You play a lot of football, but you want to achieve greater things. You found this article as you searched for some football advice for players. Thankfully, it has so many great tips and tricks that, by the time you get to the end, you won’t be disappointed by what you read.
To be the best football player possible, weight training is important. You have to stick with a good regimen all year to make you the best player you can be. Utilize basic compound lifts to improve your strength, power and speed. If you want to be a skilled, winning player, this sort of workout is a must.
A great football tip is to always prepare for any possibility especially in regards to special teams. Don’t always assume that they are going to kick off the ball normally. Sometimes they’ll surprise you and kick the ball offsides, and you need to be ready for it, or else you’re just playing into them.
Make learning a part of your football regimen. Too many people think sports like football is all about being physical. Your brain is just as important. You need to exercise your mind to be able to learn your team’s patterns and make split second decisions. It’s brains and brawn that are important in football.
Work with your coach to develop new plays and techniques. If you use the play too often, you opponents will be prepared to defend the play.
A great way to keep yourself in top form for playing football is to run at least 3 miles a day. This is an excellent exercise for your cardiovascular system. When you are near the end of your run, find a hill to run up and down before finishing. This will help increase your strength and play at your best longer.
When you practice, try playing with both feet. Most people favor one foot or the other and it takes practice to learn how to use both. If you concentrate on your weaker foot, you will notice dramatic improvements in form, stability and quickness. Kick the football repeatedly against a wall to strengthen your weaker foot.
Take up a dance class to improve your footwork. Before you laugh, think back to reality television dancing competitions and how many times NFL players not only competed but succeeded! Ballroom dancing and even ballet are extremely effective at helping football players get an extra edge on the field.
The best attribute a player can have is speed. That means that bigger players aren’t always better. If you are working on creating more muscle mass, also work hard to build your speed and agility. If you can be fast and large, you can really lead your team to wins.
Practice the way that you expect to play. Don’t shake off practice as a necessary evil that doesn’t deserve your full effort. Chances are that’s the same effort you’ll give at game time. Instead, practice like you mean it. That effort will rub off on your teammates, and you’ll all be more likely to succeed.
The time is now to toughen yourself up. You may get the wind knocked out of you, or even slightly injured. These are times when you just have to get up and get back into the game. Serious injuries like concussions are times when you must get off the field, though.
Continually make your work outs harder. Don’t just run, but run carrying weights. Don’t just do squats, do them while holding a barbell. Do these work outs under the guidance of your coach or a trainer so that you don’t end up injuring yourself, but do push yourself to your limits.
Talk to your coach about your progress. While your coach is more than likely giving you a lot of direction already, talk to him after practice. He might be calmer then, and he may be able to offer you tips about how you can improve. You can ask him about how far you’ve progressed, as well.
Nutrition plays a large role in a successful football players life. Football players exert tremendous amounts of energy during practice and games; therefore, it is important to eat enough calories to keep your energy levels at peak performance. Eating a variety of lean proteins and complex carbohydrates help give you the energy you need.
When attempting a tackle, keep your head held up. Tackling a player with your helmet is illegal. This is often called spearing. Spearing is banned and can injure yourself.
Watch and learn from the best. Always keep your eyes open for skills and techniques that you can learn from. When you are watching a football game, watch how the professionals move and learn from them. You can use your powers of observation to learn skills from rivals and team mates on the field.
Be aware of the clock. Like basketball and soccer, there’s a clock that you need to consider in football. If you neglect keeping up on the time left, you can make critical errors that lead to turnovers and missed opportunities. Make sure your teammates are aware of the time as well.
Listen to the doctor if he tells you to take it easy and rest. Ignoring this advice will only make your injury take longer to heal. Don’t try to run drills anyway, and don’t attempt to play because you think you are fine. Wait until you have the doctor’s permission before you play again.
Practice controlling the ball as quickly as possible. This goes for any position, not just quarterback. When the ball comes to you, whether by pass, hand-off, or fumble, you need to get that ball into your control within fractions of a second. If you don’t, there’s a good chance your opposition will strip that ball from your hands.
No matter how long you have been playing, or even if you are new to the game, these tips will really help you play better, and that’s all one can ask for. Use them every day as you play and practice. It won’t be long before your coach asks what you did to improve so much!
