The Spinning Magic Of Left-Footed Punters

Why did the Saints, Chargers, and Ravens—three teams with above-average punters—all work out free agent punters last week? No, it's not because any of those teams is scapegoating their punter for the whole team's jaw-dropping inconsistency. Rather, they wanted to practice against left-footed punters before facing real NFL lefties in their next games. Conventional wisdom says lefties get a spin on their balls that righties don't. But author Stefan Fatsis, who knows whereof he speaks regarding NFL special teams, says there's less importance than ever in punting left-footed, as he explains on this week's excerpt from Slate's Hang Up and Listen podcast.

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