Why are some kickers accurate from long range but not from short?

Red Dragon · Oct 14, 2019

Maher is now the only NFL kicker to have ever made two field goals of 60+ yards in his career. But he continues to miss from short range. Can someone explain what sort of physiological or mental factors can make someone accurate from deep range but not from short?

Is it like how Steph Curry can make 3-pointers much better than anyone else in the NBA, but seems to miss short shots more than he logically ought to?

foofighters · Oct 14, 2019

I can bomb drives down of the fairway pretty regularly but put a 5 iron in my hand and who knows where it's going...

kento40 · Oct 14, 2019

I will never understand it.

Ranching · Oct 14, 2019

kento40 said:
I will never understand it.

It's cuz their head coach sucks.....

Cowboysheelsreds053 · Oct 14, 2019

JUST like a good 3 point shooter in basketball but shoots 60% from the free throw line.

NeathBlue · Oct 14, 2019

Pressure... Maher wasn’t expected to nail it from 62 yards and so he was relaxed.
But give him a relatively easy one, his heads exploding under the pressure.
Unless you want to keep him on the roster as a kicker just for long range efforts, he might as well be cut now... because he’s going to cost us plenty more games if we keep him.

nobody · Oct 14, 2019

NeathBlue said:
Pressure... Maher wasn’t expected to nail it from 62 yards and so he was relaxed.
But give him a relatively easy one, his heads exploding under the pressure.
Unless you want to keep him on the roster as a kicker just for long range efforts, he might as well be cut now... because he’s going to cost us plenty more games if we keep him.

I was going to post this. You nailed it.

Legend · Oct 14, 2019

Less pressure for longer kicks like putts; since you are not expected to make a high % of them.

Tons of pressure for short kicks or putts; since you are expected to make almost all of them.

CyberB0b · Oct 14, 2019

Cowboysheelsreds053 said:
JUST like a good 3 point shooter in basketball but shoots 60% from the free throw line.

I don't think that guy exists.

Blackspider214 · Oct 14, 2019

Cowboysheelsreds053 said:
JUST like a good 3 point shooter in basketball but shoots 60% from the free throw line.

Can't think of one guy like this. Most of the guys who suck at free throws are guys who mainly play in the paint.

Datruth88 · Oct 14, 2019

Blackspider214 said:
Can't think of one guy like this. Most of the guys who suck at free throws are guys who mainly play in the paint.

Bruce Bowen 40% from 3. 58% as a free throw shooter

nightrain · Oct 14, 2019

geometry I believe. the closer you are the more of an angle you have to compensate for. Maher appears to be a straight kicker.

Zordon · Oct 14, 2019

NeathBlue said:
Pressure... Maher wasn’t expected to nail it from 62 yards and so he was relaxed.
But give him a relatively easy one, his heads exploding under the pressure.
Unless you want to keep him on the roster as a kicker just for long range efforts, he might as well be cut now... because he’s going to cost us plenty more games if we keep him.

The problem is if you keep on the roster only for long range kicks then the pressure builds for those kicks because he knows he's only on the roster to make those kicks.

Cowboysheelsreds053 · Oct 14, 2019

CyberB0b said:
I don't think that guy exists.

There are some out there, if you shoot 43% or above in 3 points, no reason you can't shoot 85% or better at the line.

Cowboysheelsreds053 · Oct 14, 2019

Blackspider214 said:
Can't think of one guy like this. Most of the guys who suck at free throws are guys who mainly play in the paint.

Not all my man.

Cowboysheelsreds053 · Oct 14, 2019

Datruth88 said:
Bruce Bowen 40% from 3. 58% as a free throw shooter

This, it's not the norm but there are some out there. I watch alot of games.

Chuck 54 · Oct 14, 2019

Another golf analogy:

Ever used more club than you need so you can swing easy and not make a mistake?
Almost always goes left or right because snap comes early or late. So much easier to swing the same tempo every time. My guess is Maher needs to take a full swing on every kick, even extra points. A full swing doesn’t mean an over swing, but it does mean no easy layups or guiding.

NeathBlue · Oct 14, 2019

Zordon said:
The problem is if you keep on the roster only for long range kicks then the pressure builds for those kicks because he knows he's only on the roster to make those kicks.

Oh I’d cut him this week and start afresh with a new kicker..

KingintheNorth · Oct 14, 2019

Kicking is like putting, it's mostly mental.

CowboysFaninHouston · Oct 14, 2019

Red Dragon said:
Maher is now the only NFL kicker to have ever made two field goals of 60+ yards in his career. But he continues to miss from short range. Can someone explain what sort of physiological or mental factors can make someone accurate from deep range but not from short?

Is it like how Steph Curry can make 3-pointers much better than anyone else in the NBA, but seems to miss short shots more than he logically ought to?

not sure, but even in kicking, its about follow through. some strong kickers, tend to not follow through properly on short kicks and thus they lose accuracy.

Why are some kickers accurate from long range but not from short?

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