How to Practice Your Football Technique Without a Team
Football may be the most popular team sport in America, but you don’t need a team to become good at it! Though passing needs to be done with a partner, almost all of the speed, endurance, and strength training can be done alone, at home or in a gym. The one drill that makes you training for football and not just any sport is catching the ball, so we’ll start with that.
Solo Catching Practice: Spiral the ball into the air. Pump your arms vigorously to simulate running without the ball. Look up as the ball begins to descend. Create a window out of your thumbs with arms extended above your head. When the ball is close, attack it. Receivers do not wait for the ball; they go get it! This way there is less of a chance for interception. The second your hands make contact rip the ball down and cradle it to your body. From here you can sprint to your “end zone” or just start over.
You can also do weight training in a gym and sprints. Sprints can be done at a track or just around your neighborhood streets. The best way to gain speed is to practice bounding (which is similar to a gazelle leap.) Start by jogging or running slowly, then push off on your dominant foot and stay in the air as long as possible. Use your touchdown (with the other foot) to thrust yourself back into the air. Do this 10 times, then jog a bit more as a cool down.
