Still Got It - It is 99% mechanics

This post is somewhat personal in nature.

As a 31-year old retired NFL punter/kicker, I still love to get out there and kick few times a week. I have noticed that some of the power is gone. I attributed that to losing some muscle mass over the years. Especially since I have done almost no lifting in last 2 years.

This past Sunday, I was punting with Zoltan Mesko, University of Michigan's punter. It was a respectable day for me - pretty consistent with most punts with hang times in 4.6. to 4.8 second range. And then I hit a punt that hung in the air for 5.4 seconds. To say that I surprised myself would be an understatement. Zoltan was pretty shocked as well. For some of you who are not familiar with what that means, at least 1/2 of current NFL punters have never hit a 5.4 second hang time.

Somehow, it all came together for that one kick.

Everyone has that one kick that they will always remember. It is that one kick that gives us a glimpse of what is possible; what is within us if we trained more and expected more. It is what hooks you in. It is what makes you say, "I can kick in college" or , "I can kick in the NFL" or "I will be an All American".

I have nothing to train for any more. I am done with competitive sports. But I am so excited to get out to the field and into the weight room this week. Maybe if I trained more, I can get the 5.4 second hang times more often.

Yeah, I am still totally hooked.

Filip Filipovic
TheKickingCoach.com

College Kicking Camps

If you are a class of 2010 kicker or a punter, you should be hitting the road with a GPS and a pair of cleats.

College kicking camps are the best way to showcase your abilities and start a relationship with the coaching staff. Kicking well in person makes a stronger impression than any DVD.

Look on the schools' football pages for the dates of their summer camps. Find out if they will have camp for specialists. Then show up and kick the lights out. They may just offer you a scholarship on the spot if you are impressive enough.

Filip Filipovic
TheKickingCoach.com

The Kicking Coach to host Northwestern University Specialist Camp

Coach Filipovic and a few members of his staff will host Northwestern University Specialist Camp that will take place on Saturday June 6th at their football practice facility. Camp will be attended by the Northwestern Universities' coaching staff who will be evaluating talent. Cost is $85.

For more information CLICK HERE FOR CAMP PAGE.

Improving Your Punt Drop

When it comes to improving your punting ability, investing time in doing drop drills will yield the greatest returns. I can honestly predict that if a young punter is disciplined enough to perform about 100 drops per day from now until the start of the season, he will easily increase his season punting average 3 to 5 yards.

I always have a football sitting around on the counter that separates my kitchen from my living room. Every time I walk by it, I will pick it up and do 10 to 15 drops with good focus. By the end of the day, I already put in 100+ drops.

It is that easy to increase your punting average. Having self-discipline to work on details of a skill is a must for every good kicker/punter.

Filip Filipovic
THEKICKINGCOACH.COM

COLLEGE / PRO Videos Page Added

You might have noticed that I have been making some changes to my website recently. The latest addition to the website is the page with close up videos of some of the top college kickers and punters in the country who I had the opportunity to work with.

Compare their kicking mechanics to yours.

Find out why everyone is already saying that 19-year old University of Illinois freshman Derek Dimke is NFL-bound.

Check out the perfect mechanics of former Green Bay Packer and University of Wisconsin punter Kenny Debauche.

and more...

http://thekickingcoach.com/nfl_college_kicking_clips/

Filip Filipovic
THEKICKINGCOACH.COM

Dynamic Stretching Program

If you attended one of my camps, you were probably exposed to some form of dynamic stretching. Dynamic stretches are a good way to warm up before kicking.

2 ways to prevent kicking related injuries:
1) kick all year. (don't take few months off because you are playing a different sport)
2) perform dynamic stretches at the beginning of the workout and static stretches at the end.

This dynamic stretching program is excellent

www.princeton.edu/~uhs/pdfs/Dynamic%20Flexibility.pdf

Filip Filipovic
THEKICKINGCOACH.COM

Todd Carter - Grand Valley State U. - Class of 09

Todd Carter is one of the best kickers in the nation from the college class of '09.

Check out his unedited video which contains 6 consecutive kickoffs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRpo0XSN0Zo

He is using new (not broken in) NFL footballs - which reduce distance and hang time of kicks. Even with the new footballs, Todd's kicks are between 66 and 76 yards with 4.1 to 4.3 hang times.

Expect to see Todd as a counselor at several "The Kicking Coach" camps this spring and summer.