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Drills Report (Expanded) – ‘The Six Pack’ Concept: Keeping Linebacker Fundamentals Strong All Season Longby: Jeff McDonaldLinebackers Coach • Wesleyan University © More from this issue During pre-season camp, individual periods tend to be much longer, which gives the position coach ample time to work on the fundamentals that are essential to linebacker play. As coaches, we become spoiled with all of that individual time. Once pre-season camp ends, so do the long individual periods, as the focus turns to preparation for upcoming opponents. This can drastically shorten the amount of time that you can truly devote to working on fundamentals. But, it is important to continue to work on these fundamentals so the players do not take a step back from the improvements made during the pre-season or during spring practice. That is why we came up with the drill package we call “The Six Pack.” It is a way for us to hit every major fundamental that is needed to be a successful linebacker. The six major fundamentals that we work on every practice in the Six Pack are: movement, tackling, keys, action passes (play action, boot, and sprint out), block protection and pass rush technique. The Six Pack is run at the beginning of every individual period every day during the season. We try to spend about a minute on each drill with time increasing based on the length of the individual period and time frame during the season. The goal is to get six drills done, one covering each of the six linebacker fundamentals, in 5-7 minutes. The linebacker may only get one or two reps on each drill, but it emphasizes that every fundamental is important. I am a big believer that you can get anything coached if you emphasize it enough. The drills are each given a name so the players put a name with a drill and the coach does not need to continuously re-explain the drill. We try to show good and bad examples of each fundamental so the players see the correct technique before practice. If you have a video system that allows it, splice game clips of the fundamental that the drill is meant to cover being used successfully in a game situation. I have found that the more the players understand the purpose of the drill and how it relates to game situations, the more effort they will give when doing the actual drill. It is important to make sure the players know what will be included in “The Six Pack” before each practice whether it is covered in a meeting, during stretching or in a pre-practice period. You’ll find that the players will come to you to find out “What’s in The Six Pack for today?” We try to film the Six Pack in practice every day. This will make sure the players understand they are accountable for their effort and technique during that period. You can change the drills to incorporate a number of other necessary fundamentals to keep it from getting boring and repetitive. Some weeks during the season we may work one fundamental more than another if we feel we are struggling in that particular area. Listed below is an example of a “Six Pack” of drills that we did during a practice this past season to make sure we hit each of the six fundamentals that are key to being a great linebacker. Diagram 1. Diagram 2. Diagram 3. 4. To Work on LB Action Pass Fundamentals – Here we are working on the redirect and sense of urgency needed vs. any action pass. With our ACTION DRILL (See Diagram 4) we set cones at two yards from the LOS and the second group of linebackers are the “plants.” They are aligned with one in the middle of the field and one yard outside each hash at 10 yards. The coach plays QB and drops back to pass to start the drill. LBs run to the cones set at two yards (to simulate being caught in a run fake), then redirect to their drops. The coach then throws to one of the “plants” at the 10 yard depth. The LBs must have a great sense of urgency to get depth and then play the ball. A quick drill to do that will reinforce the importance of getting depth once play action is recognized. You can also use the same concept to work vs. a boot or sprint-out pass. Diagram 4. 5. To Work LB Block Protection Fundamentals – We work on taking on blocks with our hands, using our rip skills and low blocks. One of the drills we will use to work this fundamental in the Six Pack is called BLAST AND SHED (See Diagram 5). The LBs align over the even numbered bags on the 5-man sled at three yards deep. The coach stands behind the sled and gives a quick point to the right or left. The LBs come downhill and strike using the shiver technique and then return to the initial position. The coach points again and the LBs repeat the same drill. On the third and final rep, the LBs strike the bag with a shiver in the direction the coach points then uses their rip technique on the final bag as they work off the sled. The coaching points for the shiver would be helmet under the chin, elbows in, thumbs up, striking with the heel of their palms, coming out of their cleats and through the blocker to gain extension. Footwork is also stressed as their base should never be too narrow in the drill. I hope you found this article helpful in keeping up your player’s fundamentals during the season using the Six Pack concept. |
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