I always heard and believed - you play like you practice.

[section907]

I’d like to know if our guys go live tackling during the week. I feel like they have a good strength program but man do they look pitiful tackling. Even at Vandy the 1st guy had trouble. I do like their pursuit. They hustle to the ball. But have to do better on initial contact.

 

[Gamecock Jacque]

The few games I've watched Georgia this year I don't remember seeing them miss a tackle. Makes me think they live tackle in practice.

 

[JGH 35]

Personally, I never practiced like I played. Whenever I got on the field on game day it was special. I could get in the "zone" which was an intense level of concentration and the game seemed like it was in slow motion. I could never attain that in practice because it was just practice and did not count for anything. It was more like the drudgery you had to go through so you could get to the game. The game was all that mattered.

As far as tackling, I learned that 80% of tackling was being in the right position, taking a good angle and squaring up to the ball carrier. If you don't have good position it is very hard to tackle a good ball carrier. The rest it just technique. You hit the guy with your head up and you wrap up. Today, too many guys' idea of a good tackle it to make a big hit. When they do that they don't wrap up and the ball carrier keeps his legs moving and keeps going. A big hit doesn't matter. Getting the guy on the ground is all that matters.

 

[bucketdad]

Looking back, I think everyone looked forward to hitting me in practice. Lol.
Gameday was a piece of cake.

 

[Neanderthal]

Wrapping up. That’s the key. And run through the tackle.

 

[CockySC01]

I never played football. But that statement is true for martial arts. We sparred at light contact and full contact. Light contact was if I were in class and paired against a much smaller in size person, women or someone who is already injured. It’s basically just dancing around throwing quick jabs.
Full contact is both people are moving full speed and using up to 100% force. You get much more out of it as far as prepping for real time tournaments.

 

[Robhawk29]

If coaches are pushing turnovers their first thoughts will be try and strip the ball over tackling.

 

[cockn'fyr]

Personally, I never practiced like I played. Whenever I got on the field on game day it was special. I could get in the "zone" which was an intense level of concentration and the game seemed like it was in slow motion. I could never attain that in practice because it was just practice and did not count for anything. It was more like the drudgery you had to go through so you could get to the game. The game was all that mattered.

As far as tackling, I learned that 80% of tackling was being in the right position, taking a good angle and squaring up to the ball carrier. If you don't have good position it is very hard to tackle a good ball carrier. The rest it just technique. You hit the guy with your head up and you wrap up. Today, too many guys' idea of a good tackle it to make a big hit. When they do that they don't wrap up and the ball carrier keeps his legs moving and keeps going. A big hit doesn't matter. Getting the guy on the ground is all that matters.

Exactly, you would think our coaches are coaching that! I don’t know if we have the depth to sit someone that is not tackling properly, but somehow you have to get their attention that we are not going to be a poor tackling team, it is the base of every winning defensive team!

 

[Neanderthal]

Tackling is a difficult thing to teach. If you practice full speed tackling, players get hurt. Form tackling can only take you so far but that’s what players/coaches do. And the rules are such that it makes it more difficult, particularly on the QB. Can’t hit him late, can’t hit him high, can’t hit him low (maybe that’s just the NFL), can’t sling him down, can’t shove him down, so WTH you gonna do?
On a regular ball carrier, you go to tackle him and he ducks low and you get a targeting call. It’s all arm tackling now except for the times a defender is lucky to get a shoulder in there.
I know, we got got to be safety conscious. But it sure puts a thorn in the side of an aggressive defender. No more room for players like Butkus, Lambert, LT, Nischke, Curtis, Bell, Nobis, Huff, etc.

 

[JGH 35]

The best way to practice tackling is actually to play a lot of basketball. The reason is that tackling is all about the feet and getting position. That was the way I was discovered as a football player. The head coach saw me playing basketball in the gym and was impressed with how quick I was and how I moved my feet to get position. The next day he called me to his office and asked me to play defensive back. If you get to where you are supposed to be and maintain good football position, keep your head up and concentrate on the ball carrier's mid section, you can tackle. There is no magic to it - it's just fundamentals. We don't play with good fundamentals.

 

[Gamecock Jacque]

The best way to practice tackling is actually to play a lot of basketball. The reason is that tackling is all about the feet and getting position. That was the way I was discovered as a football player. The head coach saw me playing basketball in the gym and was impressed with how quick I was and how I moved my feet to get position. The next day he called me to his office and asked me to play defensive back. If you get to where you are supposed to be and maintain good football position, keep your head up and concentrate on the ball carrier's mid section, you can tackle. There is no magic to it - it's just fundamentals. We don't play with good fundamentals.

Never heard that. Interesting.