This week on the Game Plan series, co-host Keith Grabowski and Charlie Coiner get some in-depth knowledge on coaching specialists. The coaches talk to specialist coach Taylor Mehlhaff, who’s had great success in his career as an All-American kicker with the Wisconsin Badgers in college and played for the New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings in the NFL. Coach Mehlhaff gives some specifics on how to coach up the specialists. He also breaks down specifics to give those players quality reps in practice, so they’ll be successful going into games.

Field Goal practice

 

Kickoff Approach

 

 

Show Notes

00:50 Taylor Mehlhaff intro

02:50 Mehlhaff bio

05:55 Working with specialists

06:30 Workshop in Wisconsin

08:04 Maximize the specialists time

11:44 Putting the guys in position to have success

12:00 Getting all the feedback possible

13:25 Letting the player know his importance

15:30 Using specialist in O/D practice

18:00 Watching the reps

19:30 Game-like reps

21:00 Importance of being fresh

23:00 Working in field goals

25:00 Virtual reality work?

25:45 Be good with your eyes

26:44 Timeout to ice the kicker

29:30 Place kicker drills

30:00 There’s no one right way to kick

31:00 Visualize the steps for muscle memory

32:10 Practice it the right way.

33:50 Steps are foundation

34:30 Control the steps

35:00 Working the 90-degree angle

37:00 The longer the approach the more room for error

37:33 Making good contact

39:55 Punting

40:30 Make it your job

41:10 Working on the flat drop

42:15 The catch

43:30 The swing

45:00 The more linear you are the more consistent you are

46:25 Monitor your specialists

47:20 Getting an organized plan

48:00 Focus on the small mechanics

49:15 First Down Playbook

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