Gostkowski opens up on the life of a kicker … and Enya

FOXBOROUGH – In the National Football League playoffs, games are generally decided by a touchdown or less. Three of last week?s wild card games saw a margin of victory of seven points or less.Because of that, a kicking game becomes that much more important as the probability of a blowout decreases. So it was very revealing Thursday at Gillette Stadium to hear from Stephen Gostkowski, the Patriots? placekicker.It is generally accepted — around here, anyway — that Gostkowski was snubbed last month when he was not voted into the Pro Bowl. He?s certainly had his best season with the Patriots since coming here in 2006, and he probably had his shining moment in Houston by kicking two 50-plus-yard field goals in the team?s come-from-behind win over the Texans.Thursday, Gostkowski gave an almost Bill Belichickian analysis of all the things that have to go right for a kick in the NFL to be successful (so much so that you?ll never think of any kick as automatic ever again).Remember, Gostkowski was tasked, in 2006, to fill the shoes of a bona fide Patriots legend (Adam Vinatieri) when he came here, so it?s more than a little ironic that he and the Patriots will be going up against Vinatieri and the Indianapolis Colts Saturday (8:15) at Gillette.Gostkowski also revealed himself to be a fan of new-age music (specifically, Enya), which certainly falls under the “gee, who knew?” category.Saturday night, when Gostkowski lines up to kick a field goal, be aware that the amount of time it takes between the snap and the kick is 1.3 seconds, and in that time any one of a number of things could cause problems.?It?s a big trust thing,” said Gostkowski, talking about how much of a factor the holder (in this case, Ryan Allen) is in ensuring a successful kick.?If you don?t have to think about where the hold is going to be, if you miss the ball by inches,” Gostkowski said, “or if it leans a little bit forward or back, or left, or right, or the laces are pointed toward the right or the left and the way the ball is, the laces, the weight of the ball in the wind, there?s so much stuff that goes into it.”Before you go any further, go back and read that again. Just want to make sure you?ve got it all. Because this is what goes through a kicker?s mind in 1.3 seconds. Now, tell me that the next time Gostkowski lines up for a 40-yarder with the game on the line you won? be pacing back and forth with sweaty palms.Of course, if you are, you can be assured that Gostkowski won?t be. His objective is to take all the nervous energy that he?s built up before kickoff and channel it into a singular focus. And he does that how??I always just try to visualize myself doing well and not getting overexcited or too hyped up in the moment,” he said. “Most of (his teammates) are banging heads. I?m trying to, like, listen to Enya before the game to calm myself down.?The worst thing you can do in situations where, for me personally, where the situation gets bigger is get too excited,” he said. “You have to try to slow your heart rate down, turn that nervousness and tightness into focus, and if you just try to do that … you?ll be successful.”So to review: Gostkowski has a tendency to turn kicking into nuclear physics, but refrains from getting too intimidated with all the things that could go wrong by listening to new-age music.Got it.Gostkowski has, in the past, suffered temporary episodes of the “yips,” such as last season when he missed a potential game-winning field goal against the Arizona Cardinals and this season when he shanked a kickoff out of bounds that gave the Miami Dolphins a better chance to come down the field and score the game-winning touchdown (which they did). As a result, confidence is a big thing with him. So, what he does is try to visualize success. Putting together a highlight video of his best moments, with favorite Gostkowski tunes playing in the background, helps. He also thinks of songs he likes and keeps them playing in his head while he?s waiting