4 Cs of Long Snapping

DEAR SNAPPERS,

The topic of the day is keeping it together under pressure. The Long Snapper Lifestyle way of keeping your head in the game when things get heated, as they inevitably will! These principles apply to any high pressure situation that you will encounter in your life. They can be transferred to any arena, but this is a long snapping blog, so we talk long snapping 24/7!

COOL

The first C is to stay cool. You have to be able to keep it together when things begin to get frustrating. One day you're going to come out to practice and your ball just isn't going to spiral right. It's going to be wobbly or slow and it's going to really piss you off. Most long snappers hate this, most will continue to snap and snap until they get a good ball once or twice. I'm here to tell you, that's not the way to do it.

If you are struggling to hit your snapping stroke, just take a step back. If you've thrown 15-20 bad balls, call it. Find something to occupy your time that isn't snapping a ball. Go work on your footwork or your flexibility, but STOP SNAPPING. Give yourself a 30 minute rest or until you clear your head of snapping and then begin again.

Bad snaps repeated over-and-over again create bad habits and bad habits show up in high pressure situations.

CALM

Long snapping requires the full attention of your mind. That is why it is so difficult for a lot of snappers to deal with a bad ball. It's just like a quarterback throwing a bad ball or a shooter missing a shot, except we have less opportunities, ergo MORE PRESSURE. A snapper has to be able to move on from a bad snap or a missed assignment and the key to that is staying calm.

I believe that snappers, kickers, and punters are all the most mentally challenging jobs in football. It stems from the lack of opportunity to do your job. When you get your opportunity you have so much pressure to perform well, but so few opportunities to prove your worth. Because of this, you have to stay level headed and calm when you get your shot. Enjoy the moment, but at the end of the day you are only playing catch with the punter or the holder.

"Smooth is fast, fast is smooth" -Sam Kuhter

COLLECTED

If your mind is all over the place, your snaps will be all over the place. Having the intensity to control what you're doing is key, but letting that intensity overwhelm you will destroy your snaps. There is a fine line between being focused and becoming overwhelmed.

If you have watched a Northern Iowa game in the last 8 years, you will have seen a long snapper snapping on the sideline for most of the game. Trent Simpson, the snapper before me, was snapping constantly during games. I never understood it when I got to UNI, I thought it was pointless and would wear him out. Now I do the exact same thing when our offense is on the field. This routine helps me focus on my job. It gives me confidence that I can go out on any play and make a snap. It gets me used to snapping with the sounds of the fans, which is always changing during the game. I love it!

I love the mindset that it gets me into. If we have a small sideline I have to snap the ball in a tight window, often a much tighter window than on the field. When I throw a dime on the sideline it gets me all jacked up to go out there and perform! Fans heckle me all the time when I'm snapping on the sidelines. Having that routine just lightens the mood while still building my focus. It just wouldn't be the same on Saturdays if I didn't do it. It builds my confidence, focuses my attention, and most importantly it collects my composure. I am not saying that this technique is for everyone, but maybe try it during a scrimmage or spring ball game.

COOL

"Joe, how dumb are you? You put cool in here twice!"

If you're worried about the second cool being in there, then you don't have your mind right. Snappers aren't worried about trivial things like that. Opening kick returned for a touchdown and you have to go out and snap right away? Who cares. Be cool. Snappers are cool. Being a snapper is cool. Do your job, just like you have every other game or practice. If you are good at throwing a ball between your legs, then our job is not hard. Don't over think anything, just be cool and do your thing.

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