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Step 1
Have no fear of injury. The slant pattern is run to the middle of the field where generally there is the most defenders. In addition, you can't look at the defenders, because you must look at the pass into your hands. Wes Welker is one the best players at catching the ball despite absorbing big hits.
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Step 2
Play bigger than you are. Despite being one of the smallest players in the National Football League, Wes Welker plays as if he is much bigger. He uses receiving angles and body position to catch passes a person of his stature should not be able to catch. On the slant, he attacks the ball and makes a move before most players can react.
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Step 3
Use your quickness to beat other players to catch a pass on the slant pattern. The basis of the slant pattern is a quick three-step move to the inside of the field before a defense can react. Wes Welker uses his quickness in the exact same way. He plants his inside foot and moves quickly to the football.
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Step 4
Study the playbook as often as possible. A slant pattern is usually an audible at the line of scrimmage that results from the defense calling a blitz. Therefore, the receiver must know the playbook and calls that require a player to run the slant pattern. Wes Welker rarely ever misreads a defense when running his pass patterns, and this is due to his long hours studying his playbook.
