Developing Functional Power for Football

The search for conditioning drills that enhance functional power for sports is an on-going process. A key consideration in this endeavor is the principle of specificity of training. Simply stated, specificity of training means that the body gets better at doing physical activities that it is required to do on a regular basis. If these activities are progressively overloaded as they are repetitively performed, the resultant gains are further magnified.
In many sports improving power is more valuable than just improving absolute strength. This is especially true in a collision sport such as football. The more rapidly an athlete can display force. the more effective that athlete will be. If the drills being used to condition athletes can simulate movement patterns they use in performing their specific “jobs”, the training result is even more enhanced.
Medicine balls are valuable tools for power development. They can be used in both partner and wall pass drills. These drills can be static or dynamic. To create a more functional element with medicine ball drills we have incorporated the use of an Olympic plate as a striking tool. The performer uses the flat side of the plate to strike a thrown medicine ball so that it rebounds back to the tosser. We refer to this activity as “plate punches.” The movement pattern used by the “puncher” simulates the movement of a lineman in making contact at the line of scrimmage. It is also similar to movements made by linebackers and defensive backs in warding off blockers.
The plate punch drills are cooperative in nature. The thrower tosses the ball at chest level to the hitter. It is the job of the hitter to step toward the ball and aggressively punch the plate forward striking the ball. Ideally, the ball should rebound back to the thrower. We have developed several variations of this basic drill to enhance mobility and reduce reaction time as we improve functional power.
Equipment


A minimum amount of equipment is necessary for this activity. Standard sized Olympic plates  (approximately 450 mm diameter) are best so that the puncher’s fingers don’t get smashed under the ball. However, slightly smaller plates would work. It is better to use lighter plates so the athlete can move rapidly to meet the ball. With the heavier plates (20-25kg) there is a loss of velocity and resultant loss of power. Most of our athletes generate power most effectively using 10 to 11 kg (22-25 pound) plates. College and professional athletes may benefit from using 15 kg (33-35 pound) plates.
The weight of the medicine balls used in plate punches can vary but they should have a strong bounce. It is not necessary to use excessively heavy balls. We get the best result with medicine balls weighing two to four kg (4-9 pounds). Bigger, stronger athletes beyond the high school level may be able to use five to six kg medicine balls (11-13 pounds).
Procedure
As a lead-up/warm-up drill for plate punches we use a medicine ball suspended from a rope. A player or coach stands on an elevated platform and hangs the ball at chest level on the hitter. The hitter assumes the athletic ready position with the plate held against the chest. The holder gives the commands “set” and “hit.” The hitter punches the plate forward and strikes the hanging ball. As the ball swings back the hitter strikes it four or five consecutive times (Figure 1).



After the lead-up/warm-up we progress to a basic partner toss drill. The tosser and hitter stand three to five yards apart. The hitter is in the previously mentioned athletic ready position. When the ball is tossed, the hitter takes a step forward, extends the plate forward and “punches” the ball back to the tosser. After the hit,  the hitter recovers to the starting position (Figure 2). The hitter performs four to six consecutive repetitions.


As players become more skilled at the one-on-one drill we add multiple tossers and vary the configuration of tossers in relation to the hitter.  We have used two tossers facing the hitter (Figure 3),


three tossers at ninety degree angles to the hitter, (Figure 4)


and three tossers all in front of the hitter with a coach behind the hitter signaling which tosser throws (Figure 5).


Using multiple tossers in different configurations improves mobility and encourages quick reactions by the hitter. A maximum of ten reps per set is recommended with multiple tossers.
We find that “plate punches” reinforce functional movement patterns used by various position players while enhancing athletic power. They can easily be incorporated into in-season practices as well as out-of-season conditioning. Drills can be done indoors or outdoors. Our athletes find them to be fun as well as challenging.
The authors would like to thank Brent Anderson, Austin Graves, Brodrick Hirai and Rod Regan for their assistance with this article.
About the authors:
Rick Regan is a physical training consultant. He has trained high school, college and professional athletes as well as special ops personnel for military and law enforcement organizations. He holds Bachelor’s of Science and Master’s of Science degrees. In addition to training athletes he also advises people in physical fitness and personal protection. Regan can be reached at regaly@charter.net
Dustin Smith is a public school science teacher. He has coached high school sports for 14 years. His passion is helping athletes develop speed and functional strength. Smith was a state champion javelin thrower. He also earned a football scholarship to Washington State University where he played from 1988 - 1992. Smith can be reached at dustin.smith@ksd.org