We start again with Kenny DeBauche's One on One Punting Lesson. We take the information learned from our video session and start to make corrections and adjustments on the field.
Kenny needs to improve in three area's, 1) he needs to raise his drop table for better and more consistent hang times, 2) he needs to drift off the line a little more to be a better power zone punter and 3) he needs to improve his get off times.
Drill work, drill work, and more drill work, the key to any punters and kickers success is drill work and sound fundamentals.
I introduce my drop progression and get off drills. Kenny will need to work on these everyday when he goes back home to get the proper muscle memory.
Today, after our warm up and one step punts we move to situational punting. I want to see if this young man has the potential to be in an NFL camp.
We start as usual with open field punts, move to directional punts and end with pooch punting. I give Kenny get off and hang times and Justin, our return man, shouts back distances. Kenny improves during the session in all 3 phases. He finally hits a couple of 5.0 second hang times. Raising his drop table pays dividends for him.
We end the session with Kenny working his holding technique from both sides. He's held for Taylor, who is a lefty and wants to make sure coaches know he can hold for either type of kicker.
Next up is Taylor Mehlhaff's One on One Kicking Lesson. We take the information from the video review session and go to work.
Taylor came to Scottsdale to to work with me and is willing to try whatever I suggest. I would like Taylor to kick and transfer his weight down field a little quicker and better. So, we start with the one step drill and move to a couple of field goals. I ask him to kick and walk down field to emphasize the weight transfer. During the opening 20 kicks Taylor hits a couple of really solid kicks and smiles! Kenny who's holding and Taylor both comment how solid and straight the balls are now flying.
We continue kicking field goals at both ends from the left and right hash marks. Taylor continues to hit some awesome field goals. He has great trajectory on his kicks! We finish the field goal section and Taylor feels good that he's tried something new and it might be good to implement in his style of kicking.
My job is to observe, evaluate and suggest. Taylor, like all kickers and punters must decide if what I suggest is good for his style of kicking. "The proof is in the pudding" as my dad use to say!
We finish the day with kickoffs. Taylor at the NFL combine had some great hang times but was under hitting the ball a lot and did the same on Friday. We both agreed that he must stay up taller to get through his kickoffs better. We start with some 2 and 4 step kickoffs to get my teaching point across. He hits a couple of solid balls. We move back to his normal approach and he bombs a 4.48 hang time to the goal line.
In all my years coaching kickers, I've never had anyone hit that type of hang time off a one inch tee.
We finish with a couple more big kickoffs and wrap it up. Taylor's leg is getting tired. He's kicked a lot in two days.
During both sessions Justin Beaver is our return man. We throw passes and run a couple of catching drills. We video tape Justin catching punts and kickoffs. Justin is excellent at catching kickoffs and moving up field quickly, however, still needs more practice fielding punts. I point out a couple of minor flaws in his catching technique and he quickly understands what he must do to correct the problem.
The One on One Lesson's are finished and the boys are eager to play 18 holes of golf. What they don't realize is there next One on One Lesson is just around the corner.
We again decide to play a little skins game! I only had time to play 9 holes with the boys. However, the score at the end of nine was Coach Zauner 8 skins, Taylor 1 skin & Kenny 0.
I told the boys there is no charge for the One on One Golf Lesson.
We finish the afternoon with our video review session. We got the boys some dinner and off to the airport. The boys all seem pleased with their lessons.
All I can say is that these 3 players were a joy to coach and a lot of fun to be around. I wish them all the very best!
The University of Wisconsin Badgers have a big hole to fill after losing these two pro potential kickers.
Stay tuned to Coach Zauner's Blog!
