowing full range of motion.

Each jump will activate the glutes and promote resisted bounding while the catch phase will develop stability. Increased muscle activation during sport specific movements has been proven to increase performance. Kbands allow us to train in a sport specific fashion developing explosiveness while maintaining a football focus.

Optimized Reps and Sets

Complete 4-6 resisted sets before moving on to 2 un-resisted sets. To complete one set we will need to jump all the way down the crescent and then back again before our break. Breaks should be no longer then 1 to 2 minutes. Stay focused and be explosive throughout the working reps, then take the time to rest. This can be used in small groups or individual training.

Enhance Football Catching With Bonus Drills

Utilize this drill in your training 2-3 times a week for best results. We have all kinds of other Kbands drills you can utilize during your training sessions. Add the 4 Cone Drill or the Wall Drill to optimize your football skills. With training sessions under an hour you will feel the difference in how you perform with and without Kbands. 

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