Turning the corner

I’ve studied many elite pass rushers and one thing that always stands out to me is how the great ones can sprint full speed, on a curve, with a 300 pound blocker leaning on them. Here’s an example from Joey Bosa.

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This my friends is called “turning the corner”. Turning the corner is essential to the great pass rush, but turning the corner isn’t exactly a natural movement. Its very easy to slip or fall and I’ve personally have had to work years to keep myself off the ground when executing this technique.

I don’t want you guys to fail as much as I did, so here are a few of the drills that have helped me improve my ability to turn the corner and stay off the ground.

Drills for flipping hips

First we want to drill from a static position to emulate the feeling of flipping hips but without the momentum.

For this drill you want to step with your inside foot with the toe pointed inward and simultaneously twist your upper body and hips.

The goal here is to give the base level feeling of flipping your hips.

Once you’re comfortable from a static position, add extra steps and different moves.

Here’s a great example from Coach Brandon Jordan of what this progression should look like.

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Drills for running the hoop

There are many hoop drills, but my favorite is the half hoop get off drill because it most accurately reflects a game situation.

The key here is to concentrate on leaning inward and dipping your shoulder.

To reinforce the lean, make sure you grab grass with your inside hand at the half way point and end.

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Final thoughts

If you’re still slipping when turning the corner try tilting your stance inward and reaching with your outside hand.

With tilted hips you won’t need to torque your body as much to get your hips around and an outisde hand reach helps redirect your momentum toward the QB.

I personally love tilting my stance and reaching with the outside hand and recommend it for most D-Linemen.

Support

If you like this breakdown I'm writing a book where I go in depth on pass rush techniques, drills and stunts that top coaches and D-lineman use in real life situations called The Pass Rush Bible.

You can get updates, free chapters, and discounts when it releases by clicking here.

-Craig over and out

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