Set Piece Skills drill
Post Throw
Build lineout throwing accuracy against a fixed target you cannot argue with.
- Time
- 20 minutes
- Players
- 1 to 4 players
- Intensity
- Low
- Equipment
- Ball, goal posts
- Space
- 5m to 20m from the post
- Positions
- Hookers
Setup
A goalpost upright, one ball, and four cones marking progressive distances. Stand on the try line facing the upright.
How to run it
- Throw at the upright aiming to hit it at a set height.
- The standard is three consecutive hits, then five, then ten at each cone distance before you are allowed to move back - do not move back early, because the whole value is in earning the distance.
- Spread your fingers on the ball, hold it directly above your head and push your elbows forward, with the power coming from your wrists and forearms and a full follow-through.
- Only add live jumpers once the technique holds at every distance.
- This works alone and needs nothing but a post and a ball.
Coaching cues
- Fingers spread on the ball
- Ball directly above the head, elbows push forward
- Earn the distance - three, then five, then ten
Common mistakes
- The ball tumbling because the fingers are bunched together
- Dropping the elbow, which makes the throw loop instead of drive
Related drills
- Wall Throw Grip and ReleaseBuild the lineout throw at every realistic distance against a wall target, alone.
- Core-Driven Throw PrimerTeach yourself that lineout throwing length comes from the trunk, not the arms.
- 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.