DB Drills | Masters of the Basics – Part II

This video goes over part II of my master’s of the basics series of drills.  This portion of the series focuses on the W drills.  Most coaches and trainers will have you just back pedal in the W drills as that has been the common thing to do over time.  However,  as you may have learned by playing defensive back that you don’t only come out of a back pedal when you have to make a break.  Sometimes you have to come out of a break after being in a crossover run.  This usually happens after the WR has broken your cushion.

I introduce the shuffle portion of the W series because a shuffle is a nice way to transition from a back pedal to a crossover run.  Many times a WR will wait to see your shoulders and / or hips turn before they break off their route.  The reason they do this is because they know that is more difficult for a defensive back to come out of his break from a crossover run than it is a backpedal.  Since this is indeed true,  I instruct my athletes to incorporate a shuffle into their transition.  Once a WR has broken your cushion to the point where you may need to turn,  it is best to go into a shuffle before the crossover run.  The shuffle is easier to break out of because you are not crossing your feet over and possibly turning your hips up field.  What the WR sees are your hips turning so he thinks it’s ok to break.  However,  by shuffling,  you can come out of your break almost as fast as you do when you are backpedaling.   In the W drill series I show how you drill coming out of the shuffle.

If the WR continues up the field once you are in the shuffle,  you can not transition into a crossover run.  In this video,  I show you the proper mechanics of that crossover so that even when you are in it,  you don’t have so much trouble breaking out of it if you need to or staying on the WR’s hip should the route in fact be a deep one.

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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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