Category Archives: Football

MAXIMUM PRESSURE FOR MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE AT ALL TIMES

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Whether it’s a volleyball, football, basketball, playground ball, water polo ball, soccer ball, rugby ball, etc., etc., all inflatable balls feature a maximum pressure stamped right into the ball.  This number can usually be found in close proximity to the inflation valve on the ball.  A lot of individuals completely ignore this number until that fateful day when the ball they are inflating explodes in their hands, a scary and dangerous situation.  Other see this number as a warning only.  DO NOT INFLATE TO MORE THAN XXX POUNDS OF PRESSURE.  At least they will not have to worry about the previously mentioned explosion.  To those of us in the know however this number is more of a “sweet spot”, the pressure at which that particular ball will perform its best.  In some cases you may find that a slightly different pressure performs better to you, your own custom “sweet spot”.

Don’t think that ball pressure is that important to your game?  Have you ever bounced an under inflated basketball?  Ever tried to get a spiral out of a football that needed some more air?  Try spiking an under inflated volleyball.  Ever kick a soccer ball and wonder why it didn’t travel in the correct direction.  Under inflation could have been the problem.  Inflation pressure is important not only to the longevity of the product but also its performance.

A lot of research money has gone into making sure that the bladder and valve on your ball will hold air correctly.  Huge amounts of money have gone into developing new bladder technologies, that’s how important air retention is when it comes to inflatable sports balls.  The sports balls of today don’t require nearly as much re-inflation as they used to which is good news.  Another big stride taken against under inflated sports balls is the ability to purchase some very small hand pumps to keep your sports balls inflated to the proper level even on the fields.

Many products are available and they can all get the job done.  The pocket pump, pocket pistol, double action hand pump, the 10”ball inflator.  There are dozens of styles to choose from.  There is one problem with most designs however.  They can inflate the ball but they don’t tell you the current pressure.  You need a separate inflation gauge for that.  That is until now. 

The new Pocket Pump With Gauge offers the handy size and easy to use design of the pocket pump with a built in pressure gauge so that you know when you have inflated the ball to its “sweet spot”.  You can pick up your Pocket Pump With Gauge at www.morleyathletic.com where you will find all of the supplies and equipment you need to run a successful sports program.

How To Save A Ton Of Money On Footballs

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Has it been rainy in your area lately?  Seems like half the country has been getting hammered with wet weather this season.  This is bad news for farmers, bikers and football players alike.  No one over the age of 5 likes to play in the rain but sometimes we have to.  Obvious problems will arise when dealing with the forces of water.  One such problem is a football that has absorbed a bunch of water.

Water causes immediate as well as long term damage to leather footballs.  In the long term footballs will simply become damaged from prolonged exposure to water.  It doesn’t matter if you’re using genuine leather, composite leather or synthetic leather.  Most footballs made with any of these materials will be useless after being wet for an extended period of time.  In the short term water will soak into the cover and padding of the football which makes the ball heavier and unusable. 

Last time I checked good footballs were not that cheap.  (You can find some unbelievable prices on them at www.morleyathletic.com though).  So what can you do?  Who will save the day…  well the footballs at least.  Enter our hero of the rainy day, Dri-Ball. 

The Dri-Ball kit includes 2 packages of the Dri-Ball powder, a shaker bag and instructions.  Pour some of the powder into the shaker bag, add damp footballs (or baseballs, softball, tennis balls) and shake.  Water is absorbed and the balls will not be damaged.  You will find a great product review video of the Dri-Ball kit on YouTube here Dri-Ball Video. 

Priced at under $60 a kit with the potential to save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars Dri-Ball is a real value.  Every team should have Dri-Ball ready during rainy games so you can dry the footballs as needed.  Buy yourself a few Dri-Ball kits now, you’ll find them at www.MorleyAthletic.com  along with great pricing on all of your other football needs.

TOP 5 WAYS TO PREPARE FOR FOOTBALL SEASON

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Preparation and effective training are essential for any football player or team, and Morley Athletic provides the equipment needed to fully prepare for the season. Following are the top 5 ways to prepare for football season.

1. Knee High Trainers. Agility is critical for every position, whether on the line or in the backfield. Quarterbacks, centers, running backs, linebackers, and defensive ends will all benefit alike from this piece of training equipment. Forcing players to work through the ropes quickly while also keeping their knees high will increase anybody’s speed and agility.


2. Football Dummies. Football Dummies are crucial for football preparation. Coming in a wide variety of sizes, shapes, and weights, these are some of the most diverse and widely used pieces of football training equipment. Use them to practice hitting and blocking, as target practice, or as running obstacles.


3. The Football Fumbler. For any skill position that will be handling the ball, fumbling must be avoided at any and all costs. The Football Fumbler simulates the hands, arms, and body of a tackling defensive player, allowing individuals to train themselves and practice hanging on to the ball even in heavy traffic and hard-hitting contact.


4. Doubleman Overspeed. Speed is one of the most important things any football player can have. The Doubleman Overspeed allows for both people to train and increase their speed. The runner in the front must work to pull the weight and added resistance of the runner in the back, while the rear person must force his or her muscles and legs to move faster than ever before in order to keep up with the force pulling from the front.


5. Football Passing Drill Net. An offense can’t really get going if it doesn’t have a passing game, and the Football Passing Drill Net is perfect for training quarterbacks and improving their passing abilities. With a variety of targets placed in varying locations and at different heights, this piece of equipment allows players to practice throwing all over the field, simulating the challenge of passing through and over defenders during a game.

These ideas will greatly benefit any player, coach, or trainer as they prepare for football season. As with any sport, it is not merely practice that makes perfect, but perfect practice that makes perfect. This means that the way in which one practices and trains is of utmost importance.

With this in mind, the type of equipment being used during training and practice sessions is important, and the equipment described above is designed to maximize practice and training time, with the ultimate goal of translating into big results on game night. To get the most out of your training and work sessions, remember these top five ways to prepare for football season and implement them into your practice routine. Check out www.morelyathletic.com for more information on the products above.

80/20 Fitness Top Three

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So everyone out there is applying the 80/20 principle to their lives.  You know where you focus on doing the 20 percent of things that produce 80 percent of the outcome.  Simple idea and honestly I think I agree with it.  So to apply that to fitness you just need to look at modern science behind exercise.  You will find tons of information online that basically says in a nutshell that you don’t have to spend hours working out.  Simply put in the 20 percent of the workout that produces 80 percent of the result.  Translated this means- work out really hard for a short period of time.  It’s an idea built around other modern exercise ideas like interval training.  So if you want to give it a try it’s not that hard.  To make it easier here is my top 3 equipment picks for delivering exercise in an 80/20 format.  Don’t forget though that you’re the one that’s going to have to push yourself hard enough with these tools to produce the result. 

Kettlebells

You can use kettlebells in tons of ways making it possible to work most if not all muscle groups.   My favorite use for kettlebells, and what works for me and my minimalist approach is the kettlebell swing.  The basic idea is you stand with your legs apart and swing your kettlebell straight in front of you the trick being that you’re not going to use your arm muscles but rather a hip thrust motion that will make muscles throughout your body lift the kettlebell and swing it in front of you.

Now it sounds easy but once you reach your maximum weight it won’t take many reps to get your heart rate up, the sweat flowing and your muscles fatigued.  I use kettlebells as a major part of my fitness routine.  It saves me a ton of time that I would normally have to spend doing several different exercises with higher reps and sets, to meet the same workout level.

Power Conditioning Ropes

Power Conditioning ropes are similar to what tug-of-war ropes or climbing ropes are made of.  You take this 1-1/2″, 40 foot long rope, thread it through a metal loop anchor bracket that has been attached to the wall so that you now have two 20′ long ropes.  Grab one with your left hand, one with your right hand and whip them up and down in a wave motion.  Sounds easy but it’s quite a workout.  This one will really get your heart pumping and gives your core a great workout in a short time.

Jump Ropes

The Super Speed Rope is extremely fast, easy to use and perfectly balanced.  The coated stainless steel cable is attached to metal ball bearings inside of the durable plastic handles.  This is a serious piece of work out equipment.  Once a customer uses the super speed rope they will never go back to those flimsy alternatives.  This rope lets you really push yourself.  My jump rope routine is an interval type with ten 30 second intervals where I push as hard as I can and ten 30 second intervals where I slow it down so I can catch my breath.  Some days I don’t even finish the set and I’ll keep sweating for about 30 to 45 minutes after I finish.

So that’s my top three.  Give them a try and you will like the results.  Remember you don’t need to spend hours or even a half an hour on any of these.  All of the above can be used to work up a sweat fast while you increase cardiovascular health, endurance and power.  You can buy all three at www.morleyathletic.com where you’ll find over 10,000 items online.

Save Money, Burn Fat, Build Muscle

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Everyone wants to keep in shape.  Some of us go to the gym 3 times a week others build a gym in their own house.  Some people buy DVD’s and try to get fit doing what the guy on the TV tells them.  Anybody who has tried to stay in shape knows the same thing.  It takes work and dedication.  One thing it doesn’t take is a ton of money, contrary to what Sunday morning television would teach us.  You won’t get anywhere unless you come up with a routine that you can stick too.  Believe me I have tried dozens if not hundreds of times to stick to a complicated eating and exercising routine and while that may work for some it’s just not for me.  A guy on a bodybuilding forum once gave me the best advice.  He said that what he did to get in such great shape was to make sure that he did something every day.  Just something, whether it be a two hour routine or the more likely 10 minute quickie workout.  Great advice that we can all actually stick to..  Just do something, because something is always better than nothing.

There are a ton of simple workouts that can be done without anything more than our own body weight as resistance.  No need to expensive contraptions, machines or high tech fitness tools.  So pick a few exercises from the wealth of information online and start working those larger muscle groups in the privacy of your own home for free.  No need to hit the gym.

One piece of equipment I do recommend is the kettlebell.  The easiest  use for kettlebells, and what works for me is the kettlebell swing.  The basic idea is you stand with your legs apart and swing your kettlebell straight in front of you.   The trick being that you’re not going to use your arm muscles but rather a hip thrust motion that will make muscles throughout your body lift the kettlebell and swing it in front of you.  You can find videos of this move on any respectable video sharing website.  It’s that popular.

Once you reach your maximum weight it won’t take many reps to get your heart rate up, the sweat flowing and your muscles fatigued.  I use kettlebells as a major part of my fitness routine simply because I feel like I get a great workout in only a couple of minutes.  Seriously just a couple of minutes and I’m feeling the burn.  It saves me a ton of time.   Now the time I would normally spend doing several different exercises with higher reps and sets I can spend with my son and daughter.  That’s what i call quality time.

I suggest that you educate yourself on the use of kettlebells and then start with a low weight until you can get your form right after which you should move up in kettlebell weight to increase your workout intensity.  There are new vinyl coated and even Rhino soft rubber kettlebells available to make sure your floors are not damaged.  You will find a complete selection of kettlebells at www.morleyathletic.com.