Playing defensive back is all about quick reactions and timing. Hesitate, think too long, fail to read a key and the offense will have success. Your ability to process is every thing and there’s one sure fire way to speed up that process.
If you’ve played any amount of man to man you are aware of the importance of focus but what does that really mean? There is a saying that goes “see a little you see a lot. See everything then see nothing.” That couldn’t apply more than in what I am talking about in this article.
To have quick reaction times you must first read a key when you are out on the field. If you are playing press man then you are looking at the hip, most likely, as that is what is commonly taught. If you are playing zone coverage then you are either required to see another receiver or read the quarterback but let’s go further than that.
Often times when we are “keying” on something we may be seeing it but we are also seeing everything else around it. Sure, we are looking at the hips of the receiver in press coverage but we are seeing both hips, the stomach of the receiver and maybe even his thighs. So yes, we are seeing his hips but we are seeing a bunch of other stuff too. So do we need to see the hips? I think it’s better for us to see “a hip” as opposed to both hips. I tell my guys to see the “near hip” So if we are playing outside leverage we need to have laser focus on the receiver’s outside hip. If there is a logo or any kind of mark on the receiver’s pants then put your focus on that. This will keep you from seeing his belt, stomach, bottom of his shirt or anything else. You need to have a laser focus.
Imagine a baseball player trying to hit a 95 mph fastball as he sees the ball + the pitcher and the centerfielder off in the distance. He’s not hitting that baseball. Instead, batters at the highest levels are focusing on the spin of the ball. They are trying to see the laces on a ball revolving at God knows what speed. This gives them a laser focus on this singular object. This is the only way that they will have a chance to put a piece of wood shaped in a cylinder on a ball moving at the speed of light.
In that same vain, it is imperative that you take this same approach when playing defensive back. If you are required to read the QB in a zone coverage, take a laser focus on what is important. Is it his front shoulder since that often times leads where he’s throwing? If so, then focus in on that. Don’t see the quarterback and his five offensive linemen along with the back. Doing that will slow down your read on what the QB is doing.
What if you are required to read the # 2 receiver in a zone coverage? It’s not enough just to see the whole receiver plus everything else immediately around him. Look at the near hip of that # 2 receiver. “See a little” so that you can see a lot. If where that receiver goes is what matters then narrow down your focus to just him and you do that by honing your vision in on a small part of his body.
There may be some instances where you need to get a wider picture of what is going on. In those cases it is not likely that you need to have a very quick reaction. When it is required for you to have wide vision, it is most likely because you need to see a play develop and gradually make your way to a landmark or player that may be coming from one area into yours. In those cases, a laser focus would not be the move to make. However, when there is one thing to focus on, use this technique to have quicker reactions, better jumps on the ball and to make more plays.
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Chad Wilson is the owner of All Eyes DB Camp and author of "101 DB Tips". He played college football at the University of Miami and briefly in the NFL for the Seattle Seahawks. Over his 15 year high school football coaching career, he tutored over a dozen Division I defensive backs and as a trainer has worked with NFL All Pros, first round draft picks, college football All Americans and Top 10 ranked high school football prospects.
