2. Close your eyes! Seriously. Do it. By closing their eyes, hookers can use their other sensors other than sight and feel the throw towards the target. Hookers who understand the throwing process will be able accurately predict what their throw looked like, it’s trajectory as well as its aim all without looking at it. This is one of the best tools a coach can use when coaching closed skills such as this. Yes! Players who overthink how to execute a skill that they have perfected will choke thus by having players sing a song, hum a tune or even count backwards for example helps take their mind off the intricacies of the throw so they can allow their body to go through the process it knows how to do. Even mild applications of pressure will help hookers throw better during the pressure throws. An example I use is to have competition throw offs between competing hookers as well as having the entire team watch the hookers throw with something on the line.
Shouting as the throw is about to occur can also add pressure and can help when the opposition players or crowd are getting stuck into the hooker. It all helps a lot. By speeding up the practice and limiting the time available to the hookers to get set can help in their execution as they will not have time to think about their last throw or about the upcoming one too much. Less thinking, more action! Get hookers focussing on external cues like the target, the spin of the ball, the trajectory of the ball etc. This process takes the mind off thinking about how to execute the skill which is detrimental when performing the skill in a game. A great example of this technique was the English Fly Half Jonny Wilkinson who used this technique by pretending a woman was sitting in the stands and aimed to land the ball on her. Eventually as he got better at this he imagined her holding a can of coke and aimed for that instead.
7. Train while Exhausted! Hookers must be able to execute a perfect throw at the end of a demanding game where fatigue and exhaustion can be experienced which causes a loss of concentration and motor control. Thus it is ideal for hookers to throw while fatigued during practice. Adding burpees, shuttles, bleep test, repeated sprints for example between each throw can help train a hooker to throw accurately when fatigued. This simulates a match scenario. This is one of my favourite drills to start with when working with a new hooker, when a change of technique is needed or when a bit of experimentation is tried out. Using a pezzi ball is a great tool when coaching hookers as it exposes the hookers balance and core strength and at the same time rectifying both areas. This is not a drill I use often, https://solitarysales.fun however it is a nice challenge for the better throwers to try as the hookers need incredible balance to keep their body aligned correctly before the throw while at the same time they also need to ensure they don’t fall over or off the ball during the throw and follow through!
It is a challenging drill but should only be done with hookers who know understand and have honed the basics. This is a great drill to use for either beginners or with the more experienced players to get a feel of when to release the ball. This is a tough drill at first but once players get the hang of releasing the ball and following through correctly the drill is actually quite absorbing. The aim is to ensure the ball goes up straight and come back down again in the same line using the correct throwing mechanics. The Lollipop is a great tool to use as it allows the hooker to hone his reaction times as well as accuracy or it can be used if there are no suitable stationary targets to use. A partner holds the Lollipop and keeps it low while the hooker gets set, at the partner’s discretion he raises it and https://solitarysales.fun the hooker throws immediately in reaction to the lifted Lollypop. Data w as generat ed by GSA Content Ge nerator DE MO.
This drill with the hooker standing is best used for more experienced throwers who have honed their techniques. The Lollypop can also be used in conjunction with the knee throwing as well as the Pezzi Ball. This enables the less experienced hookers to improve their match readiness as well. The raised platform drill is a great drill that aims to recreate the lineout experience without the need for jumpers and lifters. The basic set up is very simple with a coach or player standing on a raised platform of similar height to the maximum height of the teams lineout jumpers. The coach and partner then use one of the three variations of this drill. Best to use all three in order. In this variation the partner stands tall with his hands raised above his head as a clear target for the hooker to throw at. In this variation the partner keeps his hands down while the hooker sets up.