What did Marshall von Hildebrand do to pass the time during (or the make the most of) the offseason? Well, there's only so much that a kicker can do to. Really, the most important thing is to stay fresh and to keep flexible. Because there really are only so many ways to kick the ball as a kicker. And most of your training is focused on doing the same thing consistently. So that was a focus for von Hildebrand, but really his bigger focus was on the mental aspect of the game. While the mechanics are largely the same for every kicker and you can get incrimentally better slowly, every kicker has to perform under incredible pressure. So von Hildebrand spent time this off season getting himself right mentally. That involved working with an individual therapist, a sports psychologist, and engaging in meditation and mindfulness exercises. To the extent he could, he would simulate high pressure situations and work on his consistency. Hopefully this pays off in the big moments this season.
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