A drill too often overlooked, but wholly fundamental to the offensive
line is the Duck Walk Drill. One of the most common mistakes in football
is for an offensive linemen is that during the start of a play, the
offensive linemen's first move is to stand up. Footbal is a game of
leverage and a lineman needs to stay low and fire out.
This football drill will help with the execution of the "thrusting
the hips" and firing out because it establishes the hitting position
for the lineman; which differs from a linebacker or defensive lineman.
This football drill also works on conditioning. An offensive lineman
needs endurance in their legs above all to maintain low hitting position
and to move during pass protection.
The Duck Walk Drill Starting Position
Just as the title indicates, for this drill the player walks like
a duck.
Position One: The player begins with their
feet shoulder width apart and slightly staggered (either one foot
slightly further back than the other)
Position Two: The player bends the knees, not the back, at
a 90 degree angle so that the player's hips are parallel with their
knees. This is like that of a weightlifting squatting technique.
Position Three: The player bends at the waist, setting belly
on the thighs. This will naturally bring their hips up slightly.
Their back should be as flat as a table.
Position Four: With a flat back, do not let them pick their
bellies up from their thighs, roll their neck back so that their
eyes are looking forward.
The Duck Walk
With the player's necks rolled back and bellies on thighs, the player
should walk like this for five yards. The lineman's legs should fatigue
pretty quickly.
Over time lengthen the distance from 5 yards to 10 yards and so forth.
This drill will help your offensive linemen stay low, fire out,
and comfortable going out on linebackers low and ready to explode
up through them.
In football, the key to blocking is leverage and the key to leverage
is staying low.
Don't let your lineman stand up at the execution of the play; have
them stay down.
The Duck Walk Drill will help!
