Kicking, Punting, Snapping, and Special Teams Consultant
Friday, August 29, 2008
Coach Z Interviews (P) Brett Kern
On Thursday afternoon I did a One on One Interview with Brett Kern who is a Rookie Punter with the Denver Broncos. The Denver Broncos are in town for their final preseason game vs the Arizona Cardinals.
University of Toledo Punter, Brett Kern received All-American honors in 2007. This spring Brett came to Scottsdale for One on One Punting Lessons to refine his technique.
After this years draft, Brett was signed as a free agent with the Broncos. The Broncos where one of three teams that needed a punter and it was a great signing for the Broncos and a great opportunity for Brett.
At the present time he is in a battle for the starting position. Tonight's game could determine who gets cut and who makes the team.
Three Part Interview with Denver Broncos Rookie Punter Brett Kern.
Part Two Interview with Brett Kern
Part Three Interview with Brett Kern
I wish Brett the best of luck not only on tonight's game but also in the future. He has a very strong punting leg and a lot of natural ability. He is also a very nice young man and was a pleasure to work with. I hope to continue working together in the future!
Coach Zauner and the Head Coach, Michelle were on vacation last week at their summer retreat and out of the heat in the White Mountains of Arizona.
Last week Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday it was up to the mountains and relaxation. Torreon is a beautiful golf community in the White Mountains of Show Low, Arizona.
Pinon pines, cooler temperatures and 36 holes of golf on Torreon's beautiful private course.
This week was our member/guest golf tournament. So for the last couple days I was not blogging or kicking, Michelle and I were having fun in the cooler climate of the mountains.
Coach Zauner and his Fountain Hills neighbor, Marty Jessen won their flight by three stokes and moved on to the shoot out.
The secret to playing good tournament golf is putting. Drive for show and putt for dough. Me and my partner had three excellent days putting with the flat stick.
During our free time, Michelle and I took our mountain bikes for a quick spin around the hills and forest of Show Low, Arizona in Torreon.
Below was the first playoff hole on the Tower Course.
Torreon is known for it's beauty and fast greens. Below is a the Par 3-15th Hole on Tower.
Below is the Par 3-11th Hole on Tower
During the Shoot Out I hit the golf shot of the weekend. It happen on the 3rd Hole, Tower Course which is about a 175 yard par three.
In the Shoot Out there is an alternate shot format and my partner hit a shot pin high but on the left side of the bunkers.
In the photo below, I hit a flop shot from where you see Michelle standing to about 6 inches of the hole for a tap in par.
I practice this flop shot a lot. However, in the pressure of the tournament I almost talked myself out of hitting the shot. However, I always tell my friends, "If your afraid go buy a dog!"
On the fourth and final playoff hole we were knocked out of the Shoot Out and the money. It was fun and relaxing. I really thrive on the competition.
On Sunday Eddie Johnson who had previously been in town in July for some One on One Punting and Kickoff Lessons was now back in Scottsdale to shoot his workout video.
In late July Eddie came to town to refine his punting and kickoff skills. Two days after Eddie left Scottsdale he was signed by the Detroit Lions. Paul Ernster had been released and signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Lions needed a combination Punter / Kickoff man for training camp.
Eddie had just gotten home from Scottsdale and was on his way to Detroit. Eddie worked out and was signed.
Eddie played in the first preseason game vs the World Champion NY Giants. Eddie who punts, holds and kicks off ironically was forced to also kick field goals. Jason Hanson got hurt and Eddie was forced into action.
Eddie kicked two field goals. His 41 yard field goal at the end of the game was a game winner.
Due to the 80 man roster rule and Jason's injury and the signing of Dave Rayner, Eddie had to be released. This 80 man rule is really hurting the kicking specialists.
On Sunday at Chaparral High School we video taped Eddie's workout for the NFL Pro Personnel section on my website.
In Eddie's workout video we highlighted his punting, kickoff, holding and field goal skills.
Eddie Johnson was an All-American Punter out of Idaho State and drafted by the Minnesota Viking in the 6th Round in 2003. He has been signed by several NFL teams in recent years.
I believe Eddie has the talent to be a punter in the NFL. Eddie Johnson just needs to be in the right place at the right time.
How true this statement reflects most things in life!
On Wednesday, Thursday and Friday Andrew Friedman, a kicker at the University of Alabama was in Scottsdale, Arizona for some One on One Kicking and Kickoff Lessons.
In the first lesson Andrew went through his warm up drills and started kicking. When he was kicking I noticed he marked off his steps differently on each kick.
As he kicked I asked him questions and he gave me excellent answers. One of the things he mentioned is that he was missing a lot of kicks to the right. Because he was trying to make another adjustment for being too close to the ball he was not lining up his correctly.
Andrew is a typical southern athlete, very polite and very respectful to coaches. Yes sir, No sir. Andrew is the product of listening to a bunch of kicking coaches or instructors that might not know a lot about kicking. Their in the business to make money but know nothing about the mechanics and fundamentals about kicking.
After the first lesson I analyzed and reviewed the video with Andrew. My thoughts on the field were confirmed by the slow motion video. Andrew was a little surprised on how he now looked on video.
Andrew was a good kicker in high school with a strong leg and was not kicking the ball even close to the way we saw him kick on his high school highlight video. Kicking instructors have changed Andrew so much he was now kicking very mechanically, with less accuracy and power.
He knew something was wrong but was not sure what it was or how to correct it. Andrew, had heard about me through another kicker and decided to get out here to Scottsdale and work out his dilemma.
After the first lesson I designed a game plan and progression of drills specifically to help Andrew acquire the correct fundamentals and muscle memory to not only make him a more consistent kicker but to get the power and distance back that he lost trying to kick with this other style of kicking and kicking off.
I introduced Andrew to the One Step Drill which is my favorite Drill
Andrew was kicking and pivoting and wrapping his foot around the ball causing one problem so I tried to get Andrew to kick up and through his kicks.
In the above photo you can see Andrew finishing his kicks better.
The first day Andrew was very inconsistent marking off his steps and lining up his kicks so we spent time on and off the field making sure he was more precise at doing both none kicking skills.
In the photo above you see Andrew now finishing this kick on balance. In the first two sessions Andrew was kicking a little out of control. I like kickers to start and end on balance.
Andrew hopes to be the starting kickoff man this year for the Crimson Tide. So we spent time in two sessions working on kickoffs.
Coaches and other kicking instructors have tried to mandate that Andrew kickoff with a scissor or hurdler technique. My recommendation was to have him kickoff with the same technique that he kicks field goals (kick and skip) .
During the video review I made my suggestion for his kickoff technique and I gave Andrew my reasons. He told me that's the way he use to kickoff in high school and was good at it but everyone has told him to get better distance he must use this other technique.
Go figure.
Andrew finished the three day One on One Kicking Lessons knowing he is back on track to kicking the ball more like he use to. He has the DVD to review the coaching points and drills. I believe in two to three weeks he will be kicking much better.
On Thursday and Friday Cornell University Punter,Nick Maxwell visited Scottsdale, Arizona for some One on One Punting Lessons.
In the last month I've sent out messages to a lot of punters and kickers on FaceBook and Nick confirmed me as a friend and checked out my website. Last week he called and decided he wanted to get an extra pair of eyes to check out his technique. Nick and his father booked some flight's from Seattle and New York and here they are.
In about 30 hours we had to get in two punting lessons. So we started bright and early. In the first lesson Nick went through his routine in which I watched and analyzed his technique. I asked a ton of questions and he gave me answers to help me put the puzzle back together.
Nick has an explosive leg, but has a couple of minor flaws in his punting technique. In the photo below you can see his Nose Up Drop. He also had a couple of other flaws.
Nick has gone to other kicking instructors and has been taught a couple of things that I would have some issues with.
However, teaching punting and kicking is like any other business and people have different philosophies.
My philosophy is that of a common sense approach and I don't try to incorporate gimmick's or certain ways to kick or punt. I work to refine each individuals style of kicking. The most important point is to teach sound fundamentals and know individuals will sometimes have unique differences.
During the first lesson we video taped Nicks technique from various angles so we could analyze his technique and make the correct adjustments. The two or three minor flaws became crystal clear to Nick after reviewing the video tape in super slow motion.
The camera or the 'Eye in the Sky' never lies.
In the second lesson we introduced Nick to the Drop Progression and One Step Drill. I believe these two drills will give Nick the proper muscle memory to correct some of the flaws he has in his footwork and drop.
Above Coach Zauner demonstrates the Drop Progression Drill
Above, Coach Zauner is making sure Nick puts the ball directly in front of his punting leg with a flat drop.
Above photo shows Nick dropping the ball directly in front of his punting leg with the ball in the proper position to hit a (SNO) spiral nose over punt.
By the end of the two One on One Punting Lessons Nick was getting more consistent with his drop and turning over a lot more punts to his power zone.
In the above photo you can see Nick's explosion and the flexibility up and through the ball. Nick and his father really liked the idea that Nick was getting a DVD of both lessons and pretty much an individualized training tape for his style of punting.
Nick and his father both left very happy with the results of the two sessions and said they will be back.
Testimonial of Bob Maxwell, Nick's father, on their
On Tuesday and Wednesday Chris MacDonald was back in Arizona receiving One on One Punting Lessons.
Chris graduated from Red Mountain High School in Mesa, Arizona and in 2004 earned Freshman All-American honors at Arizona State University. After two years Chris transferred to Texas State where he just completed his College career.
After working two days of One on One Lessons with Chris, I must say this young man has a strong leg and is a excellent athlete. Chris showed me a lot of potential but needs to improve his consistency.
Chris was here to get better and I believe in a couple of weeks he will resolve a couple of flaws I noticed in his technique. Like most players that come to me for an evaluation, advice or instruction, Chris was punting like someone had taught him. Some punting instructor or coaches have given Chris some bad advice. They have given Chris some incorrect information and drills to work on which has caused Chris to have some bad muscle memory.
We used the first One on One Punting Lesson to video tape Chris's drills and technique so we could make the proper corrections.
Chris's biggest problem, putting the ball on the table with the Nose Up!
The Nose Up Drop caused Chris a lot of inconsistency!
Chris was taught to place the ball straight and slightly outside his hip. In the photo above, Chris is now working to place the ball directly out in front of the punting leg with the nose slanted slightly inward.
I taught Chris my Drop Progression Drill and he needs to work this drill a lot both on the field and at home.
When Chris dropped the ball flat or with the nose slightly down he crushed a bunch of 4.8 to 5.0 second hang time punts.
His explosion up and through the ball was excellent, however, he has a tendency to fall backwards after each punt. We worked the punt and transfer drill to help him get down field.
During the video review sessions Chris was an excellent student. The flaws in his technique that I mentioned on the field became crystal clear to him after watching the slow motion video.
Chris confirmed he had a suspension on some of the things he was taught and practicing were incorrect but he didn't know how to correct them.
Chris now has the correct information, fundamentals and his own individualized training video to take home and refine his skills. If he can correct the couple things I mentioned he will take his game to the next level and will be on my website; www.coachzauner.com as an NFL prospect.
The key is the right technique and fundamentals then practice, practice and more practice to get the correct muscle memory.
Chris MacDonald's testimonial working with Coach Zauner
On Sunday and Monday Justin Dougherty who is a kicker at the University of Oregon was in Scottsdale, Arizona for an emergency One on One Kicking Lesson. In spring, Justin was fighting for the starting position for field goal and kickoffs.
While his team is practicing in Oregon, Justin is here in Scottsdale trying to improve his kicking and kickoff technique.
He was told a couple of weeks ago that he was not invited back out for practice until after the first game in September.
Some how between last season and this summer, Justin has lost his confidence and is in a major slump!
During the spring Justin enrolled into some type of yearly kicking program that was offered by a kicking instructor. The bottom line is the kicking program and the adjustments that they tried to force him to make have caused him to lose power, consistency and ultimately his confidence.
Justin who is about 6'6 and 220 is one tall kicker. At the start of the first lesson I watched him kick about six balls and asked him to stop.
I had listened to Justin's story about his kicking woes over the phone and I knew I had to do something quickly and dramatically. He gave me permission to do whatever I thought would help him improve and get his confidence back.
To make a long story short, I started from ground zero and built a good foundation. I introduced him to the One Step Drill.
We video taped the entire lesson from start to finish. I asked him to try a couple of things so we could document the kicks and his technique on video tape.
We ended the first One on One Kicking Lesson with Justin hitting a couple of 55 yard field goals with a smile on his face.
We went back to the office to review the video. I showed Justin the first couple of balls he kicked. He cringed, seeing how bad his technique looked.
I told him not to worry he was only going to get better. Justin had made the biggest transformation I've seen in a long time in just one kicking lesson. He started the lesson pulling and pushing kicks all over the place to nailing a couple of long field goals right down the middle.
Before the second One on One Lesson started I designed a lesson plan and teaching progression that I knew would help Justin improve his kicking technique even more.
Above, we worked hard and at length on the One Step Drill.
I was trying to get Justin to kick up and through the ball
Before we started to make any changes with Justin's technique, he kicked and fell off to the side with no skip or follow through. He just kicked and rolled his hips over the top and stopped. Many of his field goals hooked to the left.
In the above photo you can see Justin now kicking up and through the ball and firing the hip muscles. He was now kicking upward and skipped through his kicks.
His field goals were now traveling with power and accuracy straight down the field through the goal posts.
Photo below, shows Justin now finishing his kicks on balance and squarer down field.
We finished our One on One Kicking Lessons with some kickoff work. Justin's confidence was coming back. I worked my kickoff progression and he nailed a couple of kickoffs into the end zone.
Justin hit a couple of kickoffs 4 to 5 yards deep into the end zone with 4.1 to 4.2 hang times. He smiled and had a look of relief. He said I knew I couldn't of been that bad. I think I'm back on track. Thanks for the help.
I emphasized to Justin that bad muscle memory doesn't just leave and go away. He needs to practice all the non-kicking and kicking drills I introduced to him so he ingrains the new muscle memory.
After Justin's two One on One Lessons here in Arizona his coaches at Oregon might want to see if Justin is out of his slump and back on track and at least consider him to be their kickoff man.
These two lessons with Justin resulted in probably the Biggest transformations I've ever seen by any individual. My hat is off to Justin for accepting coaching and being the perfect student.
I hope the coaches at the University of Oregon give this young man another chance to compete!
On Thurs, Friday and Saturday Baker University Kicker,Derek Doerfler was back in Scottsdale, Arizona for a tune up One on One Kicking Lesson and some additional One on One Punting Lessons. Because, Derek is an athlete and has kicking skills and a big leg, his coach might a need to use Derek in a dual role this season. Derek, who has never punted wants to spend time learning how to punt.
Derek who will be senior at Baker University and was the Conference Player of the Year as a kicker will be one of the top kickers coming out in the 2009 NFL draft.
Baker University is a NAIA College, so Derek was getting a final tune up in before his season starts next week.
In the first One on OneKicking Lesson I noticed that Derek had changed a couple things from our first meeting. He informed me that he had sustained an injury several weeks ago and had not kicked for a couple of weeks and was also trying to slow down his approach.
The key to making changes or refining your technique is not so much which changes are made but how you make them.
In the video review my observations were confirmed by the eye in the sky. The camera never misses a thing when you have super slow motion at your disposal.
In the second One on One Kicking Lesson Derek was back on track kicking everything right down the middle from any spot on the field.
In the third One on One Lesson with Derek, we spent almost the entire time working on punting fundamentals.
Derek like most kickers has played around a little with punting but has never taken it seriously.
However, in just a few minutes I could tell if Derek spent more time on his punting skills he would be a heck of a combination kicker/kickoff man and punter.
The key for most punters is the Drop! Most of the drills I worked with Derek emphasised the placement of the ball directly in front of his punting leg and getting a consistent drop.
Derek, hit a couple of big (SNO) spiral nose over punts, but also hit some stray bullets or 'shanks'. During the lesson he got a little frustrated with his punting. I told him it's not as easy to learn how to punt because of all the various fundamentals and parts that make up the skill of punting.
During Derek's punting lesson he hit a couple of 45 to 50 yard punts with 4.7 to 5.0 second hang times. He has the leg but its now a matter of consistency. I wish we had a couple of more days to work on his punting but its time to start the football season.
Just a quick update on golf. The last time Derek was in town he lost $1.00 in our skins game. This visit Derek lost his match and had to pay $6.00. Coach Zauner is still perfect for the season. There is no extra charge for the golf lessons.
On Friday Dave Rayner signed with the Detroit Lions and tonight Mitch Berger is catching an 11:00 o'clock flight to Pittsburgh to sign a contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
When I was the Special Teams Coordinator for the Minnesota Vikings, Mitch Berger was my punter from 1996 to 2001.
Mitch Berger has been training with me here in Scottsdale for the last couple months. We've been working on fundamentals, drills and all parts of his punting game.
Congratulations to Mitch Berger and Good Luck!
On Thursday Detroit Lions kicker, Jason Hanson was hurt in their preseason game vs the World Champion N.Y. Giants.
On Friday, Dave Rayner was signed by the Detroit Lions.
In June after Dave was released by the Miami Dolphins he came to Scottsdale for some One on One Kicking Lessons and an evaluation of his kicking technique. He left Scottsdale feeling good with the session.
Congratulations to Dave Rayner and Good Luck!
I feel like the One on One Lessons are having an impact refining each individual kicker and punters technique. However, my website'sPro Personnel section, the e-mails I have sent to all the NFL teams and their agents are getting these players exposure and contracts.
Also, Eddie Johnson who was here two weeks ago for One on One Punting and Kickoff Lessons left and was signed by the Detroit Lions a couple of days later. Eddie was signed as a punter and kickoff man, however, when Jason Hanson got hurt the other night he had to also kick field goals.
Unfortunately, upon the signing of Dave Rayner the Detroit Lions released Eddie Johnson, a casualty of the 80-man roster rule.
This Spring before the NFL draft, University of Wisconsin's star Kicker, Taylor Mehlhaff came to Scottsdale, Arizona for some One on One Kicking Lessons.
Today, Taylor Mehlhaff is in training camp with the New Orleans Saints and is in competition to be the starting kicker.
This morning I arrived at the Marriott Hotel in Phoenix to interview Taylor before the New Orleans Saints Game with Arizona Cardinals.
I asked several questions that I felt kickers and football fans would want to know the answers.
Below, is my first interview as a Kicking Consultant and Interview Host.
I hope you enjoyed this interview with Taylor Mehlhaff. Next week I will try to do an interview with Denver Broncos Punter, Brett Kern when they come to Phoenix for a preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals.
This morning I was on the field giving a One on One Lesson with Baker University star kicker, Derek Doerfler.
My cell phone went off and it was Oakland Raiders Special Teams Coach, Brian Schneider. "Coach, Sebastian Janikowski tweaked his hamstring and we need a kicker ASAP. We play a preseason game tomorrow and we need a kicker now! Who do you have?"
I first asked if he had looked at the Pro Personnel Section on my website were I have listed several NFL Veteran and Rookie Free Agent Kickers and Punters, plus their workouts.
I went through my list and told Coach Schneider to check out their workouts. I also gave him the name of the kicker's agents.
My website and the Pro Personnel section is working! The Buffalo Bills and now the Oakland Raiders have both called for kicking specialists.
Everyday I get more calls from kickers, punters, snappers, NFL Special Teams Coaches and Directors of Pro/College Personnel.
On Tuesday and Wednesday A.J. Haglund was in Scottsdale, Arizona for some One on One Kicking Lessons.
In 2008, San Jose SaberCats' Kicker, A.J. Haglund was named AFL Kicker of the Year as voted by AFL Head Coaches, players, fans, and the Arena FootballLeague Writers Association. A.J. played his College football at Central Oklahoma.
For the last couple of years A.J. has been kicking in the Arena Football League. A.J. is a well built, 5'9" 180 pound good looking athlete with a very lively leg. In A.J's first One on One Lesson I watched him go through his kicking routine.
I observed and analyzed his kicking style. Anyone that kicks in the Area League on those 9' wide goal posts and is 'AFL Kicker of the Year' must be accurate.
A.J. not only has excellent pop on his kicks but also gets the ball up very quickly.
He went through his One Step Drill and progressed to field goals. I not only liked his kicking ability but his kicking demeanor. He was really kicking well until we moved back to 50 plus yard field goals.
We finished the morning session with kickoffs. A.J. impressed me with his kickoff distances and hang times.
We video taped all his kicks from various angles. The information I get from asking kickers questions and the answers I receive in addition to the video review really helps me in my analyzing process.
As I showed the video and dissected A.J's technique he was on the same page with my thoughts. He mentioned that he always felt he needed to refine certain aspects of the kicking technique but didn't know how to go about it. He said I want to get better so I can get a shot in the NFL and I want to do whatever it takes to get more consistent.
That's all I need to hear to get the green light. Tuesday night I went back over the video and came up with a plan.
We started Wednesday's One on One Lesson with my favorite Drill. For those that know me you know the answer. In the above photo you see A.J. working the One Step Drill.
Once again, I designed an individualized workout and routine that I thought would help A.J. become a more consistent kicker.
A.J. has a great deal of potential but needs to kick with better rhythm and tempo. The entire lesson was based on two teaching points.
However, those teaching points are top secret information and if I tell you I might have to erase you.
I put A.J. through a series of drills that I felt would give him the proper muscle memory to kick on a more consistent basis any place on the field. Short or long field goals, it doesn't matter. I want him to kick more under control and with better tempo.
I told him to take his driver out of his bag and start kicking with a three wood.
After about an hour workout of doing kicking drills, I put A.J. through a field goal workout. He was 9 for 9 on all his kicks. The field goal workout consisted of field goals ranging from 35 moving all the way back to 56 yards.
He made all the kicks and was almost perfectly down the middle on all his kicks. He smiled at me and said, " I'm now kicking a straight ball and don't have to worry about my hook or draw."
We finished the second session with some kickoffs, however, A.J's leg was pretty tired. He kicked a couple balls near the goal line but I could see he had no pop left in his leg so I told him to stop. I saw enough of his kickoff ability after the first session.
After talking to A.J. and Albin, his father, I felt I had another satisfied client.
Albin, is a LaCrosse coach here in the Phoenix area and watched both sessions. Albin also teaches and instructs private and group LaCrosse lessons. I was interested to hear his critique and observations of my teaching methods.
It's always good to have people in the same business, or profession evaluate your performance.
Listen to Albin Haglund observations, also in the coaching business, regarding his son's
On Monday and Tuesday afternoon I was out in the hot Arizona heat instructing a One on One Kicking Lesson with Billy Cundiff. Billy is a five year veteran kicker who is trying to get better so he can get back into the NFL.
Billy Cundiff played college football at Drake University and was signed as a free agent with the Dallas Cowboys in 2002. Billy played with the Cowboys from 2002 - 2005. In 2006 Billy signed as a free agent with Tampa Bay, Green Bay and the New Orleans Saints. In 2007 he again signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Falcons.
In this 2008 season he was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs and was competing for the starting job, but was release in June after mini camps.
In the first One on One Kicking Lesson I observed, analyzed and took a lot of mental notes. I also asked several questions.
Billy went through his warm up routine. He started with no step kicks then progressed to the One Step Drill. After about 15 kicks he started to kick field goals. We video taped Billy from several different angles to get the best possible angles to analyze his technique.
The eye in the sky never lies. Thank goodness for technology. My Canon XHA1, which is a $4,500.00 video camera, is a real asset breaking down every kicker, punter and snappers technique.
I noticed a couple slight flaws in Billy's technique. As always in the first lesson I asked him to try a couple things that I thought would help and we put them on video.
After the first lesson we went back to my office to review the video. It was a excellent video session. Billy is very knowledgeable about kicking. Matter of fact, he has a couple of kicking camps that he runs around the country.
We agreed on almost everything we observed on tape. Billy mentioned that one thing is knowing kicking but its hard to coach yourself. He followed up that statement saying he was a little hesitant working with me because he and other NFL players have had negative experiences with kicking instructors and coaches who try to change them but have no valid reason to make the change.
I think my common sense approach to kicking instruction impresses most of my clients.
In the first lesson Billy impressed me with his leg! He kicked a couple of long field goals. He has excellent leg strength and power. At the end of practice he boomed a couple of kickoffs into the end zone.
However, when he was kicking field goals he hit a couple of stray bullets. He pushed and pulled a couple of kicks.
We finished the first day and I told Billy I was going to watch more video and come up with a game plan that I thought will help him be a more consistent kicker.
In Tuesday's One on One Lesson the routine, drills and practice progression was designed specifically for Billy to refine his technique. I take a lot of pride in individualizing each clients workouts. The key to my success is analyzing each kickers technique and making the proper corrections.
Above we worked the One Step Drill which is my favorite drill. Billy executed each drill to perfection and gave me excellent feedback.
In the first lesson I mentioned to Billy that he had about three different swings or kicks.
So, as we progressed through the drills and field goal sections of the lesson, I was trying to get Billy to focus on developing One Swing. Kick, Skip and Transfer!
Billy had 12 brand new (K) balls from the K.C. Chiefs to kick with. In the first three sets of kicks he made all 36 kicks. He made every kick, but was not happy. He felt he could have hit them better.
He has high standards.
My practice plan was working. On every kick he was kicking through the ball. I tried to stay focused on one refinement at a time.
Billy is a perfectionist and wanted every kick to be perfect.
I felt we made a lot of progress from the first lesson to the second. The video review made everything crystal clear to me and hopefully to Billy. I pointed out to Billy the two swings or kicks he had in today's lesson. The new swing we worked on, in which he made every kick, he felt a little bit too mechanical. The second or old swing which he kicked and pivoted showed signs of pushing and pulling.
Once again the eye in the sky never lies.
My job as a kicking consultant is to analyze, evaluate and make recommendations. The client makes all the final decisions on what changes or refinements that he is willing to make and are comfortable for his style of kicking.
I believe if Billy works on the kicking drills and progression I gave him, in two to three weeks he will be a more consistent kicker and back on the field with another NFL team.
Below is a Testimonial from Billy Cundiff former Dallas Cowboys Kicker
Shane Phillips (Australian Punter) and Garrett Palmer
On Saturday and Sunday Garrett Palmer was back in Scottsdale for the third time for some One on One Kicking Lessons. Garrett was the kicker at San Diego State for the last couple years.
Garrett is a strong legged kicker who was unnoticed coming out of San Diego State but has NFL talent. I believe Garrett has NFL potential but needs more consistency.
On Saturday Garrett kicked and showed me once again that he has a strong leg. However, he has a tendency to approach the ball to fast!
Garrett like many other kickers are told by their coaches to get the kick off with faster get off times and the tendency is for the kicker to approach the ball faster.
How do you fix the problem. It's an oxymoron! Go slower to get faster get off times. The key is to start sooner.
In the above photo we worked the One Step Drill. We were working on Garrett kicking up and through the ball.
After the first session we review the tape and came up with a game plan for Garrett to slow down his approach. I designed a couple of drills and he worked a progression that help slow down his approach. In the second One on One Lesson he slowed down dramatically and kicked extremely well. No stray bullets!
I believe Garrett's visit was well worth while! He got better as a kicker and I threw in one free golf lesson.
On Saturday afternoon Garrett wanted to go One on One at golf with the coach. As many kickers, punters and snappers know the coach is undefeated in Match Play or Skins. As you can see from the above photo Garrett was just another causality. The score was Coach Zauner 13 Skins and Garrett 5.
Any kicking specialist coming to Arizona has the ability to test their skill vs Coach Zauner. My record for the season is a bunch of wins and zero loses.
Ed Palmer, Garrett's father gives his testimonial:
On Sunday evening I finished my last One on One Punting Lesson with Alex Groh. In 2007 Alex Groh was a 1st Team All-American Punter at Occidental College which is a Division NCAA III Institution.
He has just been notified that he is also on the 2008 pre-season All-American 1st Team.
Alex who attended Fountain Hills High School, lives in Fountain Hills, Arizona during the summer with his parents. Several months ago Tony, Alex's father, contacted me about working with his son this summer.
Alex had never had any formal punting instruction and was a little leery of getting coached. So we started with the minimum of two lessons just to get an evaluation. Alex experienced a lot of improvement from the first to the second lesson.
I believe Alex noticed the steady improvement he made from the first two lessons that he and his father decided to have Alex work a punting program during the summer on a weekly basis for the months of June and July.
During the last two months I stressed fundamentals with Alex; Drops, Walk and Drops, the One Step Drill, Get Offs and the Power Zone Punting Technique.
In Alex's very first lesson I asked him what was a good hang time for him. He answered 4.2 to 4.4 seconds. My response was, "what if I can get you to punt 4.7 to 4.9 hang times"... his eyes lit up.
Two weeks ago Alex hit his first 5.0 second hang time. On Monday, Alex punted several 45 to 50 yard punts with 4.8 to 4.9 hang times. He also hit two more 5.0 plus hang times.
In the first couple lessons Alex's handling times were 1.45 to 1.55 seconds. On Monday, Alex was consistently between 1.28 and 1.35 seconds.
This young man has made so much improvement his college coaches might not even know who he is the first day of practice.
The Two Amigo's or in Australia (Mates)
Alex, and my assistant (first mate), Shane Phillips (Australian Punter) also worked out a couple times this summer and have become friends. Alex was smart, if he ever goes to Australia he has a place to stay.
I must say it was a real pleasure working this summer with Alex Groh and seeing his steady improvement. I expect big things from Alex in the future. Alex still has room to improve and who knows what the future holds for this young man!
On Friday and Saturday I had One on One Kicking Lessons with San Diego State's red-shirt sophomore kicker, Bryan Shields. Bryan and his father Bob drove over from San Diego for two days of lessons.
Like most kicking specialist the season is right around the corner and Bryan starts camp next week. Bryan was in summer school taking care of business and was unable to come for lessons earlier. Garrett Palmer who was the kicker at San Diego State last year recommended Bryan to me.
Bryan started the lesson with his warm up and kicking routine. He started with some One Steps and progressed right into his field goals. I quickly could see that Bryan had good pop or explosion in his leg! During the first lesson I observed, analyzed and took mental notes.
We video taped all of Bryan's drills and kicks. In the video review my observations where confirmed by the video tape. Bryan has a lot of potential and has few adjustment to become even a better kicker.
One of the biggest problems Bryan had was lining up his kicks. By this I mean drawing a target line from 3 yards behind the ball, through the ball to his target beyond the goal posts. Bryan doesn't have a kicking problem but an alignment problem. He kicks the ball usually right were he's aiming.
The other problem he seemed to have was his approach was much to fast! He needs to slow down and let his leg do the work. My suggestion was an oxymoron: to get faster get off times, slow down! However, the key factor is to start sooner!
In the second One on One KickingLesson Bryan improved in a couple different aspects of his game.
In the One Step Drill he kicked up and through the ball much better and ended up on balance. He slowed down his approach and he made more consistent contact.
In the first lesson he kicked a couple of stray bullets or 'Shanks'. Shanks can be caused by several different factors. In Bryan's case they were caused by his aggressive and fast approach.
In the second lesson Bryan made almost every kick from any place on the field. However, during the video review session we still noticed that Bryan lined up a couple of kicks too far to the right and kicked the ball exactly were he was aiming.
Bryan missed three kicks right! I told him they were not kicking misses but mental misses. He must get better at lining up his kicks.
Bryan's alignment problem reminded me of many golfers. They hit the golf ball right were their aiming however, their set up is left or right. The good news is Bryan knows exactly what he needs to do to get better.
We finished the second lesson with some kickoffs. Bryan has a nice smooth approach and good leg strength. He hit most of his kickoffs inside the 5 yard line.
Below is Bob Shields testimonial about their two day visit to Scottsdale, Arizona for a One on One Kicking Lesson with Coach Zauner:
On Thursday I did a One on One Snapping Lesson with Mark Lathim. Mark is a 6' 230 pound senior snapper at Eastern Washington University. Mark was in Scottsdale, Arizona visiting relatives and decided to stop by to have me evaluate his snapping technique.
Just like kicking and punting lessons I had Mark show me his warm up routine and his snapping progression.
Mark started with the traditional two handed over the head snapping drill and executed it to perfection. Every repetition was a tight spiral.
I asked what's next and he said I just start snapping. As a coach I like some type of progression or drill work, however, I let everyone show me their routine and progression then I make suggestions.
Mark started snapping short punt snaps at about 9 yards. As you can see below he has a good stance and weight distribution.
Mark snapped pretty good at 9 yards hitting his target repeatedly. However, when we moved the distance to 15 yards he started to snap a couple of stray bullets.
Next, I wanted to evaluate Mark's snapping under a rush. I had Mark snap, kick step and vertical set back off the line of scrimmage and block both to the right and left. He snapped pretty effectively for a while then threw a wild pitch or stray bullet.
I noticed that Mark's snapping and protection progression was a little off. I noticed Mark was trying to snap and move left or right immediately after he snapped in order to protect.
Mark or any snappers progression should always be: 1) perfect snap, 2) kick step and vertical set straight back off the line of scrimmage, and 3) blocking assignment. I try to get my snappers to vertical set straight back and move slightly to their gap assignment.
Many of the College snappers that have come to me for One on One Snapping Lessons try to snap and jump out to the right or left about 1 or 2 yards to block their assignment. This action can cause many good snappers to become erratic.
We progressed to field goal snaps. Mark hit perfect laces often but at times had a slight wobble in his snaps. He had the same tendency in his long snaps.
I asked Mark to make two minor adjustments with the ball.
I would tell what these adjustment are but you didn't pay for a One on One Lesson.
Mark not only tried but made the adjustment and the rest of the lesson his field goal snaps and punt snaps had a tight spiral.
We video taped the entire snapping lesson and put all the key teaching points on Mark's DVD that he took home. In the video review, the observation I made on the field became crystal clear to Mark. He knows exactly what he needs to work on to become more consistent.
Mark has excellent snapping speed but like many specialist needs to become more consistent. I believe the two key points I pointed out to Mark during the lesson will help his consistency.
The most important man in the kicking game is the snapper!
So, if your a kicker or punter and want to get the most out of your abilities then make sure your snapper is the best he can be.
During my kicking and punting career I've always been a more effective kicking specialist when I've had a good snapper.
