Why Can't Guys Catch With Their Hands (1 Viewer)

[coachjim]

When I was coaching Pop Warner football a million years ago one of the things I stressed with any kid wanting to be a receiver was to use his hands when catching the football. NEVER, NEVER let the ball get into your body so it could bounce off.

Granted the guys throwing the passes in the NFL are throwing beebees but why can't these guys getting paid millions catch the damn ball. They can use the passing machine to practice but I guess that is too difficult. On Sunday just try and select more than 10 receivers who use their hands to catch the ball. On Thursday night No:16 for the Bengals dropped about 4 passes right in his gut. The reason they hit him in the gut is because this dimwit has no idea how to catch a football using the tools God gave him, his hands.

It is pathetic to watch. Just because a guy runs a 4.4 40 he is a WR. Most of these guys can't catch a cold and they are making big bucks.

Oh to be a GM of a team and try to draft receivers that could actually catch balls thrown to them.

Not really any response needed I just had to vent something that has always bothered me.

 

[Road Warriors]

When I was coaching Pop Warner football a million years ago one of the things I stressed with any kid wanting to be a receiver was to use his hands when catching the football. NEVER, NEVER let the ball get into your body so it could bounce off. Granted the guys throwing the passes in the NFL are throwing beebees but why can't these guys getting paid millions catch the damn ball. They can use the passing machine to practice but I guess that is too difficult. On Sunday just try and select more than 10 receivers who use their hands to catch the ball. On Thursday night No:16 for the Bengals dropped about 4 passes right in his gut. The reason they hit him in the gut is because this dimwit has no idea how to catch a football using the tools God gave him, his hands. It is pathetic to watch. Just because a guy runs a 4.4 40 he is a WR. Most of these guys can't catch a cold and they are making big bucks. Oh to be a GM of a team and try to draft receivers that could actually catch balls thrown to them.Not really any response needed I just had to vent something that has always bothered me.

Andre Johnson & Larry Fitzgerald are 2 of the receivers I love watching catch the ball. All hands.

 

[coachjim]

It is a shame there are so few like them.

 

[Raider Nation]

When I was coaching Pop Warner football a million years ago one of the things I stressed with any kid wanting to be a receiver was to use his hands when catching the football. NEVER, NEVER let the ball get into your body so it could bounce off. Granted the guys throwing the passes in the NFL are throwing beebees but why can't these guys getting paid millions catch the damn ball. They can use the passing machine to practice but I guess that is too difficult. On Sunday just try and select more than 10 receivers who use their hands to catch the ball. On Thursday night No:16 for the Bengals dropped about 4 passes right in his gut. The reason they hit him in the gut is because this dimwit has no idea how to catch a football using the tools God gave him, his hands. It is pathetic to watch. Just because a guy runs a 4.4 40 he is a WR. Most of these guys can't catch a cold and they are making big bucks. Oh to be a GM of a team and try to draft receivers that could actually catch balls thrown to them.Not really any response needed I just had to vent something that has always bothered me.

Andre Johnson & Larry Fitzgerald are 2 of the receivers I love watching catch the ball. All hands.

Torry Holt and Brandon Marshall also come to mind.

 

[coachjim]

That makes 4. See if we can find 10 on Sunday. It will be tough.

 

[Raider Nation]

That makes 4. See if we can find 10 on Sunday. It will be tough.

Hmmmm. T.J. Housh and Steve Smith (CAR) will get us to 6.

 

[coachjim]

I was thinking of Colston until he screwed his thumb up. Owens tries but I think he has stone fingers so he drops way to many.

 

[Buddy Ball 2K3]

See the ball come into the diamond made by your fingers. I dont know how many times I heard our coaching staff say this to our WRs from JV through High school ball.. Yet the pros somewhere along the line thought that it was wiser to body catch ever freaking ball. DRIVES ME INSANE!!

 

[SeniorVBDStudent]

Larry Fitzgerald might just be the best receiver of the ball I have ever seen. If the ball is anywhere within a 10 foot radius of his route, he will catch the ball regardless of where the defender is. Simply amazing.

 

[FUBAR]

Holmes made a good snag with his hands Thursday night. (it's a start, right?)

 

[coachjim]

We are up to 6-7 guys. I am thinking that Welker might fit this mold. He is a hands guy.

When the ball gets near Fitz he reminds me of a lizard catching a fly. His hands flick out and snatch the ball wherever it might be.

Remeber the adage that a QB needs big hands like Favre. Well I think a receiver needs big SOFT hands to be a true receiver.

Keep track on Sunday and see how many true receivers we see.

 

[lyon812]

When I was coaching Pop Warner football a million years ago one of the things I stressed with any kid wanting to be a receiver was to use his hands when catching the football. NEVER, NEVER let the ball get into your body so it could bounce off. Granted the guys throwing the passes in the NFL are throwing beebees but why can't these guys getting paid millions catch the damn ball. They can use the passing machine to practice but I guess that is too difficult. On Sunday just try and select more than 10 receivers who use their hands to catch the ball. On Thursday night No:16 for the Bengals dropped about 4 passes right in his gut. The reason they hit him in the gut is because this dimwit has no idea how to catch a football using the tools God gave him, his hands. It is pathetic to watch. Just because a guy runs a 4.4 40 he is a WR. Most of these guys can't catch a cold and they are making big bucks. Oh to be a GM of a team and try to draft receivers that could actually catch balls thrown to them.Not really any response needed I just had to vent something that has always bothered me.

Andre Johnson & Larry Fitzgerald are 2 of the receivers I love watching catch the ball. All hands.

Torry Holt and Brandon Marshall also come to mind.

As a Rams fan, one of the most depressing aspects of Holt's decline is how often he seems to drop passes now compared to days of old.I'm not saying it necessarily applies to Holt, but the effects of physical coordination and timing can't be overlooked. A person may intellectually grasp that he needs to catch with his hands, but at full speed mightn't be able to translate that to performance. Likewise, adjusting to the change of speed on passes can affect people's ability to catch them with their hands and not their body. The point is that it's entirely possible that no matter what you train or teach, that true hands receivers like those mentioned are a rarity and a blessing, and that the vast majority of WR will be inconsistent. I can't remember there ever being a true golden era of receiving when everyone was a Fitz, a Housh, a Johnson, etc. There will always be people that simply aren't as good, and who lack that exceptional combination of mental and physical acuity.

 

[offdee]

You'll see one TONIGHT who will soon be playing on Sundays. Michael Crabtree (Texas Tech) is right up there with Fitz in this regard.

 

[Sabertooth]

That makes 4. See if we can find 10 on Sunday. It will be tough.

Watch a Packers game. Driver, Jennings, Jones, and Nelson are all hands catchers. Jennings and Jones are fantastic at it, Driver will let a ball into his belly once in a while.

 

[fatboyj711]

very surprised randy moss hasn't been mentioned yet... also, randy is one of the best at not tipping off the defender on deep balls thrown his way...

 

[Mimo]

Fitz is the best. He learned from one of the best as well in Cris Carter.

Hines Ward is by far the worst. He jumps for balls all the time and cradles them. Most of the time there is no need to jump, just catch it with the hands. Since he is not a great hands catcher you always see him jump and cradle the ball with the basket catch.

 

[coolnerd]

I think this falls under the perception does not match the reality. Most passes thrown in the NFL are caught in the hands of recievers, but when i see two or three that get into the body during a game it appears that pro WRs are letting the ball into the body too much.

 

[coachjim]

That makes 4. See if we can find 10 on Sunday. It will be tough.

Watch a Packers game. Driver, Jennings, Jones, and Nelson are all hands catchers. Jennings and Jones are fantastic at it, Driver will let a ball into his belly once in a while.

With this in mind then it has to be the WR coaches who are lacking. Either that or Green bay is very lucky. I really have never thought of the Packers receivers as hands receivers but I don't get to watch that many games being on the Left coast.

 

[coachjim]

You'll see one TONIGHT who will soon be playing on Sundays. Michael Crabtree (Texas Tech) is right up there with Fitz in this regard.

One of the best hands receivers I have ever seen in college is a guy from Notre Dame that ended up playing baseball in the Cubs organization. I think his name was Smardja of something like that a few years ago. I will watch Crabtree tonight with interest.

 

[Cookiemonster]

You'll see one TONIGHT who will soon be playing on Sundays. Michael Crabtree (Texas Tech) is right up there with Fitz in this regard.

One of the best hands receivers I have ever seen in college is a guy from Notre Dame that ended up playing baseball in the Cubs organization. I think his name was Smardja of something like that a few years ago. I will watch Crabtree tonight with interest.

Jeff did have great hands. Crabtree reminds me of a slighter Boldin. His after the catch effort may be nearly as impressive as his hands. Not real good straight-line speed, but shifty & strong. He's a rook worth drafting next year, even in redraft.

 

[coachjim]

I will watch him and might earmark him for my dynasty next year. Thanks for the heads up.

The thing I liked about Smardja was his soft hands. That is a gift.

 

[Sabertooth]

That makes 4. See if we can find 10 on Sunday. It will be tough.

Watch a Packers game. Driver, Jennings, Jones, and Nelson are all hands catchers. Jennings and Jones are fantastic at it, Driver will let a ball into his belly once in a while.

With this in mind then it has to be the WR coaches who are lacking. Either that or Green bay is very lucky. I really have never thought of the Packers receivers as hands receivers but I don't get to watch that many games being on the Left coast.

Oh they are. I think this is one of the main things Thompson looks for. Jennings was rated as about a 5th round prospect and yet Thompson was grilled for taking him in the second round. He certainly has an uncanny eye for receiving talent. Jordy Nelson was taken ahead of Eddie Royal and DeSean Jackson, looks like a mistake, but we'll see as the years unfold.

 

[Cookiemonster]

I will watch him and might earmark him for my dynasty next year. Thanks for the heads up.

If you're talking dynasty, and haven't already aquired a top 3 pick, you're probably too late.

 

[coachjim]

I will watch him and might earmark him for my dynasty next year. Thanks for the heads up.

If you're talking dynasty, and haven't already aquired a top 3 pick, you're probably too late.

Well I am working on getting one of those first three picks in a rebuilding year.

 

[KyleBasa]

Herman Moore, anyone?

 

[coachjim]

Herman Moore, anyone?

A blast from the past. Great addition. 123 catches in 1995. If you have that many catches in a year you have to use your hands. He makes the Lions receivers, even megatron, pale in comparison.

 

[Mikey16x]

I know everybody is saying Larry Fitzgerald but I'm all for his partner in crime. I think Boldin catches the ball the best with his hands, the guy never uses his body... traffic or not.

 

[coachjim]

Another Card. No wonder the grocery bagger is such a great QB huh?

 

[puckalicious]

Next can we complain that nobody in the NFL knows how to tackle properly then name a ton of players that actually do tackle very well?

 

[coachjim]

Next can we complain that nobody in the NFL knows how to tackle properly then name a ton of players that actually do tackle very well?

I am not sure that 10 guys on all the teams constitute a ton. There are just very few guys who catch a pass properly. That is all this is about. Not really finding fault with anyone in particular.

 

[EBF]

I think it's a question of ability. Some guys just don't have the ability to consistently catch a ball cleanly with their hands.

Expecting every receiver to have great hands is like expecting every basketball player to be a great three point shooter.

 

[Firekaps]

Of course all NFL WRs can and have caught balls with their hands, but it's the regularity and ease with which they do so which separates. How about listing some current NFL WRs that stink at it - who let balls get into their body way too much.

Bernard Berrian comes to mind, and so does Cotchery. Deion Branch is another.

I like these football posts.

 

[Ripleys]

Chris Cooley also is exceptional catching the balls with his hands and not body.

 

[Judge Smails]

Fitz is the best. He learned from one of the best as well in Cris Carter.Hines Ward is by far the worst. He jumps for balls all the time and cradles them. Most of the time there is no need to jump, just catch it with the hands. Since he is not a great hands catcher you always see him jump and cradle the ball with the basket catch.

Cris Carter had the best hands I've ever seen.

 

[CalBear]

Of course all NFL WRs can and have caught balls with their hands, but it's the regularity and ease with which they do so which separates. How about listing some current NFL WRs that stink at it - who let balls get into their body way too much.Bernard Berrian comes to mind, and so does Cotchery. Deion Branch is another.I like these football posts.

Ricochet Caldwell. If he's still in the NFL somewhere.

 

[WiDDoW_MaKeR]

I don't think that we can even begin to understand the amount of pressure that these guys are under. Thousands of screaming fans in the stands... millions watching them on television. They may have missed a tough catch earlier in the game and got some boos. Now... they are breaking out of their route, they turn their head and the ball is already screaming towards them at high velocity... can you imagine how much pressure, stress, second guessing, nervousness, ect... goes through their minds at that moment? I know that these people are payed millions of dollars, and they should be able to make a catch. However, that fact doesn't erase the fact that they are only human, and when your mind isn't in the right place, nothing else matters. This is how all sports players get into certain slumps. Eventually they get themselves out of it, however... they get themselves into slumps by getting down mentally, and then not being able to think clear and just react when they need to. You think these guys would be dropping passes if you were in the backyard? It's all mental. They try to overcompensate their fear of dropping the ball by letting it come to the body and securing it. However, we know that this leads to a lot of dropped balls. It is also a natural reaction to do this though in the split second that you have to react in the NFL, when you are second guessing your ability to catch it with your hands.

 

[coachjim]

I don't think that we can even begin to understand the amount of pressure that these guys are under. Thousands of screaming fans in the stands... millions watching them on television. They may have missed a tough catch earlier in the game and got some boos. Now... they are breaking out of their route, they turn their head and the ball is already screaming towards them at high velocity... can you imagine how much pressure, stress, second guessing, nervousness, ect... goes through their minds at that moment? I know that these people are payed millions of dollars, and they should be able to make a catch. However, that fact doesn't erase the fact that they are only human, and when your mind isn't in the right place, nothing else matters. This is how all sports players get into certain slumps. Eventually they get themselves out of it, however... they get themselves into slumps by getting down mentally, and then not being able to think clear and just react when they need to. You think these guys would be dropping passes if you were in the backyard? It's all mental. They try to overcompensate their fear of dropping the ball by letting it come to the body and securing it. However, we know that this leads to a lot of dropped balls. It is also a natural reaction to do this though in the split second that you have to react in the NFL, when you are second guessing your ability to catch it with your hands.

Good Post. But all I really am saying is that there should be more than a few guys playing the game that can make receptions with their hands. I just think the NFL is in love with speed and if a guy can run 4.4 they will keep throwing him the ball and hoping that a few stick. Much more enjoyable to watch a great catch than a drop because the ball bounced off the guys face mask.

 

[fatboyj711]

I don't think that we can even begin to understand the amount of pressure that these guys are under. Thousands of screaming fans in the stands... millions watching them on television. They may have missed a tough catch earlier in the game and got some boos. Now... they are breaking out of their route, they turn their head and the ball is already screaming towards them at high velocity... can you imagine how much pressure, stress, second guessing, nervousness, ect... goes through their minds at that moment? I know that these people are payed millions of dollars, and they should be able to make a catch. However, that fact doesn't erase the fact that they are only human, and when your mind isn't in the right place, nothing else matters. This is how all sports players get into certain slumps. Eventually they get themselves out of it, however... they get themselves into slumps by getting down mentally, and then not being able to think clear and just react when they need to. You think these guys would be dropping passes if you were in the backyard? It's all mental. They try to overcompensate their fear of dropping the ball by letting it come to the body and securing it. However, we know that this leads to a lot of dropped balls. It is also a natural reaction to do this though in the split second that you have to react in the NFL, when you are second guessing your ability to catch it with your hands.

Good Post. But all I really am saying is that there should be more than a few guys playing the game that can make receptions with their hands. I just think the NFL is in love with speed and if a guy can run 4.4 they will keep throwing him the ball and hoping that a few stick. Much more enjoyable to watch a great catch than a drop because the ball bounced off the guys face mask.

i completely agree with you that being able to catch with the hands is a fundamental skill all receivers should possess (especially wrs), but i don't agree that most drops are the result of balls bouncing off the body or face mask... from my observations, most drops occur. ironically, when receivers try to catch the ball with their hands

 

[thatguy]

I don't think that we can even begin to understand the amount of pressure that these guys are under. Thousands of screaming fans in the stands... millions watching them on television. They may have missed a tough catch earlier in the game and got some boos. Now... they are breaking out of their route, they turn their head and the ball is already screaming towards them at high velocity... can you imagine how much pressure, stress, second guessing, nervousness, ect... goes through their minds at that moment? I know that these people are payed millions of dollars, and they should be able to make a catch. However, that fact doesn't erase the fact that they are only human, and when your mind isn't in the right place, nothing else matters. This is how all sports players get into certain slumps. Eventually they get themselves out of it, however... they get themselves into slumps by getting down mentally, and then not being able to think clear and just react when they need to. You think these guys would be dropping passes if you were in the backyard? It's all mental. They try to overcompensate their fear of dropping the ball by letting it come to the body and securing it. However, we know that this leads to a lot of dropped balls. It is also a natural reaction to do this though in the split second that you have to react in the NFL, when you are second guessing your ability to catch it with your hands.

This is true - the pressure is immense. But the fact is, professional athletes are professional athletes for a reason - because they have been able to perform in high pressure situations at each and every level of play. Do you know how many talented athletes never make the big time because they simply can't perform under pressure? They freeze up, get jerky, panicky, whatever, and inevitably, they fail. We're talking guys just as talented as many in the NFL who simply fold under pressure. At each level, the pressure increases - from Pop Warner, to high school, to college, and finally to the NFL. And at each level, athletes face a new challenge - more fans, bigger stadiums, television, contracts, etc. As players rise up through these different levels of competition, those who can't hack it, no matter how talented, are weeded out. Most guys in the NFL played D1 college football, and if they performed well in that atmosphere, chances are pretty good that they have icy veins, which is an essential for any professional athlete. These guys are here because they've proven that they don't let their nerves get to them. I think for most of them, the average Sunday is not very different than a game of football in the park with friends - mentally, they are able to push everything aside and simply perform.What I'm trying to say is, neurotic, panicky, self-doubting people, these aren't the type of people who make it to the NFL. So, really, most of us probably can understand what it's like for them, because for them, being out there on the field in front of 70,000 large on national television, it's just another football game - the nervousness they feel, it's probably no different than the nervousness most of felt in high school athletics. When they hit the field, I can guarantee you, most of these guys barely notice the crowd and the cameras.