The term “Aim Small Miss Small” is used pretty often in the kicking and punting community. It has so many benefits when you take the time to digest it. It is one of the main reasons I was able to go from making 20-30% more of my kicks when I was playing. It has a great impact and will transform your kicking abilities, give you more confidence, and give you more opportunities in-game.
The mindset behind aim small miss small
The concept of aim small miss small is very simple. Find a small target to aim for within a broader one, and the likelihood of you hitting or getting close to it increases a lot. Think of a field goal, you’ve got 18-23 feet of width depending if you’re in high school, or college/the pros.
Now most kickers including myself will simply try to aim between those and hope you make it. As the years have gone on, it has become really clear that you should pick a really small target within the uprights. The logic behind this is if you aim between the uprights, you will make or miss between the uprights. If you aim for a small target, you will make or miss that small target.
Picking targets
When practicing aim small miss small, It’s important that you pick something really specific. The more detail the better.
The same could be said about punting or really any sport, the smaller your target, the more precise you need to be so there’s less room for error. Having that mentality will go a long way since you’re getting in the habit of not paying attention to the big target of the field goal/field as a whole but the really small item you’re aiming for.
For example, let’s say behind the field goal is the word “Stadium” Instead of aiming for the word stadium as a whole, imagine hitting the ball right in the center of the D in stadium. That way you’re really specific and the aiming point is such that if you miss, you might hit the letter A, U, or S. This would be a much better scenario since you still make the kick in all those examples compared to making or missing the uprights as a whole.
If there’s nothing to aim for, make a really small imaginary X much higher and farther than the uprights. Try not to aim for clouds as they can move and mess up your results.
If you’re punting, visualize it hitting a specific number on the field, hash mark, or something really specific in your head.
Visualize
This part of aim small miss small will make your results much more impactful when used properly. Now that you have your target, your mind has to see it happen first before it can become a reality.
Think about your kick/punt, hitting dead center in your small target as you get ready to kick and go through your routine.
The crazy thing about kicking and punting is how mental it is. If you want to achieve something, your mind has to see it first.
Once your mind sees it happening, believe that you will make it happen. That’s the next step here. It’s a big one. Not only does your mind have to see it, but you have to believe that it will happen.
Trust your swing
Once you’ve picked your target, see it happening in your mind, and believe that it will happen, trust your swing and let your natural swing do its thing. Just by simply having a target, believing that you will hit it there, and trusting your swing to make it happen, you’ve dramatically increased your chances of making it happen.
When practicing the aim small miss small method, it’s really important to let your body do its thing and not try to force anything or do any extra aiming. You already did that earlier, now just let your swing take over and believe you’re going to hit it at your target. Trust me, your brain and body are capable of a lot of impressive things if we just get out of the way and let it do its thing.
Next time you go out and really practice the aim small miss small method knowing what you know now, let me know how it went for you!
Bonus Resources:
If you haven’t already, get your copy of “The Art Of Kicking” and “The Art Of Kicking Journal” as they’re quickly becoming a must-have in every kicker and punter’s tool belt! I cover the concept of aim small miss small quite a few times in the book and how you can use it to your advantage!
Lastly, hit me up on social media @kickersofearth on all platforms to see what else I’m up to!
If there are any additional questions about the material covered today, leave a comment below or contact me using the contact page and I’ll get back to you ASAP!