How to Become a Better Defensive Lineman
Linemen play an important part in winning football games. Teams have a far better chance of winning if they pressure the quarterback and stop the run, which come down to the play of defensive linemen. If you're a tackle or end and want to improve, you'll need to get stronger, quicker and smarter.
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Instructions
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Improve your stance so you can be more explosive in your first move off the line. Practice this by getting down into a three-point stance and keeping your weight balanced without putting a lot of weight on your hand on the ground. If you are leaning forward too much and putting too much pressure on your front hand, you will be sluggish off the line. You need to react almost simultaneously to the snap of the ball.
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2
React more quickly when the ball is snapped. The faster you can get off the line, the more difficult you will be to block. Practice this by lining up across from somebody who will move the ball as if to snap it. Place one of your legs farther behind you than the other and use it to propel yourself forward when the ball moves.
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3
Learn moves to beat the offensive lineman. Sometimes you will explode off the line fast and it won't matter because the offensive lineman can defend your moves. Learn moves such as the spin, in which you race toward the lineman and spin away from him just before impact. This could give you a free path to the quarterback or running back.
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4
Improve your conditioning and strength. As a defensive lineman, you're not going to win every battle. But if you are in better shape than the guy you're lining up against, you should win a majority of the plays. You need to work hard in the weight room to improve your strength, but you also need to improve your foot speed. Good exercises for this are jumping rope and jumping lines. To jump lines, keep your feet together and jump sideways back and forth over a line. These exercises will also improve your stamina, which will pay off late in games when your opponent may be tired.
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Study your opponents. Learn the tendencies of the person you will be playing against. Figure out what his weaknesses are and exploit them.
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Tips & Warnings
It's important to stay positive as a defensive lineman. A lot of times the ball won't come your way and you won't be involved in the play. But a football game has lots of other plays, and you will make more of an impact if you stay positive throughout.
