It is not enough to be a good quarterback. You must capture the edge that will make you the starting quarterback.

One of the most useful tools a quarterback has for developing and refining his skills and techniques are drills that provide gamelike experiences during practice. A quarterback must commit to a substantial amount of drill work during the off-season as well as in-season. It is a full calendar year of repetitive work.

I have worked with many quarterbacks within different offensive systems, and what I’ve found is every pass is a different kind of throw. Sometimes, you need to drive the ball. Other times, you need to stroke the ball. Many times, it’s an arching throw over a defender or between defenders.

What is common to them all is a catchable ball with a tight spiral. If every pass truly does take a different kind of throw, then every kind of throw has to be practiced. Few quarterbacks attempt to accomplish this kind of skill development during workouts. The reasons are varied: lack of time, lack of direction or in some cases a lack of motivation.

A great opportunity for young quarterbacks to practice these multiple throws is during the offseason, when there is plenty of time to work out. A quarterback takes all of the routes within his offense and practices each throw using the proper drop and footwork, then finishes the passes with the required touch and ball speed. Now, the quarterback is developing his passing skills and practicing the right techniques.

NBA Hall of Famer Michael Jordan once said: “There is a right way and a wrong way to practice. You can practice 10 hours a day, but if your techniques are wrong, then all you become is very good at doing your techniques the wrong way.”

Master the techniques that improve quarterback skills. Great QBs are accurate and know when to soften his passes.

The quarterback drills that I select to develop and improve play are designed to develop mechanics. With hard work and passion, your body will get the feel of each drill and its defined movements. Repeat those movements to gain consistency and muscle memory. Once you have trained your physical self to master the specific quarterback movements and responses, intuitive play will emerge.

Productive, winning quarterbacks possess instinct, intuition and an ability to make good quick decisions during a game’s crucial moments. This is a special trait to own. Master the position techniques of quarterbacking, and you will be on your way toward developing a level of spontaneity in your play that will be tough to defend.

In considering all the factors needed to develop a full set of quarterback skills workout, drills are separated into three segments and examples can be found in my book, “Eyes Up:”

• The warm-up. Quarterbacks should consistently use a crossover and balance step mechanic when throwing during warm-ups. Never stand flat-footed and pass the ball. Not often in game situations is a quarterback afforded the luxury of throwing flat-footed from the pocket. Pass rushers don’t play the game with that objective in mind. Take every opportunity to practice the last two steps in drop mechanics, beginning with the warm-up phase. 
• Footwork. Football practice is about skills improvement and preparing for the next opponent. Every drill within a practice period must be skill-specific. Service all quarterback drills with a snapper. Ball exchange is critical to a quarterback’s timing and separation from center – shotgun mechanics included. The football drills for this practice segment must be game-related and quarterback-specific.
• Specialty drills. Quarterbacks must be able to properly execute the required techniques without having to stop and think. This concept is learned through relentless repetition of drills. Drills must provide quarterbacks with techniques that are specific to game situations. Quarterback coaching points are designed to reduce the uncertainty QBs face in game situations. Productive quarterback play only happens when your mechanics are automatic. 

Terry Shea is a longtime football coach at the NFL and college levels, serving as the Rutgers head coach and Chicago Bears offensive coordinator among his stops. He currently is the head coach of the Boston Brawlers of the Fall Experimental Football League and has helped train many NFL quarterbacks, including Robert Griffin III, Matthew Stafford, Sam Bradford, Josh Freeman, Aaron Murray, Blaine Gabbert and Trent Green. Click here to view his book, “Eyes Up,”which instructs and energizes quarterbacks and their coaches to improve on the field.