Tyler Cope, attended Jesuit High School in Portland Oregon, was a walk-on kicker at the University of Colorado in 2007 is here in Scottsdale, Arizona this weekend for One on One Kicking Lessons.In 2007, Tyler was the kickoff man at University of Colorado as a freshman. After the season he transferred back to Oregon and is now attending Oregon State University.
Tyler is a good looking athlete at 6'1, 190 pounds. Besides being an All-State Kicker in High School, he was also a four year letter winner in track.
Our One on One Lesson started with Tyler going through his kicking routine, I video taped and observed his technique.
Tyler kicked several balls and almost every kick was a little different from the previous kick. I noticed that Tyler's starting position was different on every kick. So, the first fundamental we needed to address was finding Tyler's 'Perfect Triangle'. In other words his distance back, over and his approach to the ball. Below is a photo of Tyler's new starting position into the ball.
Tyler's perfect triangle is 104" x 78" x 132". Every kickers approach is just a little different from the next kicker. However, the key to every kickers success is obtaining a consistent starting position so you can get a consistent perfect plant, which will result in consistent contact on the ball.When Tyler started the lesson, he kicked and pushed a bunch of kicks to the right. He had the same tendency during Spring football practice at Oregon State. He was very frustrated with his kicking, and that's why he is here in Arizona with me.
With every small adjustment, Tyler starting kicking the ball more consistently down the middle or slightly left.
Tyler was an excellent listener and was very good accepting coaching.
When Tyler first started kicking, he was cutting or wiping the ball which caused him to push or pull his kicks. So, the last fundamental we worked on was getting him to kick up and through his kicks. By the end of the first lesson, Tyler was kicking the ball directly down the middle on a consistent basis. Below, you can see Tyler finishing his kicks towards his target.
We finish our first lesson and headed back to my office to review the video. During the video review Tyler could see with clarity what his major problems were. He could also see what his perfect kicks looked like.Tyler learned a lot about kicking today. I believe he was very happy with his improvement and is looking forward to tomorrow's lesson.
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