Football is not just a game but a feeling for both the player and the watcher. You may be a player of a team who needs to practice moves even better. Or perhaps you love it as a backyard game to play with your friends. No matter what is the case, learning the proper manner to catch a ball is definitely something to mull over.
One of the hardest grabbing strategies is a one-handed catch. If you are willing to learn how to catch a football one-handed then today’s piece of writing will help in that hope.
Here’s How to Catch a Football One Handed
Receivers need to follow some general rules and of course, go through a lot of practicing before adapting to this ridiculously cool catch. It’s both arts and science, so as a receiver you need to be very mindful about coordinating your skills and learned tricks with a lot of passion for the practice.
1. Practicing the Drill
First, you need to stand at least five yards apart from the defensive back. Next, the quarterback needs to make a loft and light pass down. Then you as a receiver you need to try making a catch. And at the same time, you need to run a route. This helps to practice both the near and far hand catch.
This football catching practice can be helpful as a warm-up too. Since it lets the players make their eyes and hand ready for the game. As a youth level athlete, you can start it too. Just make sure you have some basic ideas related to tracking and catching. Then you can introduce yourself to this drill.
This drill is a great way to learn about hand and eye coordination when making catches. It’s also good for adapting to the tracking of football. This is because when the receiver is battling a defensive back, usually one of the hands is not going to engage in the catch. And so, by practicing how to secure the catch with one hand you actually get a good hand-eye coordination understanding too.
A great trick that you can utilize while practicing is by bending your fingers slightly forwards. This will help to stop the ball’s movement after it hits your hand. You then need to make your palm more cupped in shape. So that the ball can nestle in enough space you just created. You also need to work on pulling the ball closer to your body. You need to do this as quickly as possible. It’s pretty hard and will need a lot of practice to master. However, if you give yourself time and focus precisely, you’ll be able to get the trick.
2. Learn from Beckham’s Iconic Moment.
The very first legal forward pass that happened was back in 1906. The whole catch history was 113 years until it witnessed one of the legendary one-handed stretches by an extraordinary player. Yes, you got it right, Odell Beckham’s unbelievable catch was definitely a moment that took place in 2014 and till now it’s been cherished by football fanatics.
At any level of football, catches are often measured up against the legendary Beckham’s one. And it’s a once in a forever moment that footballers are practicing and perfecting to recreate. You need to watch the moment, focus on body movements, and practice it by following this star. The receiver needs to be serious about contorting his body. The elbows hyperextending is also very important here. And don’t forget to stretch your fingers well enough. These are some key factors to mimic the iconic grab of legend Beckham.
3. Avoid Public Practicing at The Beginning.
The incident of 2014 done by Beckham made several receivers coach realize that now their job will become two times harder. The concept of using two hands for grabbing the ball was alive till then. And it’s still in use till now. But that moment made receivers realize catching with one hand is what’s going to make their grab worth the attention.
Since the one-handed catch is what people want to see more and it’s also flashier. Even the players who have been practicing for a pretty long time will make one successful one-handed grab after failing nine times. So, if that failure for nine-time is going to make you a bit demotivated especially in front of the public, then it’s not the right time yet. You should not go for publicly performing the one-handed grab at the very beginning for this reason.
Also, sometimes private practices show better-focusing capabilities in certain players. You may end up succeeding more times than missing the catch when practicing it privately. So, give yourself some time to be confident about the grab. Once you feel, you’ve got the art and can perform it publicly, go for it.
4. And Sometimes, It’s All About Timing.
Usually, when you throw a football, a receiver needs to have a good idea about the timing and in-between distance to make a successful catch. This becomes two times more important with a one-handed catch that is planned. Another fun fact is that usually, the one-handed catch is actually a result of a bad play and not really strategic.
Sometimes the receiver gets short on time and makes a drastic move that ends up being a hit, luckily. That’s exactly what happened with Wallace when he was a freshman. While getting jammed at the line, he was gradually downfield and faced a lackluster route. At that moment he didn’t even realize and tipped the ball a bit. And then he simply hauled it in. This was something the player didn’t plan but luck favored him anyway.
However, you can’t expect luck to be the strategy that will work for your situation. But you can always practice in a way planning your response whenever a timing like this comes across.
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Wrap Up.
So now you know some useful tips about how to catch a football one-handed. There’s no exception to practicing more and more. You really need to give your heart and soul to prepare the catch through dedication and focus. Eventually, you will get the trick of making a one-handed catch. But it’ll take time, so don’t be disheartened when you fail a few times. That is what it takes to master any challenge including this legendary catch.