Alright, so today I decided to really hammer down on some 3-4 defensive line stuff. Felt like my get-off was getting lazy, and wanted to sharpen up those basic reads and reactions you need in that front.
Getting Set Up
Didn’t do anything fancy. Just found some open field space, threw down some cones to act as offensive linemen placeholders. You know, just visual cues. Grabbed my gloves and cleats. Didn’t have pads on today, just focusing purely on the footwork and hand placement, keeping it simple. Sometimes going back to basics without all the gear helps me focus on the technique itself.
Working the Techniques
Spent a good chunk of time just getting in and out of my stance. Sounds basic, I know, but honestly, if your stance isn’t right, nothing else matters. Really focused on keeping my weight distributed properly, ready to explode out.
Then I moved onto the specific alignments:
- 3-Technique: Lined up on the outside shoulder of my imaginary guard (cone). Worked on firing out low, getting hands inside quickly, and trying to control that gap. Did maybe 20 reps of just the initial step and punch. Felt clunky at first, my feet weren’t quite synced with my hands.
- 4i-Technique: Slid inside to the tackle’s inside shoulder. This one always feels a bit tight. Practiced ripping through, trying to get skinny and penetrate. It’s less about brute force here, more about quickness and leverage. Felt like I was popping up too high initially, had to really concentrate on staying low.
- 5-Technique: Moved outside the tackle cone. This is more familiar ground. Worked on setting the edge, using my outside arm to keep contain, while also practicing shedding the block to make a play. Did reps focusing on run-read steps versus pass-rush get-offs from this spot. This felt the most natural, but still needed refinement on hand fighting.
I kept cycling through these spots. Get down, explode out, focus on the first two steps, reset. Get down, explode out, focus on hand placement, reset. Over and over. Didn’t really count reps strictly, just went until it started feeling smoother, more automatic.
Reflections on the Session
It wasn’t perfect. My hands definitely need more work, especially on the initial punch in the 3-tech. Sometimes I’d let the ‘guard’ get into my chest. And keeping my pad level consistently low on that 4i is still a struggle. It’s tough when you get tired.
But, the footwork felt better by the end. More explosive, less wasted motion. And just dedicating time to only these techniques, without worrying about the whole defensive call or what the linebackers were doing, really helped isolate what I needed to fix.
Definitely need to keep drilling this. Maybe next time I’ll add some bags or a partner for resistance. But today was good, a solid grind just focusing on my job on the line. Felt productive.
