SHOULDER - HANDS

Coach Glaze,
We only teach and use our hands. You do not have to be great big strong kids to use hands. When you use hands it's especially frustrating for an offensive blocker because they cannot get into you. From our weakest kid to our srongest kid they are very successful with using hands. I have a video out on this site and it goes into every phase of using your hands. It is a lot simpler than people think. We really frustrated people this year. Our d-line really takes a lot of pride in their techniques.
PGolla D-line fundemental video is excellent for this. There is even game film with hands techniques.

Coach,
The name of the video is d-line play. If you click on tools, or store you will see it under Jerry's new book. There is even clips of it if you to tools.
PGOLLA

Coach, I concur with all who say use hands and not shoulders or flippers. When many of us played, Offensive Lineman had to keep their hands in and could not extend their arms. Since the rules changed, Offensive Linemen have become quite skilled at using their arms and hands both legally and illegally.

The only way to combat this is for the defensive man to win the battle of hands and arms when the ball is snapped to gain control of the Offensive Lineman. This is the single most important skill for a D Lineman and we practice it every day.

In addition to the resources mentioned, I highly recommend Coaching the Defensive Line by Fritz Shurmer. ISBN 0-9624779-8-2. It contains not only a teaching progression for using the hands in the takeoff, but excellent coaching points. Plus, Coach Shurmer supports his techniques using physiological concepts that make sense.

I read a couple chapter of this book each spring and summer to refresh my mind with the many coaching points in what many think is a bible for Defensive Line play.