During the sequencing phase a QB must transfer the body and its harnessed power into the throw
On the upper body standpoint the horizontal L position we obtained in the stride/separation mechanic must now work its way towards a vertical L position- NOT BY LIFTING THE BALL- rather by rotating the back hip (Rotational Force from Ground Force). The ball must not wrap around the back of the head as this leads to slashing and inaccurate passes. The front shoulder must stay closed. If it opens then your hips will slide forward without turning and you will lose all the power from your lower half. Upon throwing the ball the throwing elbow leads to the target and your eyes are steady allowing you to take your hand to the target. Your shoulders must be square as well and you are showing your chest to the target. You want to take your hand to the shoulder of the target facing you and slice them in half diagonally as if you had a sword in your hand. The most violent portion of your throw occurs here as your wrist fires and you pronate your wrist. Take the money out of your left pocket and hold your finish.
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We covered the first two non-negotiable quarterback mechanics elements in our previous post. Non-negotiable #3 is... Stride / Seperation BY FAR THE MOST IMPORTANT AND MOST POORLY COACHED PORTION OF TEACHING MECHANICS Stepping with lead foot and the separation of the hands happens at the same time and the distance traveled correlates between the two. The front foot is a short 6 inch step where the QB simply picks up his foot and puts in down, whereas the hands separate from each other and the throwing hand travels horizontally on the chest line and slightly past the back ear. The step is slightly to the left of the target for right-handers and to the right of the target for left-handers. If a picture was taken in this moment both arms look the same in a horizontal L position that we say is Opposite Equal. The lower body portion of this phase is the stride. It is short with the front foot and you are loading up your power on your back foot. Weight is located on the inside of your back foot at the toes with your heel slightly off the ground. This is where you are going to create ground-force because unlike pitchers in baseball we don't get to throw off of a mound, therefore we must create out own leverage to push and drive. This angle of our foot will allow us to turn ground-force into rotational force similar to a hitter in baseball.
It is the rotational force that generates power in the throw without loss of accuracy. The "opposite equal" arm separation, combined with the short step allows the quarterback to rotate around their center of gravity, putting all their force into throwing the ball, instead of using the energy to move their body forward with a longer stride. Next we bring it home with the proper sequencing. Don't practice it, Master it! Paul Troth During my time as a private instructor in the Washington, DC, Virginia and Maryland region, I have heard one statement more than any other as it relates to why my training is different than other QB trainers in the area. "I like coming to you because you really focus on my throwing mechanics as opposed to doing drill work to fill up time." I take this as one of my greatest compliments as I feel quarterback mechanics can make an average QB good and a good QB great. However, the ironic part about that statement that many times comes directly from parents is that they are not aware of whether my instruction of mechanics is correct or even how my drills correlate to throwing mechanics. Many times students hear the word mechanics and that is exactly what they turn into during the training, a mechanical robot. What we are trying to accomplish by working mechanics is to iron out the stagnant robotic movements that so many young quarterbacks have turned into as a result of over coaching minute details in a throwing motion. I always desire my players to throw the ball the same way they throw a rock, without thinking and relaxed. Think about it, if you are walking down a nature path with your girlfriend and wanted to toss a rock in the woods, you would simply reach down rare back and fire not thinking where it went or if you used the proper arm motion. Now, imagine if you threw it like most young quarterbacks throw these days. First you would hold the rock as tight as you could, causing your whole upper body to tighten up. Then you might hold the rock right by your ear as to not have any "wasted" movement" (ever heard that one before?). Once you were ready to throw you might take two approaches, depending on how you have been coached. One approach might be to try and spin the ball by having the rock slide off your hand after holding it like a waiter bringing out an entree Or, you may push the rock straight up into the air "punching" the sky so to speak and then "firing" the triceps in order to throw a spiral. Both movements would be robotic and not natural in terms of throwing an object. As I stated earlier, every person throws different, but there are a few non-negotiables when it comes to mechanics that every QB needs to have in place in order to become consistent and accurate in their throwing. Remember, playing quarterback does not mean that you’re the best thrower, many times it means that you are the best person to pass the football because: (a) it goes where you want it to go, and (b) it is done consistently. Everyone can throw a football. Quarterbacks are able to throw a football with accuracy more consistently than anyone else on the team. PERIOD. So, how do we get there? We will discuss the four main mechanical components of throwing the ball in the coming weeks. The four components are: 1. Grip 2. Carriage 3. Stride or Separation 4. Sequencing We will talk about the grip and carriage below, and tackle the other components in later blogs. Grip Pressure is focused in the fingertips. No palm on the ball. You should be able to see daylight looking between the ball and your hand. 1 to 2 fingers are on the laces. Thumb and Middle Finger are more towards the middle of the ball. Carriage Ball is at chest level slightly towards your back pectoral muscle. Upper body is the same if you are standing there or if you are moving around. Think of a duck on a pond. Whether a duck is moving or not, their upper-body remains the same. ![]() Elbows are down and relaxed. Relaxation comes from traps and shoulder muscles being relaxed first. Wrist is locked and firm (Younger QBS should cock the wrist towards their chest to get nose of the ball pointed at 45 degree angle, Helps get nose of the ball up pre pass) Your jaw is on your front shoulder. Eyes down field. Don't Practice It, Master It!
Paul Troth “Teen goal setting.” That might seem to be a contradictory statement, but it does not have to be. Achieving your goals as a teen is a complicated process. So complicated, in fact, that I believe most teens do not even attempt to set goals. If the teen wants to be a top quarterback, the goal setting process is that much more difficult – but also that much more important.
Here are 5 steps I ask my quarterbacks to go through during QB training. 1. Get aligned with your support structure. Developing quarterbacks are in for a lot of work. The position demands more time, effort and energy than any other sports position I can think of. The effort is both physical and mental. Quarterbacks need to devote extra time on and off the practice field. In order to invest this much time, the QB’s support structures (parents, team, church and coach) all need to be on the same page. The QB must give permission to his supporters to provide guidance when they see him deviate from his goals. 2. Set big, but not unrealistic goals. A big goal for a developing QB might be “I am going to be the starting QB on my team next year.” A big goal for an experienced QB could be, “I am going to help my team win the district title this year.” Setting big, but reachable goals does two things. First, it forces you to think about what is possible, not just what is immediately in front of us. Second, big goals, as you break them down in steps 3 – 5, force you to think differently – to challenge what you are currently doing and think of ways to do things differently. Write the goal down. 3. Next, break the big goal into at least 5 smaller objectives. You will have lots of objectives in pursuit of your big goal. Focusing on 5 to 10 at any one time is about all that most can handle. Objectives look like: “I am going to hit a target at 20 yards 9 out of 10 times,” or “I want to take a tenth of a second off my 40 time.” They are small and attainable. I also like lots of objectives to support a big goal because if a quarterback does not attain one or two of his objectives, it will not jeopardize the bigger goal. Establishing several objectives also gives you an opportunity to succeed regularly. Write the objectives below your goal. 4. Assess the objectives and ask “Are these objectives in line with my goal and the goal of my team?” If so, determine what specific actions you will take to achieve them. The specific actions are called “tactics.” What exercises, training, studying, or practice do I need? Write 3 or 4 different things for each objective. Set up a schedule where you can pace out these tactics over the course of a week. Try to schedule each exercise, study session, practice, etc for at least twice a week. Share your plan with your support structure. 5. Follow your weekly plan. Easy enough, right? Well, the “follow your plan” part is where most goal achievement efforts run into trouble. No one can force you to follow your plan. Your support structure will lend encouragement, but you must be accountable to yourself and to your team. A tactic I like to ensure that you are following your plan is to reserve a weekend afternoon as your make-up session. If you miss a day during the week, don’t beat yourself up over it; just make it up later in the week. Committing that you will make up a training session on another day will provide you a little extra incentive not to miss the day in the first place. When you do miss a day, you have a plan keep your overall objective attainment on track. Lastly, failure does not exist in this process. Some people believe that if they don’t attain their goal they have failed. I disagree. The fact that you pursued a goal in the first place makes you part of small successful group. If you approached your goal systematically and gave it everything you had, you are now in an elite group. You will be far better than when you started and you and your team will be better for your effort! Don't Practice It, Master It! Paul Troth Subscribe to our training newsletter! Twice a month, you will get training tips to help you be the best quarterback you can be. Just enter your email address below. Thank you for subscribing! Email Marketing You Can Trust |
Paul TrothHusband, Father, Coach. Redeemed and using God's gifts to turn Quarterbacks into Leaders Archives
March 2014
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