The offensive line is critical to good offensive play in the game of football. In order to successfully open up holes for the running game, or to keep the pressure off a quarterback, offensive linemen need to be able to move their feet quickly. This article is going to present a few simple drills that you can do to improve your foot speed.
Jump rope
Simple, inexpensive, and very effective. Jumping rope is a great way to increase the speed of your feet, make you a little more athletic, strengthen your ankles, shins, and feet, all the while working on conditioning. Begin by jumping straight up and down, trying to make al the jumping movements come from your ankles. Once you have this down, add a side to side jump. Once you have that down, jump on one foot at a time.
This exercise should be incorporated into your warm-up. Begin by trying to perform each exercise (up and down, side to side, up and down/one leg, side to side/one leg) for thirty seconds. Eventually expand that to a minute each.
Bunny hops
This is a simple plyometric designed to move you horizontally, strengthen your feet and lower legs, and develop some speed and power. Stand up tall with your hands on your hips, face the course. Keeping your knees soft, hop forward having all the movement come from your ankles. After you can comfortably do this for ten yards straight ahead, perform it in a zig-zag pattern for ten yards (hop left, hop right, continue alternating for ten yards). The advanced version is to do this on one foot at a time.
This is another drill that can done as part of a warm-up. First, hop straight ahead for ten yards. Second, hop in a zig-zag pattern for ten yards.
Resisted starts
These are short, five to ten-yard sprints done against a resistance. You can use a sled, a Prowler, or another type of equipment. I like keeping it simple and using a partner and a large towel. Wrap a large bath towel around your waist. Have your partner stand behind you and hold onto it. Sprint the desired distance with your partner holding that towel. While you sprint, your partner should try to walk – slowing you down. Normally three to five sprints for five to ten yards is plenty!
What follows is an example of how to incorporate these exercises into a lineman’s speed and agility program. This is a sample week of speed and agility workouts. These workouts assume that the athlete is training speed/agility three times a week. If this is the case there should be a recovery day between each session.
Day One:
Jump rope: 30 seconds up/down, 30 seconds side to side, 30 seconds up/down right leg; 30 seconds up/down left leg, 30 seconds side to side right leg, 30 seconds side to side left leg
Mobility drills (high knees, skips, marches, walk on toes, etc.), 15-20 minutes
Sprints, 5×10 yards
Bounds, 3×10 yards
5-0-5 drill, 3-5x
Day Two:
Slow jog, 200 yards
Mobility drills, 15-20 minutes
Stride length drills, 3-5×10 yards
Resisted sprints, 3-5×5 yards
Shuffle/turn/sprint, 3×5+10 yards each direction
Day Three:
Mobility drills, 15-20 minutes
Bunny hops (10 yards each): hop forward, hop in a zig-zag; hop forward on one leg, zig zags on one leg
mdrill, 3-5x
Sprints, 5×60 yards
