One cannot overstate how important the mental aspect of sports is for athletes. At the pro level, everyone has a basic level of athletic talent, and it is one's mindset, attitude and philosophies that separate mediocre, good and great players from each other.
One thing athletes need in order to be great is the ability to perform under pressure. Some are born with the ability, but others need help in order to develop that ability.
San Francisco 49ers kicker Jake Moody has been a mixed bag in his two seasons in the NFL. Statistically, he didn't do badly as a rookie, although he missed a key extra point attempt in that season's Super Bowl that could've helped the 49ers win it all.
Last year, he struggled mightily at times and helped cost them wins as they sagged to a 6-11 finish. Niners Faithful was vehemently calling for him to be benched and replaced.
Moody admits that he had to seek outside help in order to get better at his job.
"I've been talking with a sports performance coach," Moody said, per 49ers Webzone. "He's really harping on process over outcome. There's nothing I can do to go back and change the past. The only thing I can do is focus on the next kick and focus on the process. That's as simple as running out on the field, doing a practice kick, just focusing on my steps, making sure those are good, and just not thinking about anything that's previously happened, anything that might happen in the future. Just go back to the thousands of practice reps that I've done and focus on that process."
In 2024, Moody made just 70.6% of his field-goal attempts. He made only half of his 20 attempts from at least 40 yards, and Niners fans had to deal with blood pressure spikes because of his inconsistent kicking.
He missed a number of field-goal tries in fourth quarters, but in Saturday's preseason game versus the Las Vegas Raiders, he showed some improvement.
While he missed a 53-yarder in the second quarter, overall, he went five of six, which included the game-winning 59-yard attempt he drilled with no time left.
San Francisco held an open competition for the starting kicker job during training camp a few weeks ago. After two preseason games, it looks like perhaps the job is once again Moody's to lose, and coach Kyle Shanahan was happy with what he saw from Moody on Saturday.
"I think that was a hell of a day for him," Shanahan told reporters in his postgame press conference. "I thought he kicked his ass off and gives us a lot of confidence."
The team's final exhibition game of 2025 will come on Saturday, Aug. 23 versus the Los Angeles Chargers. While some are picking the Niners to miss the playoffs again this year, they're hoping to surprise people and perhaps even become contenders again.
For that to happen, Moody will have to become cooler than the other side of the pillow under pressure.
