And back to football Jeopardy.
ALP: Yes, Alex, I'll take vital linebacker skills for 100, please.
Alex: This is the single most important atribute for a defensive player to have while playing in space.
ALP: What is chest strength?
Alex: Oooh, I'm sorry, the answer is strong and fluid hips. Strong and fluid hips.
Wait, wait....not gonna be a jerk, here. Instead, I shall teach, Glasshoppah. Explosion and flexability in the hips often dictate how powerful and agile a defensive player is. While in a standard broken-down position, a defender has their legs in a z-shape with their torso angled over their feet. This keeps their center of gravity low and their momentum moving foreward. When the player decides to either a) crash a gap, b) scrape and fill, c) drop into coverage or d) read and engage a back in man coverage...their hips dictate how effectively the player is going to move. A drill every linebacker is taught in pop warner is a drill in which they read pass off of the linemen, flip their hips 90 degrees with their inside shoulder facing the QB and drop 3-7 steps into a hook to flat zone. This is the most basic coverage look a linebacker can give. Every coverage is predicated upon this basic function. Watch the game on sunday and pay attention to how the players (from backers to corners) use their hips to stay square to the offensive player or LOS.
When a defender decides to engage the ball carrier, they break down into the basic tackling form. Again, z in the legs, torso leaning foreward. The player is then taught to explode (STARTING....WITH....THE....HIPS) through the ball carrier while wrapping up and proceed to leg-drive until the play is finished. That's why you see little guys delivering devestating hits to players 40-80 pounds their senior. These guys can hang-clean with the best of them. Educate yoself, foo!
