On Tuesday and Wednesday Jack Ramirez and his father John were in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for a One on One Punting Lesson. Jack is a standout athlete in both baseball and football. He is a pitcher in baseball and a combination quarterback and punter for Valor Christian High School in Valor, Colorado.Jack is a good looking 6’5 and 220 pound athlete and has the perfect body and frame to be an outstanding high school and college punter.
Early in the first lesson I could tell that this young man has college potential. He hit several excellent punts. John, Jack’s father also knows that. John had brought his son to Milwaukee to work specifically with a kicking coach to develop proper punting technique . Like most young punters with potential many lack the basic fundamentals that can take them to the next level in college or the NFL.
The first thing I noticed is that Jack needed a more consistent nose down drop. Jack repeatedly was dropping the ball with the nose up. He was dropping the ball during his drills nose up and during his punts. (See Below Photo)
I also noticed that Jack was a cruncher and fell back off the ball after punting. After taking a break in the press box and viewing his video we went back on the field and worked my Drop Progression Drill.
Jack was a quick study and picked up the drills pretty fast. I also introduced him to my modified One Step and Punting Drills to try to eliminate his crunching.
After working two days of One on One Punting Lessons with a kicking coach Jack knows exactly what he must focus on, his drop and eliminate his crunch.
Jack got a little frustrated at the end of the first punting lesson because he was not hitting the ball as consistent as he was in spring. As I tell all my clients it takes two to three weeks of drill work to become comfortable. The drills will become easier and the consistency will follow. The new muscle memory will give Jack the fundamentals he needs to eventually take his game to the next level. By the end of the second punting lesson Jack was punting up and through the ball much better and was not crunching as much. Jack is a good athlete and listened and tried everything I asked. He gave me excellent feedback during the lesson, which help me figure out and design a punting style that would be best for him.
It was a pleasure meeting Jack Ramirez and his father John. I wish Jack the best of luck this upcoming season at Valor Christian High School. Hang him high!
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