Any ex-receivers out there?

[JayJ79]

Is it possible to learn/develop better catching ability or "hands", or is that something that you either have or don't have?

[9YRPLAN]

Re: Any ex-receivers out there?

i didnt play past high school, except for competitive intramurals, rec league, or the iowa games, but you cant teach hands. standing in front of the jugs machine for hours every day wont help if you lose concentration during a game, trying to make a move before youve secured the ball.

also, i think receiver is one position in any sport where there is no downside to having huge hands. my hands are ginormous and people sometimes just look at me funny when they see some of the stuff i can catch one-handed.

another thing- i never wore gloves on offense. you never see that anymore. to me, it was worth the wear and tear of getting stomped on and snagged to have the reliabilty of your skin on the ball. i dont know, its hard to explain i guess.

[9YRPLAN]

Re: Any ex-receivers out there?

i agree. some of the new gloves are awesome. i havent worn pads since 1994, and i am not going to be THAT GUY wearing gloves in rec league.

[JayJ79]

Re: Any ex-receivers out there?

I hope it CAN be learned.
Because some of our speedy young receivers could be quite awesome with a bit better "hands".

[Whitey81]

Re: Any ex-receivers out there?

Most great receivers start with good hands and after catching thousands of balls in practice and handling a football as often as possible, they can develop into great hands. The more you practice the better they get. Soloman also used to work with us on drills before during and after every practice to improve hand-eye coordination and the feel for the ball.

They can get better

[Herdman]

Re: Any ex-receivers out there?

It can definately be taught and learned. The person also has to want to understand how to concentrate. It's also about learning how to run routes the right way, how to use use your eyes, what to look for while running routes, when to put your hands up, why you keep them down at certain times, the importance of going up to the highest point to get the ball. Catching a ball can definatly be learned, it's what you learn about the ways to catch the ball that is most important.

I could careless if a guy wears gloves or not as long as he catches the ball. It really shouldn't matter especially when it's warm and you can get a sweet going. I will say this though, when the weather gets cold and the air is dry, the ball is hard, and your skin get dried out, I'd rather have a guy wear gloves than hear an excuse.