3 and 5 step drop

Question
Hi coach,

Thanks again for your answers, I am now working on the playbook and it begins to have a decent look!!
Now i have a quarterback oriented question.
As we have no real coaches, we train by ourselves. Today I was working my 3 and 5 step drop. First of all I have a problem with my weight shifting: during the drop should I lean a bit forward or a bit backwards?The purpose of course is to gain a lot of distance but by leaning backwards my weight is often too much backwards resulting in a loss of balance when i make the T step at the end. So how should I execute it properly?
Then I tried to throw while dropping back and it is damn had!!! Do you have any advice for this?
My last question: Is there a difference in the execution of the 3 and 5 step drop? Are every step equal? the 3 step drop is used more for a short pass ad the 5 step more for long passing,so any difference?And when handing the ball to your RB do you execute a drop step or not?

Thanks again for your help!
Best Regards.
Edvard

Answer
Edvard -

I am glad you enjoy the responses, and they are turning out to be helpful.  Sorry it has taken a little while to get back to you.  I am getting very busy with my team, and have been getting a lot of questions on this site as well.  So lets take a look at your questions here.

For any drop, there is a dual action.  Obviously, you have to be going backwards, so your weight is going backwards.  However, a QB has to do 2 things at the same time during a drop.  He uses his feet to go backwards, but his upper body should be leaning forward a bit.  It is a little hard to describe in writing, but basically, as you are doing your drop steps, your shoulders should have a lean forward.  In other words, your back shoulder (throwing shoulder) will be a little higher up than your front shoulder.  Take a good look at some pictures of NFL QBs to see examples of what I am talking about.  If you do this correctly, I think you will solve the loss of balance issue.  This sort of offsets it either way.

The only way to really get good at this is to practice it properly.  Get the steps down correctly, starting by just walking them out.  After you have the hang of it, try it at about 50%.  When you can do it well 10x in a row, try 75%.  So on until you can do it full speed.  Once that happens, practice it as much as possible.  Thats how to get good at it.  Very simple, yet very important.

The difference in drops is just the amount of steps.  In a 3 step, the first 2 steps are to get depth, and the third is to set yourself.  In a 5 step, the first 4 steps are for depth, and the fifth to set yourself. Make sure and stay in an athletic stance as you go back.  If your legs are too straight, it will cause loss of balance AND will slow you down.  As for when to use what, it all depends on the routes called, and the situation you are in.  Keep your common sense.  IF the routes are quicker, and you dont need as much time and/or you need to deliver the ball quickly, use a 3 step.  If you need more time for the routes to develop, and/or can take more time, use a 5 step.  The offensive line WILL have different protection as well for each.  Its VERY important that they know which one you will be doing, because they need to know WHERE the QB will be.  If you are doing a 3 step drop, they can try and "ride" a defender up field and outside.  But if they think you are in a 3 step and do that, but you are doing a 5 step, they will take their defender right into the QB.  So keep that in mind.

For handing off and play action, it all depends on your schemes and play calls.  Again, in most cases, just use your common sense, and do what works best for your offense.  The trick is to make sure the drops look the same on both hand offs and play action passes.  That is what play action passes are for in the first place.  To make the defenders hesitate thinking it might be a running play. This gives the QB, the OL, and the WRs a little extra time to do what they need to do.

I hope this helps and you are getting yor offense together. Again, you might want to do a lot of thinking about getting some literature on offensive football.  Even if it is a little expensive or a pain in the butt, it will be worth it for someone looking to do what you are doing. Good luck!

Best wishes

Coach Perl