8 Early Season Drills Your Kickers and Punters Need to Do - John Zima

In the video below, "Kick It" owner and kicking coach John Zima shows you some good early season punting and kicking drills to do to get a good start.  These drills should be used year-round to keep your specialists sharp.

Coach Zima's presentation "Training Your Specialists 365" can be seen in its entirety on Glazier Drive.

Below the video, a few of our takeaway notes are listed.


Kicking and Punting are games of physics.  Mass x velocity = momentum.

To improve mass and velocity, punters and kickers need to work on:

  • Explosive power
  • Flexibility
  • Core strength
  • Goal is to add 1 - 3 pounds per month
  • Developing and enhancing technique with drills and video review/corrections.

Field Goal Key Technique Objectives:

  • On the ground, off the block ASAP
  • Develop and maintain setup routine
  • Approach to the kick - jab step
  • Contact on the sweet spot of the ball
  • Left arm 9:00 to 2:00
  • Swing to belt line, toe to target
  • Skip through - all momentum to carry forward
  • Leave the chin behind, listen for the crowd

Punting Key Technique Objectives:

  • Flexibility of punting motion
  • Two step punter
  • Catch out front
  • Drop is initiated at the belt line
  • Drop arm positioned on hip
  • Recoil height - heel to butt
  • Pendulum swing
  • Finish over right eye - above the head - "knee must hit you in the nose."
  • Explode off the left foot

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