Stop Lunging! You’re Killing Your Coverage

Hey Defender of the Airways,

The primary goal of press man coverage is simple: disrupt the timing and the route of the wide receiver. To do this effectively, your hands have to come into play to redirect the receiver.

However, after years of coaching, I’ve seen that many young defensive backs use their hands incorrectly. Since we are in the heart of camp season and 7-on-7 reps, now is the perfect time to fix your "order of operations" before the real season kicks off.

The "Hands" Trap

As I watch young DBs at camps, one thing becomes clear: too many athletes rely on their hands way too early. It might surprise you to learn this, but your hands are actually the last part of the press man process.

Great press man defensive backs follow a strict sequence: Eyes, then Feet, then Hands. For your hands to actually work, your eyes and feet must do their job first.

Step 1: The Eyes

Before the snap, your eyes should be locked into the wide receiver’s hips. The hips are the central point of the body. Where the hips go, the receiver follows.

Many DBs make the mistake of watching hands, feet, or head—all of which can move rapidly to deceive you. The hips move at a much slower pace. As the saying goes: "The hips don't lie." If you need more visual cues on how to train your vision, this is a major focus in our All Eyes DB Camp Member's Area, where we break down film on elite eye discipline.

Step 2: The Feet

When your eyes are on the right target, your feet must move to put you in position. Instead of mirroring the release, many young DBs panic, open up too quickly, and start running. This is exactly what a savvy wideout wants.

When a DB turns and runs too early, they get fooled. To compensate, they usually lunge with their hands (which freezes their feet) or they grab the jersey and draw a yellow flag. Mastering footwork is the difference between a PBU and a touchdown.

P.S. Most DBs fail at press man because they don't know how to move backward and laterally at the same time. If you’re struggling with Step 2 (The Feet), I put together a 10-page Kick Slide Blueprint that breaks down this specific movement frame-by-frame. It’s the fastest way to stop over-committing at the line. Check it out here.

Step 3: The Hands

Once your eyes are locked and your feet are moving correctly, then and only then should your hands come into play.

Think of press man like a great-tasting cake: Your hands are the icing. We all know the icing comes last. Focused eyes allow well-trained feet to put you in position, which sets up the proper hand strikes to disrupt both the timing and the shape of the route.

Master the Craft

If you want to dive deeper into the specific hand-placement techniques and footwork drills that I've used to train NFL starters, I’ve got two ways for you to level up right now:

• The Blueprint: Grab your copy of 101 DB Tips. It’s the ultimate defensive back reference guide and covers the "Order of Operations" in detail.

• The Lab: Join the All Eyes DB Camp Member's Area for exclusive video drills and film study sessions that show you exactly how to mirror elite releases.

Chad Wilson
Founder, All Eyes DB Camp
@alleyesdbcamp on Instagram