Drills Report: The ‘W’ Drill - Offensive Line Style

The W drill is one of the oldest and most-used defensive back drills. It is a great way to teach defensive backs the proper body positioning and footwork necessary to excel. It teaches players how to keep their hips low, eyes up, feet within the framework of their body, and how to change direction properly. As an O-line coach, I teach my players to develop these same skills defensive back coaches do.
The drill requires as little or as much equipment as you find necessary, and can be used as a daily warm up drill. It is a great alternative to using the sled or chute, and can be done as fast or as slow as you would like. First, set up five cones in a “W” shape with three cones on each five yard line and two cones halfway between the first and third cones (See Diagram 1).