Set Piece Skills drill
Core-Driven Throw Primer
Teach yourself that lineout throwing length comes from the trunk, not the arms.
- Time
- 8 minutes
- Players
- 1 to 3 players
- Intensity
- Low
- Equipment
- Ball
- Positions
- Hookers
Setup
A stability ball and a rugby ball. Indoors or on grass.
How to run it
- Lie face-up on the stability ball with the rugby ball held overhead in your throwing grip.
- Pull through your abdominals and release the ball above your head, so the only thing that can generate the release is your trunk.
- Do 3 sets of 10 releases as a primer immediately before your standing throwing session.
- Keep your chest up and your abs braced, and finish with your hands together pointing at the target exactly as you would in a real throw.
- This is the fastest way to feel where lineout power actually comes from.
Coaching cues
- Pull through the abs, not the arms
- Chest up, abs braced
- Hands finish together at the target
Common mistakes
- Arching the low back instead of flexing through the abdominals
- Treating it as a shoulder exercise, which misses the entire point
Related drills
- Lineout Distance RotationHold throwing accuracy constant as the distance changes, front to back.
- Twenty Quality Throws Under FatigueThrow accurately when you are blowing, which is when lineouts are actually lost.
- Three-Man Lift UnitBuild a safe, stable lineout lift as a unit of three.
- Lineout Pod MovementDisguise where the ball is going by making every pod look live.
- Solo Scrum Body PositionBuild the individual scrum body position safely, with nobody opposite you.
- Brake Foot RehearsalGroove the hooker's brake foot sequence for the scrum engagement.