Upper Body strength for footy, i cant tackle?

Question

I am a little scrawny fit kid, i am a runner. I can for long periods of time, but i have a very weak upper body. In footy i can never tackle, even people shorter then me. So im trying to build up my upper body strength , so i can tackle better. One of the best tacklers on our team is the shortest player, so i know its possible for me to tackle as well as him.I have been doing some push ups, and i own a pair of dumbells.But i dont know many techniques that can really build my upper body. Can anyone give me tips or a website that can show me how? thanks :)

Answer 1

You can keep doing your weights to bulid up muscle that will definately help you but tackling is all about technique and speed. My advice is talk 2 your coach or other players on your team and ask them how to tackle. Some of the best tacklers in afl are pretty weak as well for example Alwyn Davey.

Answer 2

um, if you watch some of the professional AFL players you can see that many of them cant tackle properly. Dale Thomas being one of them. He cant tackle for his life but hes a good fast runner and can kick amazing goals. it doesn't matter if you cant tackle or not but if you want some help then just do push ups and sit-ups every morning and night , do chin-ups and work out more in ther gym. also practice tackling people in your family, you should be alrite then. look out Australia, we have a new AFL player in the making LOL.

Answer 3

Mate, I'm also a scrawny guy.  Was a reasonable footballer, I ran and evaded and had a pretty good disposal game  (KB was my hero as a youngster even though I was a Cats fan.  Met him once when we played the curtain raiser actually but blah blah blah)

Tackling isn't all about strength.  A lot is about commitment and technique.  I learned my lesson from playing Rugby against a huge guy when I was at College.  He ran at me and I shat myself - he ran over me and I had a bruise the size of a pumpkin on my shoulder from my feeble effort.  Next time (after 20 minutes of ice and abuse from the coach) I decided I wouldn't let him run, I'd hit him under the ribs with my shoulder and grab the non ball carrying arm.  I got him and was stoked with myself.  

Same in footy, the non-ball arm is everything - that's your first target.  Same rule about get your head behind the player and shoulder into it.  Even putting the head between the right arm and body can work if you're quick at it.  There's a technique to it that's hard to describe without picture but watch guys like Daniel Chick and Paul Chapman - watch exactly what they do.

Answer 4

Build on your strengths and improve your weakness.

Learn how to grapple and wrestle. Gives you the technique to bring someone to ground quickly. It actually builds onto your fitness, core strength as well as upper and lower body strength.

Your strength is in your legs. So for the time being when you tackle someone, remember to drive them backwards with your leg strength.

Keep up your running. The best players in the league has huge aerobic capacity.

See if you can build in speed.

Remember to say g'day to Macca when you are famous.

.

Answer 5

Eat lots of meat and go to a gym.

Answer 6

do biceps curls, tricep related weight exercises too, don't go over board, you are a kid, i'll give you a tip about tackling, which i loved to do, always watch the hips mate, you can get real good at it if you watch the good tacklers in the AFL, watch what they do.   keep you eyes on the players hips and legs, and wrapped them up, turn your side so you don't ride them into the ground so it is a push in the back, turn your opponent,, tackle hard so next time the opponent thinks this will happen again , so makes him get rid of the ball quicker, making more of a chance of him making the wrong decision.

good luck with it young fella, don't give up, remember don't over do the weights if you are too young.

Answer 7

I suggest you take up soccer instead......j/k

Talk to your PE teacher and ask what you can do to build upper body strength...

good luck :)

Answer 8

Hydie 23

suggest you cross train - as well as the running thing, swim or play golf or do martial arts or learn gymnastics. All of which ask for upper body strength, without you having to be King Kong.

As a swimmer, I would recommend backstroke if you need to build shoulders and back, or butterfly for the arms as well, plus plenty of freestyle to help your aerobic power.

Eat properly: as much meat and fish and eggs as you can manage without overdoing it, lots of green vegies and wholegrain bread and spuds if you like them. Fruit. Cheese.

Yoghurt. Pasta with red sauce rather than the cream sauces.

If you've had a strong training session, make yourself a smoothie with an egg and milk and fruit in a kitchen wizz.And best of all, pull your head out of your shoulders and your chest out of your stomach, and WALK TALL.Like Rove McManus, Lleyton Hewitt and a large number of really influential VFL/AFL blokes who are/were under 170cm.

Good luck.

Answer 9

A tip I learned from basketball, watch the hips.