Why do young long snappers see big improvements early on, and then hit a wall when they get to the college level?
When a player is just starting with long snapping, there’s a huge gap between not doing it at all and doing it with some consistency.
In this stage:
- Even imperfect mechanics will produce measurable improvement. You could be doing the most inefficient techniques and still see gains. There are a lot of bad cues out there that “work” but aren’t the best thing to do. Athletes chase comfort rather than what is the most technically sound.
- You’ll see big jumps in accuracy, speed, and confidence just because you’re building the basic motor pattern.
- Errors don’t cost you as much in performance because you’re still developing ANY repeatable motion.
This is why new snappers often improve quickly while using poor technique. The nervous system is learning a new skill so even rough practice will build you to a point.
Once you’ve built a basic foundation, the gains from “just putting in reps” shrink. Now your body knows a pattern, so now what matters most is execution.
- Energy leaks matter. If your torso and hands aren’t sequencing correctly, your block isn’t hitting at the right time, you’ll waste energy that could be going into the ball.
- Small inefficiencies show up on tape. Unbalanced hands, lack of body control, poor posture don’t help you advance to the next level.
- Progress slows if you keep practicing inefficient movement. You might still see small improvements but not at the rate of when you first started.
In other words; early on, imperfect technique still gets the job done enough to look like progress. At higher levels, imperfection becomes the reason you stop improving.
If you start your snapping career with efficient techniques, you won’t have to relearn everything you’ve done for years to be able to get on the right track to see gains at the higher levels!
South Dakota State @GoJacksFB long snapper @carsonstrohbeen made the trip to Eau Claire, WI to chase perfection!
Carson and I have been working together for a few years now, and it’s been awesome to watch his journey from high school quarterback to Division I long snapper. He’s grown a ton along the way.
This session, we focused heavily on fluidity and sequencing. Carson had a tendency to move a little too aggressively, which made it difficult to feel where his body should be throughout the snap. We utilized a variety of drills that slowed things down and helped him become more aware of the correct kinetic sequence and how each piece should work together.
We also spent a lot of time working on length. Carson started the session a bit compact, so our goal was to help him create more length and elasticity throughout the movement. When he was able to do that, the ball accelerated more efficiently and he no longer had to rely on effort alone to create ball speed.
Carson did a great job throughout the session, and I’m looking forward to continuing to help him chase perfection!
$100 off Razor Pads - Visit STU Shop
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Had a good workout with @Coach_Lig@ChristianBilgo@CoachFick . It was very nice to talk to all of you. Hoping to come back out in the fall. Learned new blocking formations and field goal tactics that I will be working towards.
@BadgerFootball#NeverSettle
Thank you @CoachMajewski and @coachjbronowski for a great camp. I was too far away to get any videos but it went well. Hoping to continue our relationship in the future.
@AuburnFootball
#2028
University of Arkansas Pine Bluff @UAPBLionsFB long snapper @JacksonWilsonLS made the trip to Eau Claire WI to chase perfection!
Jackson was new to me, which is always fun because it gives us the opportunity to build things the right way from the start.
One of the biggest things we focused on was body control and sequencing. Jackson was very aggressive with his technique, which caused him to slide his feet and lose control throughout the snap. Like a lot of athletes, he was trying to create speed through effort instead of efficiency.
We spent time helping him understand how the body should work together and how proper sequencing allows you to create speed without feeling like you have to force it.
We also cleaned up his grip to help his hand balance at the finish. His ball had a tendency to pull to the right because his hands weren’t working together evenly through release. Once we got things balanced out, the ball started coming off his hands much cleaner and more consistently.
By the end of the session, Jackson was snapping faster, more accurate, and with significantly more control.
I’m looking forward to continuing to help him chase perfection!
$100 off Razor Pads - Visit STU Shop
15% off Wilson FB - “Stelter-270”
15% off Vivo Barefoot - “Kyle Stelter”
$15 off Football Green Book - “fgb25”
10% off Light Helmets - “LIGHT10”
10% off Net Return - https://t.co/hbs7txtAIb
10% off Fringe Red Light - “CoachStelter”
#longsnap #longsnapper #longsnapping #football #specialteamsu