WR Hand Positioning

by George A. Wade
(Florida, USA)

Wide Receiver Drills

Objective of Drill: Teach correct finger placement for catching a football from different angles of ball approach.

Action of Drill: Start by placing a ball in the WR's hands at 12 O'clock position teaching tip of ball through touching index fingers and touching thumb tips.

Then place ball at 6 O'clock position teaching tip of ball between touching pinky fingers and touching thumbs.

After correct finger placement, start placing the ball from tight clock face positions to wide clock face positions.

Next, move to short throws at the varying clock face positions, gradually moving to greater depth throws.

Once you have these skills, change to dynamic format by running routes away, toward, and parallel to QB.

Coaching Points: 1) Clock face quadrant

a. 12-3, index fingers together, reach left

b. 3-6, pinky fingers together, reach left

c. 6-9, pinky fingers together, reach right

d. 9-12, index fingers together, reach right

2) Fingers between index and pinky will stop the fat part of the ball on the catch like a spiders web.

3) Reach toward the ball so when it hits the hands, the wrist, elbow, and shoulder joints act as shock absorbers, slowing the force of impact.