From the onset of an offensive lineman’s pop warner career the number one cliché that is throw around is that the low man will always win. Throughout my career I have had a number of OL coaches who firmly believe in this adage. I have found that this idea of the low man always winning may not be entirely true. Simply getting low is a by-product of having good technique but a given body type can only get so low because of their bio mechanics.
In this post I will be talking about this idea relating to pass blocking only, because this is where the real money is made in terms of offensive line play, run blocking is an attitude two steps in the ground, punch then be the meanest, nastiest person you can be. Pass blocking is a learned skill, because of its unnatural characteristics. This is why we need to take a very scientific approach to this aspect of offensive line play.
I will personally argue that just saying the low man wins is a very simple and obtuse way of looking at offensive line production. Everything has to do with biomechanics and physics, how force is created and stopped biomechanically will change for different body types.
I will go on to argue that the LOW MAN DOESN’T ALWAYS WIN. The dropping of your center of gravity is the idea of “getting lower” that coaches talk about. This idea is just a by-product of an equation I will go over later in the reading.
Very simply offensive line play comes to the generation of force through coefficient of friction. Basically what this means in terms of offensive line play vs defensive line play, the winner of any given rep is the person who can create more friction to propel there force forward (Run Game) or stop there force from going backward (Pass Game).
Here inlays the prehistoric way of trying to teach young OL athletes to become more powerful. TO GET LOWER. This idea is inherently problematic and I will explain why using an example.
If we look at arguably the best Left Tackle in the NFL; Tyron Smith from the Dallas Cowboys we can often see that he is always taller than most of the defensive ends that he has to matchup with every week so asking him to get “lower than everyone” might not be the best recipe for success.
If week look at this rep between Tyron Smith #77 and Jason Pierre-Paul #90 we can see that throughout the rep there are times that Smith is higher but somehow wins the rep. I will explain why and how he makes this happen.
1on1 pass protection is arguably the most difficult task in all of football. I have developed an equation that will help you maximize your chances of winning any given rep.
Stability + Maximization of Length (without over extension) + Agility + Meeting Force with Force
= Higher Probability for Success
Getting lower is simply a by-product of this equation. If you can be stable, long, agile and be able to meet force with force at the moment of truth all the while being as low as your body with bio mechanically allow you to be, all the power to you, but for most this is not the case.
Next week I will discuss all parts iof this equation and how to achieve success;
If you would like to learn more about my upcoming OL CAMP please email or call me at (905) 632 3558 and I will register you up!
Jamie “THE BIG CHILL” LaLonde
SST OL/ DL coach