Welcome to Brain Drills for Athletes. Today we will feature our second drill. If you have not reviewed Brain Drills for Athletes-Drill 1, you will want to do that so that you are primed for this next one.
As a reminder, not only are these drills beneficial for hand-eye coordination, tracking, concentration and a neural stimulus it adds a new element of fun. Fun in the beginning of a training session is a great way to start out a session. If your athletes come to training dragging
their feet have them use these drills to wake up their nervous system.
Again, review Brain Drills for Athletes-Drill 1 before your proceed, as it is the foundation for drill 2.
DRILL #2
Do everything described in Drill 1, but replace one of the yellow tennis balls with a pink one or any other color you choose.
When the athlete(s) toss or drop the tennis balls yell out a color.
The athlete must catch the called color first then catch the second tennis ball.
A progression to do with this drill is to have the athlete stand approximately 10 feet straight in front of you. Toss them two different colored tennis balls.
As the tennis balls are traveling toward them in the air, call out a color.
First, they catch the color that is called out then they catch the second tennis ball.
A variation to this drill is bouncing both tennis balls off the ground toward them.
Again, call one color out and have him or her first catch the color that is called out then catch the second tennis ball.
Neither ball can bounce more than once before being caught. Once the athlete has a firm grasp on this version of the drill you can then progress to having them catch the color that is called out after catching the other tennis ball first.
Have fun!
Author: Doug Heslip
Doug Heslip is the owner of Heslip Elite Sports Performance Training in Negaunee, MI and the creator of Seek & Destroy – Elite Running Back Drills a video product for football coaches. He works with young athletes in a variety of sports and teaches football coaches how to incorporate speed & agility training into their sessions.
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