Everything You Need to Know About Being a Wide Receiver
A.J. Green's seven Tips For Becoming an Aristocracy Wide Receiver
Standing 6-pes-4 and weighing 210 pounds, A.J. Dark-green has the blazon of size that any coach would dream of when imagining the perfect wide receiver. But the 6-time Pro Bowler doesn't rely on his size alone. He'due south learned a host of tricks from his years in the league that he says accept made him a more consummate player—and far tougher for defenders to cover. If yous're a receiver looking to ameliorate, follow these tips from Green.
1. Attack Jump Balls
Green'due south ability to win jump balls is second to none. What'due south his secret? For one, he grew up playing basketball. "Going up for a jump ball is similar going up for a rebound. Basketball was the first organized sport I played. Football came after. I remember playing basketball all four years of loftier school really helped me [win jump balls]," Green says.
Greenish offers a simple merely effective piece of communication that can help you win more jump balls: assault the ball. "I think the biggest matter is 'see ball, go get ball.' It doesn't matter what'southward going on around yous, see the ball and go get information technology," Greenish says. If you accept access to a Vertimax, it's a swell grooming tool for increasing your vertical jump. The higher you lot tin jump, the more jump balls you'll win.
RELATED: 5 Ways to Get a Higher Vertical Bound
ii. Strong Easily = More than Catches
Defensive backs love to pry on Green'due south long arms every bit he tries to secure a grab, but they rarely succeed in causing an incompletion. Green'due south incredible grip and paw strength is the upshot of hundreds of hours of practise.
Endeavour THIS: "I exercise a lot of hand and grip strength drills and exercises," Dark-green says. "One of the best ones is when I get someone to throw me the ball while someone else has a towel wrapped around my forearm. When I'yard trying to catch the brawl, they tug on the towel. I really think that'south helped."
iii. Find an Edge on Picture
Film is a huge weapon in a wide receiver's armory. Understanding the concepts and players you're likely to face can help you lot react quicker on game solar day and punish a defense.
"I prepare as hard off the field every bit I exercise on the field, [peculiarly] in the film room," Light-green says. "Reading dissimilar defenses, different concepts, how they're going to play me or how I call up they're going to play me—it all actually helps." What should you lot look for while watching picture show? Tendencies. If yous run into a cornerback get burned, try to effigy out why he got beat. Was he overly aggressive in printing coverage? Make a mental note of that so you know what to expect on game twenty-four hours.
RELATED: iii Drills to Become a Dominant Wide Receiver
four. Get Comfortable With Your Quarterback
If y'all watch a Bengals game, you'll frequently see A.J. Light-green talking to quarterback Andy Dalton. Those conversations are a cardinal reason the two have such slap-up chemistry. But the main reason Green and Dalton click so well on game day is because they're genuine friends.
"He and I take been together for six years now," Green says. "We have that relationship on and off the field that allows us to communicate during the game. I tin can say, 'Andy, hither'due south what I see.' Or he can say, 'AJ, this is what you need to do better. I feel like you lot tin can get him on this road.' So we have that communication on the field, only we also have a special human relationship off the field that really helps."
5. Tiresome Down to Become Open
Aristocracy receivers don't come off the line and run every route at full speed from get-go to terminate. It might sound counterintuitive, but changing speeds throughout a route tin can help you deceive defenders and get open.
Greenish says, "That'southward something I've gotten better at over the years. I picked information technology up in year four, going to the Pro Bowl and talking with guys like Larry Fitzgerald, Reggie Wayne, Steve Smith, Andre Johnson well-nigh route-running. You don't have to run every route like y'all're running 100-mph off the ball. Sometimes yous accept to set them up for the next motion. I think that's something I learned talking to the older guys."
6. Sell The Double-Motility
Slower tin be meliorate when it comes to making defenders gauge, besides. Light-green used to struggle with his double-moves because he was in too much of a rush to sell the start motion. Over time, he learned that really selling the first motion earlier executing the 2nd 1 is the key to getting open.
"I like to practise everything fast, even from when I was younger," Green says. "So coaches have always told me, 'Sell the offset movement. Act like you're but running that offset route. Take your time.' It's something I'm getting meliorate at, beingness patient. In the double-movement, the first move is always the about important. That's how you shell people."
RELATED: 3 Route-Running Drills to Help You Get Open
7. Know How to Win Your Slants
Slant routes are a breadstuff-and-butter play for many offenses. If a receiver tin can run it sharply and a quarterback can deliver the ball on time, the slant route can be very hard to guard. A clean, quick release past the wide receiver can brand or suspension the play.
"Sometimes I'm concrete, sometimes I beat them with speed," Dark-green says. "It depends on what the defender'south doing. If he'due south pressing y'all, you have to utilise a power motion and get physical with him. If it'south a smaller guy, y'all tin can vanquish him [like that]."
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A.J. Green's 7 Tips For Becoming an Aristocracy Broad Receiver
Standing 6-human foot-4 and weighing 210 pounds, A.J. Light-green has the blazon of size that any double-decker would dream of when imagining the perfect wide receiver. Merely the six-fourth dimension Pro Bowler doesn't rely on his size solitary. He's learned a host of tricks from his years in the league that he says take made him a more complete histrion—and far tougher for defenders to cover. If you're a receiver looking to better, follow these tips from Green.
1. Set on Leap Balls
Green's ability to win jump assurance is second to none. What'due south his secret? For ane, he grew up playing basketball. "Going up for a jump ball is similar going upwards for a rebound. Basketball was the first organized sport I played. Football came after. I think playing basketball all iv years of loftier schoolhouse actually helped me [win bound balls]," Light-green says.
Green offers a simple but constructive piece of advice that can help you win more jump balls: attack the brawl. "I think the biggest thing is 'see ball, become get brawl.' It doesn't matter what's going on around you, encounter the brawl and get become it," Greenish says. If y'all have access to a Vertimax, information technology's a not bad training tool for increasing your vertical spring. The higher you tin can jump, the more jump balls you'll win.
RELATED: five Ways to Get a College Vertical Jump
ii. Potent Hands = More Catches
Defensive backs dearest to pry on Dark-green'south long arms equally he tries to secure a catch, merely they rarely succeed in causing an incompletion. Light-green's incredible grip and hand strength is the result of hundreds of hours of practice.
TRY THIS: "I do a lot of manus and grip forcefulness drills and exercises," Green says. "One of the best ones is when I become someone to throw me the ball while someone else has a towel wrapped around my forearm. When I'one thousand trying to take hold of the brawl, they tug on the towel. I really recollect that'due south helped."
iii. Find an Edge on Film
Motion picture is a huge weapon in a wide receiver'due south armory. Understanding the concepts and players yous're probable to face up tin help yous react quicker on game day and punish a defense.
"I prepare equally hard off the field as I do on the field, [especially] in the moving-picture show room," Green says. "Reading different defenses, different concepts, how they're going to play me or how I think they're going to play me—information technology all really helps." What should you expect for while watching film? Tendencies. If you run into a cornerback get burned, endeavour to effigy out why he got beat. Was he overly aggressive in press coverage? Make a mental notation of that and so you know what to expect on game twenty-four hours.
RELATED: 3 Drills to Become a Ascendant Wide Receiver
four. Get Comfy With Your Quarterback
If you watch a Bengals game, you'll ofttimes encounter A.J. Light-green talking to quarterback Andy Dalton. Those conversations are a cardinal reason the two have such peachy chemistry. Simply the chief reason Green and Dalton click so well on game twenty-four hours is considering they're 18-carat friends.
"He and I accept been together for six years now," Light-green says. "Nosotros have that relationship on and off the field that allows us to communicate during the game. I can say, 'Andy, here'southward what I see.' Or he tin can say, 'AJ, this is what you demand to practice improve. I experience like you tin can become him on this route.' And so we take that communication on the field, only we also take a special human relationship off the field that really helps."
v. Slow Downward to Get Open up
Elite receivers don't come up off the line and run every route at full speed from outset to stop. It might audio counterintuitive, but changing speeds throughout a route can assist you deceive defenders and become open.
Green says, "That's something I've gotten meliorate at over the years. I picked it upward in yr 4, going to the Pro Bowl and talking with guys like Larry Fitzgerald, Reggie Wayne, Steve Smith, Andre Johnson about route-running. Yous don't have to run every route like y'all're running 100-mph off the ball. Sometimes you have to fix them up for the next move. I retrieve that's something I learned talking to the older guys."
6. Sell The Double-Motility
Slower can be better when it comes to making defenders guess, too. Dark-green used to struggle with his double-moves because he was in too much of a rush to sell the get-go move. Over fourth dimension, he learned that really selling the starting time movement before executing the 2d one is the key to getting open up.
"I like to do everything fast, even from when I was younger," Light-green says. "And then coaches accept always told me, 'Sell the first move. Human activity similar you're just running that start road. Take your time.' It's something I'thousand getting improve at, existence patient. In the double-motility, the first move is always the most of import. That's how you shell people."
RELATED: iii Route-Running Drills to Help You lot Get Open
7. Know How to Win Your Slants
Slant routes are a bread-and-butter play for many offenses. If a receiver can run it sharply and a quarterback tin evangelize the brawl on time, the slant route tin can be very hard to guard. A make clean, quick release by the wide receiver can make or break the play.
"Sometimes I'm physical, sometimes I beat them with speed," Green says. "It depends on what the defender'due south doing. If he'southward pressing you lot, yous have to use a power move and become physical with him. If it'due south a smaller guy, you tin can beat him [like that]."
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