My kicking career began my senior year of high school. I played soccer my entire life and planned to play in college. Because my high school team was so successful and my dad thought I might be good, I decided to give kicking a try. In the beginning the only thing I had going for me was a strong leg; my technique and consistency were terrible.

When I moved on to playing at UC Berkeley, I was fortunate to get some good coaching from Steve Mariucci (now head coach of the 49ers) and Gary Zauner (now special teams coach for the Minnesota Vikings). After I learned the proper basic techniques, I could begin the arduous task of transforming myself from a soccer player kicking a football to a real placekicker. It took many years of hard work, but I definitely feel like it all paid off.

The techniques I outline on this site and on my CD-ROM (it goes into a lot more detail) are the basic fundamentals that I feel are important for every kicker to utilize. I learned these techniques over the course of my career and have made them an integral part of the way I kick. There is no one proper kicking style (as many coaches like to tell you); however, these basic fundamentals need to be integrated into your own individual style.

The instructions I give for placekicking on this site are in three parts:

• Beginner
• Intermediate
• Advanced

 

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	I want to thank you for the fantastic site. It's nice to see us getting some recognition and a way to communicate with fellow kickers for advice or just to talk. Even though I have never met you, or alot of the guys, I feel an unspoken bond! In any case, thanks so much again! Keep up the good work and you'll always have my support as a fan and a fellow kicker.
	-- Kicking.com member

Doug and Tommy's Frequently Asked Questions: "My kickoffs go to the 5-yard line from the 40, but I get massive height. I'm wondering how to lose a little height and get it into the end zone?" -- Click here to read our answer