DB Drill Series: Hip Flip Drill

Hip flip drill

The hip flip is one of the key movements that a defensive back must be able to execute while he is playing. 

This drill is a simple one, but it must be executed properly to have success with it.

In this drill, the defensive back begins in a backpedal, and within 5 yards he executes a flip either to the right or left. From there, he proceeds into a crossover run . In that run, it is important for the defensive back to keep his shoulders both open and down. As you will see in the video, the defensive back is aiming to keep his shoulder in line with the line that he is working on. An open shoulder allows you to execute your turns more effectively. Keeping the front shoulder down, prevents the upper body from rising up and putting the DB on his heels while he’s in his run.

From that crossover run, the defensive back now execute a hip flip that will send him from facing one direction to completely facing the other direction. So if the defensive back was facing right in his crossover run, he will now be facing left after he executes the hip flip. To execute the hip flip,  the defensive back will take two steps. One is with the back foot that he will plant and rotate to open the hips. The second will be with the other foot to stabilize him in the new direction that he’s running in. Both of these steps need to occur under his hips or as I like to say in within his circle. Meaning that a defensive back should always imagine a small circle being around him and that is where his foot work needs to occur.  It should take no more than two steps to complete the hit flip and be facing in the other direction.

The drill starts from the sidelines with the defensive back aligned directly on top of one of the yard lines. The yard line gives the defensive back a sense of direction as he executes the drill. The defensive back starts from the sideline and executes three flips by the time he reaches the first hashmarks on a high school lined field. You can then come back from the Hash back to the sidelines to double up on the drill. For the sake of a work out, one rep of this drill indicates going from the sidelines to the # and then from the hashmarks back to the sideline after a brief pause of about 15-20 seconds. (See the video for clarity)

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alleyesdbcamp

Owner at All Eyes DB Camp

Chad Wilson is the founder of All Eyes DB Camp and a former standout defensive back for the Miami Hurricanes. After an elite collegiate career, Wilson spent a season with the Seattle Seahawks before transitioning into coaching. A 3-time Florida state champion defensive coordinator, he has spent over 20 years developing the "All Eyes" blueprint that has produced NFL All-Pros and stars like Xavien Howard, Patrick Surtain II, Tyson Campbell, Minkah Fitzpatrick and more. His coaching system is proven at the highest levels—his own sons, Quincy and Marco Wilson, both excelled as starters in the SEC before being drafted into the NFL.

Chad is the author of "101 DB Tips"—The Ultimate DB Reference Guide. You can find more information on the manual and how to order your copy in the sidebar and footer of this page.

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