Slap the Dog & Punch the Chicken

Animal references aside... I think the main point behind those terms is simply to teach the puller to throw his hand through a point below the knee, rather than throwing the elbow, in order to help the player maintain a lower pad level when bringing his hips and shoulders around, since the natural reaction is to rise when throwing an elbow.

I don't think Coach Campbell has anything against chickens and dogs! They just happen to be low to the ground! If you want to use the phrase, couldn't you just replace them with the name of a rival school and/or their mascot? That is, unless your main rival is a grizzly or a gorilla!

Dave Hartman
CYFL Coach