Figured out Sweeds dropping problem

[SteelKnight]

Take a look at this picture. Do you find it odd? If you look at the ball and its trajectory, you see the ball is going straight to him ...not with a severe arc up then coming down...and it is not a low ball that he is catching lower than his chest.

Now notice his thumbs. His thumbs are pointing up. If you look at others trying to make this kind of catch, you'll see they have their thumbs to the inside facing each other so the thumbs areat the bottom when they make the catch with this kind of straight catch.

The way Sweed has his hands are typically the way a receiver has their hands if they are catching an arched ball on the way down or a ball destined for the lower half of his body (lower than the chest area). In this position, if the ball is higher up, it is hard to move your hands up and still catch it. You would just want to catch it coming down and let your body position choose where it falls in your hands. It would be easy to go lower...but not higher and not left or right.

I think most of you would agree with me that the ball is almost to him yet it is horizontal so it is not coming from an arched position on its way down (or not a major arc...might be slight). If he misguesses the speed of the ball or his jump, it's over.

Try putting your hands like his and then try moving to the left or right...can't...you'd have to move your body. Try going up...can't. Drops, drops.

What do you guys think?

[pete74]

i think it just looks that way because the angle of the photo

[Galax Steeler]

Originally Posted by SteelKnight

What do you guys think?

I think we need a picture.

[Steelers>NFL]

Ok John Madden...

[GBMelBlount]

Originally Posted by SteelKnight

What do you guys think?

I think how catches the ball is less important to me than it was a few days ago.....

Just sayin...

[SteelerEmpire]

If you notice his pinky fingers should be angled inward toward each other to provide a brace for the ball so it won't fall "down", toward the ground, once it hits his hands. All 4 parts of the axis must be accounted for (horizontal positive and negative, vertical positive and negative) to make a good catch because the centripetal force of the ball (the ball spinning) will force it to where ever theirs an open space or weakest area of his grasp... hence... a dropped ball. I caught 9 of every 10 passes as a WR in HS... those were the days... Those gloves that WR's wear now-a-days don't help either. Notice Lynn Swann never wore gloves...

[Nadroj 20]

He just needs to not think about it and catch the ball. The moment the thought "OMG I have to catch this pass" comes into his head....its going to mess him up.

Dont think about it limas.

[CanadianSteel]

I noticed that Limas seems to want to drop to the ground after a catch much of the time.... and falls kinda awkward .... not sure this helps him ....

[SteelKid212]

... and if you look close enough, theres a clumsy receiver in the pic.

[klick81]

I don't think this matters much anymore.