San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith had the best completion percentage (61.3) of his career in 2011, but the six-year veteran is nevertheless focusing on improving his accuracy and throwing mechanics this offseason.
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During a chat with fans posted on the 49ers' official team website, via Comcast SportsNet Bay Area, Smith revealed that he recently spent time working on his throwing motion independently.
"I saw a mechanics guru, or specialist down in L.A.," Smith wrote. "I went there to kind of clean some things up with my motion. I'm really focused on getting my fundamentals better. Really didn't have time last offseason to do it."
Citing a source close to the quarterback, Comcast SportsNet Bay Area reported that the 49ers are hoping Smith can become even more accurate by fixing two key issues with his throwing motion, and that doing so will be a focal point of his offseason preparations.
According to the site, one issue is that Smith doesn't flex his left knee enough during his stride, and the second is that Smith isn't balanced enough when dropping back to throw.
Smith, taken first overall by the 49ers in the 2005 NFL Draft, made the 2011 season his best in the NFL by completing 273 of 445 passes for 3,144 yards and 17 touchdowns. He was also picked off just five times while leading San Francisco to a 13-3 record and, eventually, to the NFC Championship Game.