Recieving the Wide

The wide receiver is responsible for several roles, including blocking and running pass routes. But, the most important role of the wide receiver is to catch passes. The best wide receivers develop good hands by incorporating various training drills into their general strength and conditioning program. An unconventional training tool for these drills is the tennis ball.
Function
Wide receiver drills with tennis balls are designed to improve pass catching ability. The goal is to develop the best hands possible so you can catch the pass regardless of where it is thrown. For example, George O'Leary, the University of Central Florida head coach, suggests that tennis ball drills have improved his receivers' abilities to hold onto the football.
Training
A football training program lasts year-round. The best time to incorporate the tennis ball drills for wide receivers is during the off-season, when they are working on improving weaknesses and refining skills. This allows the wide receivers to focus on catching passes instead of preparing for games or participating in a regular practice schedule.
Progression
While tennis ball drills may sound simple, the drills can become very complex to test even the best wide receivers. As a result, a general and steady progression is required to match the individual level of the players. Start with playing catch with the tennis balls and using both hands. Then, progress to catching the ball with one hand before moving onto throwing the ball at different angles while running routes.
Samples
A sample tennis ball drill practice schedule starts with a one-handed catching drill to warm-up the arm, hands and eyes. Repeat this for about 10 minutes while focusing on a clean catch without any dropped passes. After warming-up with stretches and calisthenics, move into a route-running receiving drill while catching the tennis ball. Focus on running crisp, clean routes before catching the ball by watching the ball all the way into the hands and then running upfield after the catch.