Originally posted by Janitor:He's looks absurdly nervous every time he goes to make a big kick. He's going to have to overcome that if he wants to amount to anything in the NFL
McLaughlin reminds me so much of myself in my kicking days, it's crazy. His setup is identical, the way he points down and up to his target, and then when he kicks the ball there is virtually no movement in the air -- another spitting image of my kicking style. (As a fan, there's nothing scarier than watching a kicker that punches knucklers swirling wildly in the air left and right on their way towards the goalposts).
Unfortunately for McLaughlin, he reminds me of myself when it comes to the bad as well. I, too, struggled with pressure kicks. Anxiety would creep in like a MF and I'd get so much inside my head that I would lose focus on the basics. What happened to McLaughlin on the OT kick happened to me more times than I want to admit, sadly -- striking the dirt first, completely altering the strike point and punching it way off line. I never missed a kick unless it was a pressure kick. If only I never had to attempt one, lol. It was awesome and a lot of fun to make a big kick though. DB/WR was fun too, but I loved kicking more than anything.
I don't root for the guy to fail or anything, so hopefully he can overcome that mental hurdle before he loses his chance. But it's easier said than done. Sometimes it just takes experience, sometimes it's just ingrained into a guy's psyche.
[ Edited by OnTheClock on Dec 11, 2019 at 12:54 PM ]
