Is the Snap that important?

 Products come and go on the marketplace. The ones that usually have staying power are the ones that are invented by a person deeply involved in the industry, profession, or field  for self-use. Otherwise, it wouldn’t get invented and has no chance in the marketplace. They are typically reasonable, economic fixes that solve a problem that has not been addressed by the marketplace because too many products are made by people outside of the profession to make a quick buck. 

 The WhipaSnap addresses the problem of training Quarterbacks without a shotgun snap. I am a former professional and college Quarterback, an high school O.C. and Quarterback coach and I built this machine for self-use with all my experience to draw from. I was always frustrated with having to run a spread offense from shotgun but hardly ever getting enough reps with the shotgun snaps. Centers aren’t always available. Teammates and coaches aren’t always available and don’t give accurate simulations. Family members aren’t always available and don’t give well-simulated snaps that result in quality reps.   The criteria: small, simple, effective, transportable, quick and easy to use, and not cost-prohibitive. 

The shotgun snap is not only important, but absolutely CRUCIAL to training quarterbacks. Catching the snap, seating the ball, getting the grip, getting it to carriage while keeping eyes down the field and executing plays is everything and it all begins with the snap.   It’s unfathomable the idiocy that is running rampant in training these days. It is unacceptable for ANY Quarterback in any practice, 7v7, pass league, camp, or clinic to not have a true simulated shotgun snap for 100% of the reps taken. Moreover, we should not have to devote manpower to solving the problem and filling the void when a fully capable and accessible machine exists to do just that. 

I challenge you to observe practices or camps or clinics at ANY level and see how many QBs are not getting shotgun snaps. How many are flipping the ball to themselves? How many are getting “perfect spiral” yet unrealistic snaps coming from chest high during reps? How much manpower is wasted due to snapping duty during practice? How many QBs look like studs would not look so good if they had to discipline themselves and actually deal with a shotgun snap first? Are the coaches actually interested in making the QBs better or just all flash? What about the QB? Is he interested? How realistic is it to take a ball from a tray and just stand there?  It is all insanely stupid to overlook the importance of the snap. I’ve seen games lost because of fumbled or mishandled snaps. Bad throws and poor execution. DUMB! 

Resistance comes from having to come to the understanding that not only is the snap important but that the current paradigm treats the shotgun snap as a burden as opposed to an actual skill to develop that is the foundation to executing every play. Don’t be guilty of this. Give yourselves and your players the greatest chance to succeed. The WhipASnap should be the very first training equipment every offensive coach has. Period. No way around. Build your offensive practice schedules and develop skills with this tool in mind and watch how your practices improve.