Swoop tackling drill
Why it works
Most missed tackles are lost before contact, when the tackler arrives off balance with his feet too wide or his head down. Swoop teaches the approach on its own, with no one to hit, so a young player can get the feet and posture right a hundred times before he ever has to do it against a runner.
Run it
8 MINEight reps each, four leading with each foot. About eight minutes. Stop when the freezes get sloppy; this is a posture drill and a tired posture teaches the wrong habit.
Say this
“Chop your feet. Short and quick.”
Short steps keep the feet under the body so the tackler can change direction with the runner.
“Chest up, eyes up.”
Eyes up keeps the head out of the tackle and the back flat.
“Near foot in front.”
The near foot leads so the near shoulder can make contact without crossing over.
Good looks like
- Steps shorten in the last two yards.
- On the freeze, knees are bent and the chest is over the knees, not over the toes.
- The near foot is ahead of the other one.
- The eyes are up and level.
The mistakes
Long strides right up to the bag, which leaves the player lunging. Put a cone two yards from the bag and make him chop from there.
Say: “Chop your feet. Short and quick.”
Head dropping and looking at the ground on the freeze. Stand in front and hold up fingers; he has to call the number.
Say: “Chest up, eyes up.”
Freezing square with both feet level. Call the foot before the rep, left or right, so he has to think about it.
Say: “Near foot in front.”
Walk it, then jog it. Use a yard line instead of a bag and freeze on a clap so the youngest players only think about one thing.
Have a partner hold a bag and shift left or right as the tackler chops in, so the freeze has to happen on the side the bag went.