Britt Baumann Kicking Workout

On Friday and Saturday former University of Minnesota - Duluth kicker, Britt Baumann was in Scottsdale, Arizona for a One on One Kicking Lesson and Workout.

This is the third time Britt has come to Scottsdale for my assistance and each time he has improved. He has worked hard to improve his technique and consistency. All I can say is Britt's hard work has paid off.

The first time I saw Britt I knew he had NFL potential but his technique needed refinement. With refinement comes consistency. In the last six months Britt has really improved his foot to ball contact.

In the photo above you can see that Britt's foot to ball contact is excellent. During his field goal workout Britt was 10 for 10 hitting every kick almost directly down the middle from 30 to 50 yards.

During his bonus field goal round, Britt was again deadly accurate. He was 4 of 5 missing his last kick from 58 yards.

In the above photo you see that Britt has learned to eliminate his crunching habit and is now kicking up and through the ball much better.

During his kickoff workout he should he has the ability to place the ball to the corners with accuracy and good hang times. The key for any kicker that does not have a big leg is consistency on directional kickoffs.

Britt's kicking workout will be posted on my website in a few of days. I want to congratulate him for his hard work and perseverance.

It has been a real pleasure working with Britt and I wish him the best of luck in his pursuit of an NFL or UFL career.

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The Human Face of Facebook

I am happy to say that after a few days of having my Facebook account 'disabled', it is now back up and running.

I want to thank those at Facebook who took the time to 'review' my situation and determine that there was no intentional effort on my, or my teams part, to abuse the Facebook system.

It's easy to see that a large business like Facebook has to be ever vigilant to ensure individuals are not abusing Facebook, but I am also glad to see they can do this while protecting those who make innocent mistakes.

So thanks Facebook, and thanks to all my Facebook friends who contacted me while the account was down.

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Coach Zauner Facebook Down

Due to a mis-understanding of how to use Facebook, my Facebook account was shut down yesterday.

Although I find all of this new technology to be an amazing business resource, it is sometimes frustrating when you realize how much of it is out of your control.

My team had no intention to 'violate' any of Facebook's rules...but that is apparently what happened.

After my account was shut down, my staff and I wrote Facebook in an effort to explain what we did, and why we were confused as to why it was a violation of their terms of service. We are currently awaiting to see if someone at Facebook will take our case under consideration.

One thing this issue has certainly taught me is how something you have worked so hard to create on the web, can so easily be taken away from you in this new world of online technology.

And that is a very good lesson.

I do hope Facebook will re-activate my account. However at the same time I am going to start creating alternative ways to communicate with the over 2,500 friends I had on Facebook when my account was shut down.

To get started on that, I would like any of you who were my Facebook friends to send me an e-mail so I can put you on my blog and e-mail list.

I look forward to hearing from you. and being in communication with you again.

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E-mail: gzauner@aol.com

UPDATE: Facebook has been re-instated.

Cory Ohnesorge Punting Lessons

On Monday and Tuesday former Occidental College punter, Cory Ohnesorge was in Scottsdale, Arizona for One on One Punting Lessons. Cory was a free agent with the N.Y. Giants in 2007.

Cory played college football at Occidental College and was a two-time D3 All-American selection. In 2005 he led all collegiate punters in average punt distance.

Cory attended Ray Pelfrey's Professional Kicking Camp in Reno the past couple years. Recently through a couple of other kicking specialists he heard about my One on One Punting Lessons and my successful 2009 Coach Zauner's Free Agent Specialists Combine. He decided to give me a call and have another set of eyes look at his technique.

Cory is about 6'3 and 225 pounds. He is a good looking athlete. He is a former high school and collegiate football player and golfer.

In Cory's first lesson I could see he has NFL potential. He hit a bunch of good power zone punts with good to excellent hang times.

However, as he continued to punt I noticed a couple of flaws in his technique. I pointed them out to him on the field. Later in the video review the flaws became crystal clear to him on the slow motion video.

Cory is a student of the punting game and agreed with my evaluation. He realized that he had implemented a couple of new drills in the last couple weeks and they were having an adverse effect on his punting technique.

I watched his highlight video and asked him "who is this punting on this video?" He replied, me. I said that's not the same guy I saw punt on the field a couple of hours ago.

Later in the day Cory and I played 18 holes of golf at my club, 'FireRock'. I continued the One on One Lesson. For all the people that have played me and follow my golf matches, I can only say I am still undefeated. Perfecto! Cory lost and paid his $1.00 bet.

The second day we worked my 'Drop Progression and One Step Drills'. Cory was a quick study and started to turn over almost every punt. He progressed through the entire lesson. He could see the adjustment we made were working.

Cory said he was glad that he got a chance to work with me and believes I helped him get back on track with his punting.

It was a pleasure meeting and working with Cory and I believe if he gets his fundamentals down he will be in some body's camp next year. I wish him the best of luck in his pursuit of an NFL punting career.

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Jon Kalnas Snapping Evaluation

Jon Kalnas, was in Scottsdale, Arizona for an snapping evaluation on Thursday. John is 29 years old and would love to snap footballs for a profession. At the present time he is training to compete Nationally in the shot put event. He is a workout warrior!

He came to Arizona to get my evaluation of his long snapping technique and his potential to make it into a NFL training camp.

During my evaluation I tried to help Jon with his technique. Like most snappers he had good velocity but needed to be more consistent. In the photo below we adjusted Jon's stance. I got him to bend his knees more and start with a flat back.

Next, we worked on his elbow thrust and slide. In the photo below you see him in full extension and following straight through to his target the punter.

We also evaluated John on his field goal snapping technique. Jon did very well in my perfect laces drill. He pretty much hit laces on every snap.

Jon is a workout warrior. He went from a all day plane flight from Jersey to a snapping evaluation in Scottsdale to The John Godina World Throws Center where he received a quick workout to prepare for a throwing competition in the Tucson Elite Meet on Saturday.

The man has a passion for what he does. I can relate! To be the best you can be or the best in the world you have to spend time and do things that other people don't have time for.

Jon has snapping potential. However, his age will be an obstacle. He needs to be more consistent with his snapping accuracy. I know he will work hard and get better. I told him to work on a couple of things and get back to me in about three weeks.

It was a real pleasure meeting Jon Kalnas and getting a chance to work with him. Getting into an NFL camp or making a roster is not easy. I told Jon only the best of the best make it into the NFL. His age and lack of football experience make his chances slim.

However, in life you only need one person to fall in love with your idea, talent or dream and it may open doors you never thought would be open.

Jon has a passion and a love that can be addicting. I wish him the best of luck in his pursuit of an NFL career.

Click to Watch Jon Kalnas UTube Video

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Nick Schirtzinger Returns

On Monday through Wednesday Nick Schirtzinger (Robert Morris University) returned to Scottsdale, Arizona for some One on One Punting Lessons. Nick was here last year and is looking to refine his punting even more before his upcoming college season.

As you can see in the photo (above) I am working a drill with Nick to emphasize his drift approach on my power zone punting technique.

Nick hit some really nice balls but had a few stray bullets. The next step is for Nick to put everything together by continually mastering the drills.

The 'Drop Progression and the One Step Drills are the quickest way to improve your fundamentals and consistency. Nick knows what he needs to do to get better.

It was a pleasure again working with Nick and I look forward to seeing his continued improvement.

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Derek Epperson Baylor University

On Monday and Tuesday Derek Epperson (Baylor University) was here in Fountain Hills, Arizona for some One on One Punting Lessons.

Derek is a big good looking punter at 6'3 245 pounds and is entering his junior year at Baylor. He had a 44 yard punting average last year, which ranked him 9th in the country in average.

Derek who was a Ray Guy finalists last year came to Fountain Hills, to take his game to the next level and prepare for his college season and a potential professional career.

I could see right away that Derek had a big leg, which was evident by some booming punts. I worked on a few drills to refine his technique including the 'Drop Progression Drill' and the 'One Step Drill'.

Derek is a student of the game and paid very close attention in the video review. As we conducted the video review, I noticed that he had a tendency to crunch and also fall back after he punted the ball.

In the photo (below) you can see the Derek has some great flexibility and extension.

After two days of lessons and video review, Derek was punting better than ever and was punting up and through the ball much better. He hit some towering punts with hang times anywhere from 4.8 to 5 seconds!

Derek told me that he liked the new drills and feels the adjustments we made where comfortable for him and he knows that they will help him to improve even more in the future.

I enjoyed working with Derek and I look forward to working with him again in the future and following his progress this season!

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Apache Junction H.S. Clinic

On Monday I spent the afternoon working with the kicking specialists and coaches at Apache Junction High School . Coach Milligan and his staff hired me to put on a Special Teams clinic last year and liked the results enough to bring me back again this year. We started the clinic with some classroom work. As a former high school teacher, I realize high school athletes do not want to be back in a classroom after the school day is over but everyone was very attentive and I think they valued the presentation.

I showed them video of some of the all time greats in my archive like Ray Guy and Gary Anderson, while also showing them some of the current NFL players I have worked with like Brett Kern and Sebastian Janikowski.

I worked with the snappers and punters for most of the afternoon. The picture (above) shows me working with the snapper and holder to develop 'perfect laces'. A lot of high school coaches do not understand the importance of snap and hold on a kickers' success but developing those two positions can dramatically increase a kickers' success . As a kicking coach I worked with the kickers most of the afternoon. The photo above is explaining the 'perfect plant' . There were a couple of kickers that had some good potential and hit some really nice kicks during the session. I worked with the punters on their drop and in the picture (below) I am working with them on part of my 'Drop Progression'. By the end of the day I saw quite a few Spiral Nose Over Punts (SNO).

It was great working with the Kicking Specialists and coaches over at Apache Junction High School and I hope to make this an annual event!

Click below to hear Rich Milligan, Head Football Coach at Apache Junction testimonial on Coach Zauner's work with his Kicking Specialists.

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Ryan Lichtenstein (Syracuse U.)

On Friday and Saturday Ryan Lichtenstein who will be a walk on at (Syracuse University) was here in Scottsdale, Arizona doing some One on One Lessons. Ryan just graduated from high school in Pennsylvania and is going to be a freshman at Syracuse this fall. He came here to sharpen his skills before training camp.

Like a lot of kickers, Ryan had a tendency to 'crunch' when he kicked. I worked with him on the 'One Step Drill' and he responded well. As you can see in the picture (above) Ryan is kicking with his eyes down field and kicking up and through the ball much better.

Ryan's leg was pretty sore after the first day so we did more drill work. I also worked with Ryan on his foot position. The picture (above) shows Ryan having the proper foot position during contact with the ball.

It was a pleasure working with Ryan and he improved after each session even with a sore leg. I wish him the best of luck this season and I look forward to working with him in the future.

Click below to hear Ryans father, Sam Lichtensteins testimonial about his sons work with Coach Zauner:

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Paradise Valley H.S. Clinic

On Wednesday afternoon I went to Paradise Valley High School in Phoenix, Arizona for one of a series of Coaching Clinics. Being a Special Teams Coach in the NFL for 13 years has given me some great insight into special teams from a team aspect.

A few weeks back I sat down with the coaches over at Paradise Valley and went over kickoff coverage, holding, and the proper technique for snapping. Today I went to work with the kicking specialists personally during one of their Spring practices.

As you can see in the picture (above) I am instructing the punters on the proper way to punt the ball. Fundamentals are vital at any position but especially as a punter. I briefly went over the proper way to drop the ball and I worked on getting the punters to just kick spirals.

I have really enjoyed working with the coaches and players at Paradise Valley and I appreciate the great relationship that I have built with them. I expect big things from their special teams this year and look forward to working with them in the near future.

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Josh Syria (University of Oregon)

On Wednesday and Thursday Josh Syria (U. of Oregon) came to Scottsdale, Arizona for some One on One Punting Lessons. Josh was the starting punter for Oregon this past season and came here to refine his technique and get my evaluation of his NFL potential.

I could see right away that Josh had a lot of raw potential. As I watched him punt I saw that he had the tendency to throw the ball rather than just drop it before making contact. We worked extensively on my 'Drop Progression' to help him refine his drop. Also, we changed his grip on the ball and that seemed to pay huge dividends.

Josh came out on the second day and really started to become more comfortable with the drills and hit quite a few Spiral Nose Over (SNO) punts. It is sometimes difficult to pick up new techniques but Josh was a quick study.

Josh is a talented punter and the next step is to master the 'Drop Progression' so that he can improve his drop. He has the leg to reach the next level and the next step is to become more consistent. Josh is planning on coming back later in the summer and I am excited to see his progress!

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Austin Anderson McGill University

On Monday through Thursday Austin Anderson (McGill University) came here to Scottsdale, Arizona with his father Gary for some One on One Kicking Lessons. Austin is going to be entering his sophomore season in college up in Canada and is recovering from a sports hernia surgery. He was the starter last year and hit 5 field goals in his first career game.

On the first day Austin wasn't kicking his best. One contributing factor was that the airline lost his luggage and he had to borrow someone else's shoes! The new shoes were a factor but I also saw some things to refine in his technique. He had a tendency to crunch down and wrap his foot around the ball.

As you can see in the picture (above) Austin's father, I believe NFL future Hall of Fame, Gary Anderson, is watching attentively as Austin is kicking. Gary is one of the greatest kickers of all time, but just like most sons it is hard for Austin to listen to his father give him advice and that's where I came in to help.

After watching the video from the first day and working on the drills back at his hotel, Austin showed dramatic improvement from the first day. I had him focus on the 'One Step Drill' and he was able to get much better impact on the ball. He kicked some 50 yard field goals and rarely mishit a ball (which reminded me of his father).

After working on field goals we moved to kickoffs. Like most kickers, Austin had a tendency to crunch down on his kickoffs. We worked on kicking up and through the ball and being more under control. Austin was a quick study and had much more fluidity on his approach after I made a few refinements.

Click below to listen to former Pittsburgh Steelers, S.F. 49ers, Minnesota Vikings and Tennessee Titans kicker, Gary Anderson's Testimonial about why he brought his son Austin to Scottsdale, Arizona to work with Coach Zauner.

I must say it was a real pleasure see Gary again and working with Austin. Austin is a fine young man and a real gentlemen. Besides being a very intelligent young man and good kicker, Austin is also a very good golfer. About a 4 or 5 handicap.

In the photo below (left to right) Austin Anderson, Coach Zauner (Winner), Gary Anderson and Craig Kasnoff (brains and website designer of Coach Zauner, LLC).

A quick note for all the kicking specialists that have come to Arizona and played a skins game or had a match play event against Coach Zauner. My record is still in tack. I have not lost yet! Austin and I tied the first day and the second day I won 6 & 5.

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Nathan Day

On Saturday and Sunday Nathan Day (High School) in San Fransisco was in Scottsdale, Arizona for some One on One Kicking Lessons. Nathan had been to see me with his father in December and returned for 3 sessions in 2 days before going to kicking camps this summer.

As you can see in the picture (above) I noticed that Nathan was having some trouble with his foot position on the ball. We worked on getting his foot open and making the proper contact on the ball . Improving ball contact takes some practice, but over the next two lessons Nathan was able to make the correction and was hitting the ball much better.

On the final lesson we also worked on some punting. We worked briefly on my 'Drop Progression Drill' and Nathan started to understand the technique by the end of the session.

Nathan appeared to enjoy the lessons and he mentioned wanting to come to my kicking camp in River Falls, Wisconsin from July 27-29. It was a pleasure working with Nathan and I wish him great success in his senior season!

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