On Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday Michael Barnard (Fairleigh Dickinson Univ.) and his father, Larry, were in Scottsdale, Arizona for some One on One Kicking Lessons. Michael is a draft eligible kicker from a Division III school in New Jersey and came here to refine his technique and get my evaluation of his NFL potential. 
On the first day I saw that Michael had a tendency to 'crunch' on his kicks. Like many specialists, he was following the advice of a coach who told him to keep his head down. As the picture (above) shows it can be difficult to skip through the ball with your head too far down.
After reviewing the film and a couple of hundred reps at the hotel every night, Michael was able to kick up and through the ball better. The picture (below) shows Michael working on kicking and skipping up and through the ball and moving down field.
On the final day Michael was able to put things all together and hit three or four really nice balls in a row. The next step for him is to go back and master all the drills and refine his technique so that he has the same kick every time.
I really enjoyed working with Michael and from the work ethic I have seen from him over these past few days I am confident that he will continue to get better and more consistent!
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