Kicking Dynamics Featured in The West Australian: Tim Schmidt Weighs In on Jake Waterman’s Goal-Kicking Challenge.
Kicking Dynamics is proud to be featured in a recent article by The West Australian, where our Founder and Head Coach, Tim Schmidt, was interviewed about West Coast Eagles forward Jake Waterman and the challenges he's faced in front of goal this season.
Despite Waterman remaining one of the AFL's most influential forwards—ranking among the league leaders for shots on goal and score involvements—his goal-kicking accuracy has become a major talking point in 2026. Recent matches have seen several crucial opportunities narrowly miss, prompting widespread discussion around confidence, technique, and performance under pressure.
In the article, Tim shared his perspective on what many people describe as the "yips" and explained that goal-kicking performance is often influenced by a combination of technical and mental factors.
"There's often a mix of both mental and technical elements involved," Tim explained. "When a player is creating plenty of opportunities and doing so much right around the ground, it's important not to lose sight of the bigger picture."
Drawing on his experience as a former AFL player and specialist kicking coach, Tim highlighted the importance of maintaining consistent routines and trusting the processes that have worked throughout a player's career. Rather than searching for wholesale changes, he emphasised returning to the fundamentals and focusing on repeatable actions under pressure. This philosophy has been at the core of Kicking Dynamics' coaching approach for nearly two decades.
The discussion reinforces a principle we teach every athlete—from AFL players to junior footballers—that performance is built on repetition, confidence, and consistency. When pressure increases, the ability to trust your routine becomes even more important.
We're proud that Tim continues to be recognised as one of Australia's leading kicking coaches, regularly providing expert commentary on kicking technique, skill acquisition, and performance under pressure. His insights have helped thousands of footballers across Australia improve their kicking performance, and it is always rewarding to see the principles we teach at Kicking Dynamics reflected in discussions at the highest level of the game.
For players, parents and coaches, the article serves as a reminder that even elite AFL footballers can experience challenges with confidence and execution. The key is not searching for a quick fix, but returning to proven fundamentals, trusting the process, and continuing to build quality habits through repetition.