0 8A - Thursday, September 27, 2007 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Holding his own Mesko embraces new role By KEVIN WRIGHT Daily Sports Editor It doesn't really matter how far Michigan's Zoltan Mesko can punt the ball. He's more worried about impressing his friends with his golf swing anyway. This summer, the redshirt sophomore worked on his best imitation of Happy Gilmore's running swing from the tee box and said he got pretty good at it - until he tried to show it off to his friends. "I was like, 'Check this 350- yard drive out,' and I stubbed my club right before I hit the tee," Mesko said. "It got loose on me, and I swung the club head 150 yards." ThoughMeskoadmitsheshoots in the 90s over 18 holes, his aver- age score doesn't discourage him from hitting the driving range. "I like to go out on the driving range a lot and take a whack at the ball," Mesko said. "Take some stress out." And this season, Mesko's had more reason to take out the clubs. He's added the pressure of being the holder on the field-goal unit to his responsibilities. Mesko said it took him some time this summer to get used to the position, but he knew some- one had to fill the shoes of depart- ed starter Ross Ryan, who held for the Wolverines last season. On top of his punting duties, Mesko practiced taking snaps. Now he's got a handle on the job, as long as he remembers one important factor, made famous by Ace Ventura. "I have to make sure I get the spot every time and get the laces out," Mesko said. "I don't want 'Laces out, Marino' calls." Back in high school, Mesko, who was a field goal kicker and a punter, criticized his holder. But now that he's the one tak- ing the snap, he's realized just how hard it is. "They're not noticed until they mess up," Mesko said. Even with the added duties, the 6-foot-4 punter has excelled at his natural position. Michigan coach Sophomore DeShawn Sims and the rest of the Michigan basketball team have been using "The Beilein Ball" to help improve their jump shots before the upcoming season. elen uses ball to boost Blue's shooting woes 0 PETER SCHOTTENFELS/Daily Punter Zoltan Mesko has expanded his role with the Wolverines this season, taking over the holding responsibilities during field goals. Lloyd Carr said Mesko is having a great year. Mesko, who moved with his parents to the United States from Romania as a child, is averaging 42.3 yards per punt, good for second in the Big Ten. He points to the changes - or the lack of them - he made this summer for his success this year. Last season, Mesko adjusted his technique every week, but during the summer, he decided every- thing would stay the same. He stopped trying to cross over with his leg swing, some- thing many NFL punters do, and worked on getting his leg straight through the ball instead. But if Mesko isn't working on punting or holding, he's either in the weight room trying to win over strength and conditioning coach Mike Gittleson or running extra laps to stay in shape. The lanky punter tries to stay busy. He even plays a little catch with the ball boys, which might suggest a fake field-goal attempt in his future. "Maybe," Mesko said after a pause. "I can't really say. My arm's OK. I wish I could've played some quarterback in high school, but I've played enough catch with the ball boys to be good atit." By MARK GIANNOTTO Daily Sports Writer Last April, Michigan athletic director Bill Mar- tin knew he hired a gifted basketball mind when he lured John Beilein away from West Virginia to coach in Ann Arbor. But no, one could've thought Martin found an inventor. The BeileinBall is the same as any ordinary basket- ball, but down the seams, Beilein's name is stitched vertically in black writing to help players align their hands on a shot. Shooting from the seam gives the ball better rotation as it leaves a person's hands. Beilein came up with the idea years ago, while working with a player struggling with his shot. Back then, he just used a magic marker to align the players hand on the seams. After seeing how effective the "Beilein Ball" was, it got the coach thinking about the commercial possibilities. "I ended up saying 'Jeez, this is something we use alot,'"said Beilein. "It would be reallygood ifit were professionally done. So, Ihad used a ball called 'The Rock' for a number of years, and as a result, I asked them if they would be interested in working with me to patent the ball. Then they came up with the name and called it the B-line, but spelled like my name." Nowadays, with the Wolverines in the midst of individual workouts, the Beilein Ball is the only thing found at Crisler Arena. With a team that returns just one player who shot more than 35 percent from 3-point range - junior Jerret Smith - the Beilein Ball has become a staple in many of the team's shooting drills. Just to warm up, Beilein has a player pass the ball to another, who catches and shoots. But Beilein makes ita point for players to align their hands along the seam as they set their feet. "When I first saw the (Beilein Ball), I thought it was a joke because I had never seen a ball like that before," senior Ron Coleman said. "But it really helps a lot to get your hands in the seams, because you do shoot better." Beilein also uses a 30-second shooting drill to challenge the team. Each player - big men included - must make 7-of-10 midrange jumpers while com- ing around a screen with a hand in their face. That's followed by a drill in which each player must make 12-of-20 3-pointers over a 59-second span. If you can't convert in practice, you won't get the green light to shoot in games, not to mention the wind sprints after Beilein's demands aren't met. "All he's doing is trying to find a way to get us our reps in because no one was used to shooting this much, especially last year," sophomore DeShawn Sims said. "We've shot more now than we did all last year." Yesterday was Beilein's first time assembling the team together for a full-squad practice - even though it was for just 40 minutes because of NCAA regulations. Regular practices don't start until Oct. 12. Once the season begins, the Wolverines won't have the luxury of using the Beilein Ball in games. Until then, they're fine enjoying their coach's inno- vation. "(The Beilein Ball) adds to our games, makes us better," sophomore Ekpe Udoh said. "It's going to pay off once the season comes. 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