Summer Time Snapping

BY LSLIFESTYLE · APRIL 22, 2019

Dear Snappers,

For most of the snappers out there, we are getting very close to a summer break. Spring ball is ending, school is getting close to summer break, and it's about that time to refine our snapping skills! Summer is absolutely the best time of the year to figure out your snapping and get everything figured out for the fall. There are so many camps, great weather for snapping, and a lot more free time for specialists. The ideal situation is to have a punter and a holder to catch all your snaps and get used to that feeling for the fall, but that can't always happen. This week I am going to go through some drills that we can do as snappers without the help of anyone else.

LIFT!

This isn't a drill, but it's so important for you to do. If your team doesn't have team lifts over the summer, do it on your own. It is so important to build speed in your snap, athleticism in every aspect of snapping, and maintain your health during the season. Make sure to stay in that weight room over the summer.

There are a lot of great workouts that you can do in the weight room that will better your craft. If you are looking for some of those lifts, check out my earlier posts here! Some great workouts that aren't in those posts and aren't used by a lot of strength coaches include band workouts. Bands can give you a great workout and also simulate snapping without a ball.

Our buddy here might want to invest in some bigger bands, but the idea is there. As a snapper, I do these a lot during winter sessions when we can't use a football.

Field Goal Snaps

If I don't have a holder, I like to take this opportunity to narrow my strike zone. It's easy to get away with throwing a ball a little off when you have someone catching it for you. A tennis ball and a security cone won't lie to you about the snap. It is the best way to get great feedback without having someone there with you. It gives you a great target to focus on and you know right away whether it was a good spot or not.

Peep the taped target in the back. Also, I don't recommend using a paper cup, it falls if the ball is anywhere near it. A tennis ball works much better.
I apologize to all of you that are caught off guard by the small legs, I told you guys I don't like leg day.

Punt Snaps

Punt snaps a lot easier to simulate without someone catching your snaps. It is easy to set up a target and go to work! Whether it's a taped strike zone on a wall, a pop up tackle dummy, a goal post, or a tall trash can; they have all worked for me and they will work for you. It's really just about getting those reps in and getting comfortable with your snapping. Continue to reduce your target range over the summer until you're hitting dimes every single snap.

Personally, I prefer to use the methods above to get a target and to work different scenarios. It allows me to challenge myself by looking and different targets. For example, I can focus my accuracy left to right with a goal post and then switch to a trash can to work my accuracy up and down. It allows me to find challenging areas to practice my snaps and to work on specifics in my snapping accuracy. If you have a spare $400 laying around, you can always purchase a Rubio long snapping targetthat has a nice net to collect the balls. Trust me, you don't need an expensive piece of equipment to be a good snapper, but it is a nice tool to have.

Just get out there and put the work in!

At the end of the day, it is all about getting reps in during the summer. With all the time that college and high school snappers gain in the summer, there is no excuse not to! Work on your craft and perfect it for the upcoming season. The worst thing you can do is show up for camp in the fall without snapping all summer.

Drop some of your favorite drills in the comments or send them to me on twitter. I'd love to share them or feature them on the blog in future posts!