Rookie place-kicker takes step for better

ALAMEDA, Calif. — Daniel Carlson needed to take a step forward. He knew it. His longtime coach knew it. So on Sept. 19, two days after the Minnesota Vikings waived him, Carlson and his wife, Katherine, went for a Wednesday drive, commuting three hours south of Minneapolis to Ankeny, Iowa. In the Midwest suburb, he found catharsis, shaking off a rocky NFL start while adjusting his on-field technique. It was here he turned into the kicker the Raiders know. On Oct. 23, Carlson became the fifth kicker to inhabit their roster this league year. The union’s circuitous nature benefited both. Since joining the Raiders, the rookie fifth-round pick has converted nine of 10 field goals, including his first 50-yard attempt last weekend. He can continue his strong start Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Minnesota cut the 23-year-old a day after he missed three field goals, including two in overtime, during a tie versus the Green Bay Packers. If he has looked like a different kicker for Oakland, that is because, in some sense, he is. As a free agent, he made a subtle but significant adjustment in his kicking approach. It came under the advisement of trusted coach Jamie Kohl, director of Kohl’s Kicking Camps. The two have worked together since Carlson was a high school junior. That year, Kohl ranked him the No. 1 kicker in the country, a development Carlson credits to fueling his Auburn-bound college recruitment. Before a field goal for the Raiders, Carlson paces to his same starting position as he did in Minnesota. But now, leading with his size 14 left cleat, he takes one step closer to the ball. “It’s just easier to control when you’re a little more compact,” said Carlson, who estimates he begins his approach around 124 inches from the hold instead of 140. “Those steps aren’t as long. You try to be as repeatable as possible. And I’m already 6 feet 4, 6 feet 5. I’m almost at a disadvantage there because it’s harder to be repeatable when you’re that tall. As a 5-10 kicker, it’s easier to have the same exact angles and levers and stuff. “I have to continue to work on staying compact in my tall frame. That way, every time I get to the ball, it’s the exact same. Adrenaline can change things, too. So you try to be the exact same as in practice as you