OLine Pride Weekly – Battle Rhythm
During my time while playing offensive line at the University of Michigan, we got a new coach named Jim Harbaugh. Coach Harbaugh did a great job of being intentional and deliberate with how he had us spend our time. He…
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Continue ReadingDuring my time while playing offensive line at the University of Michigan, we got a new coach named Jim Harbaugh. Coach Harbaugh did a great job of being intentional and deliberate with how he had us spend our time. He had a ton of great concepts but the best one that still resonates with me to this day, is the concept of having a Battle Rhythm.
It’s imperative for offensive linemen to have a Battle Rhythm so they can create a routine and get their body primed for competition.
A Battle Rhythm is defined by the routine that a football player creates to ingrain elite habits and get themselves prepared to play.
Playing offensive line is already an uncommon task and we’re asking them to be chunky ballerinas that can produce force through the ground while going backwards.
For example, in training camp, the Battle Rhythm that I developed was to get up at 6:20 AM, drink two bottles of water, get to the facility to eat breakfast by 7:20 AM. After arriving I would then stretch out and foam roll before the 8:30 AM position meetings. While stretching I would also always skim through the practice reps from the day before. After practice was over I would then shower, grab a plate to eat, and watch the tape from that day before in the meeting room before our nightly meeting with our position coach. This routine stuck with me throughout my college career and helped me become the first in my family to play professional football.
Moreover, Linemen are a sum of what their habits are. Their technique is only as good as what they train to do on a daily basis.
Once they possess a productive routine they will find themselves developing their game and becoming more consistent players.
Following my time as a division one Linemen, I decided to become a professional football coach working specifically with the offensive line.
From the NFL players I’ve coached all the way down to my 5 year old linemen the standard Battle Rhythm that I have them do progresses like this.
6:00 AM wake up, daily hygiene, stretching routine, foam rolling, and taking the Set Tree Pass pro progression. The Set Tree is a assortment of drills meant to help the linemen take a advantage based pass set on every rep. Their pass set should be appropriate to their assignment, the alignment of the defender and the technique needed to be used to own their angle of departure from the line of scrimmage.
The first exercise of the Set Tree pass pro progression is the #OneLegPassSet , second #SetSetNSettle , third the #DriveStart from a knee, fourth a #45Set, fifth a #SloDrag set , sixth a #VerticalSet, and the seventh being the #JumpSet.
A lineman’s technique will look exactly like what they do every day, so it’s imperative for them to be motivated and pushed to take their pass sets and execute their Set Tree drills daily. These drills when done correctly will help develop your offensive linemen’s lower body strength and give them snappiness out of their stance.
For more information on the specifics of the Set Tree and more offensive line specific training material follow me on Instagram @LoganTT72, or Twitter @LoganTillman, or Facebook Logan Tuley-Tillman or LT2 Football Academy.