Quarterbacks are constantly under pressure. They are under mental pressure from their own coaches and teammates to throw the ball accurately and lead their team to victory, and under physical pressure when opponents try to overpower them before they can throw the ball. When a quarterback stands in the pocket and finds an open receiver, he must deliver it accurately. There are several drills to help a quarterback throw the ball consistently.
Footwork
A quarterback must have consistent footwork if he is going to throw the ball accurately. Knowing how to drop back in the pocket will help a quarterback maintain balance during the throwing process. All quarterbacks know that maintaining balance is essential. In this drill, the quarterback drops back three steps, then five steps, then seven steps. Each time, the quarterback throws the ball to a receiver 15 yards away. He should be able to hit the receiver on the numbers with each throw.
Read The Defense Drill
When the quarterback drops back to pass, he must make sure to throw it to the open receiver. He has to read the coverage to determine which receiver has the best chance to catch the ball if he throws it accurately. A right-handed quarterback usually reads the defense from left to right; a left-handed quarterback does the opposite. In this drill, the quarterback drops back, surveys the defense and throws the ball to the open receiver. The quarterback gets 10 reps at this drill.
Scramble Drill
The primary strategy of many defensive coordinators is to put as much pressure on the quarterback as possible. As a result, the quarterback will have to throw the ball on the run to get away from that pressure. In this drill, the quarterback takes the snap from center, drops back in the pocket and sprints to his right 10 yards before throwing the ball. Then he does the same thing running to his left. Have the quarterback throw five balls running in each direction.
Progression Drill
The quarterback must throw the ball with accuracy and the proper velocity on each throw. In this drill, the quarterback will make four throws in succession. The first throw should be 10 yards, the second 20, the third 30 and the fourth a deep pattern. Have the quarterback do three repetitions of each set.
References
- "Play Football the NFL Way"; Tom Bass; 1991
- We Play: Dig and Fly Patterns
- "Inside the Helmet"; Peter King; 1993
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