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contents Copyright © 1999, George Jakowenko.
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CHOOSE YOUR APPROACH
You have two decisions to make. Will you be a "two-" or "three-step"
kicker and will you be a straight-on or soccer-style kicker? The choice
between being straight-on and soccer-style kicker is easy: be a soccer-style
kicker.
Two- or three-step approach
Placekicking can be accomplished using either a Two-Step or Three-Step
approach.
Many coaches prefer a Two-Step approach to get to the ball faster. Some
reasons: the holder is too slow getting the ball down; the center’s snap is
too slow; or the offensive line allows penetration.
Advantages to the Two-Step approach:
- Ther is less distance between the kicker and the ball.
Advantages to the Three-Step approach:
- Provides more power as a result of the forward movement of the body to
the ball.
- Provides greater balance at the approach to the ball.
- Compensates for a bad snap. Enables you to start-stop-restart your
stride and still maintain balance.
- Most high school, college, and pro kickers use the Three-Step
approach.
Straight-on or Soccer-sSyle
Most college kickers and all NFL kickers use the soccer-style approach,
yet many high school kickers are straight-on kickers because that is what
they learned when they were just starting.
Advantages to Straight-on kicking:
- Easiest to learn.
- Ball gets higher more quickly.
- Requires less contortion of the body, legs, and feet.
Disadvantages to Straight-on kicking:
- Most kids start kicking the ball with the toe, but approach the ball
at an angle, thus combining the straight-on and soccer-style approaches
without realizing it, resulting in awkward form and decreased accuracy.
- There are very few soccer-style kicking coaches and fewer straight-on
kicking coaches.
- Generally not taught in college and not at all in the pros.
- Not as accurate using today’s soccer shoes. You have to purchase a
special straight-on shoe or an attachment for the shoe, both of which are
hard to find in local sporting goods stores.
- Attaching the accessory is hard.
- Many kickers also play another position. Changing into a kicking
shoe is time-consuming.
- The ball does not travel as far.
- A kicker using a soccer shoe to kick straight-on has to make
contact with approximately a 1” area of the tip of the shoe, magnifying
minor form errors.
- Developing leg strength takes a lot longer.
Advantages to Soccer-style kicking:
- More accurate because the soccer-style kicker can use almost a 6” area
of the shoe to make contact.
- Minor form errors are not as likely to result in a miss.
- More power in the leg swing, resulting in greater distance.
Disadvantages to Soccer-style kicking:
- THE MOST DIFFICULT POSITION TO MASTER SUCCESSFULLY
- Once learned, there are no disadvantages
Kicking barefoot.
Kicking barefoot is not recommended, as it poses a severe danger to the
toes and skin. Frequently, you will kick the tee and the ground, and it is
painful enough to hit either while wearing a shoe, let alone not wearing
one.
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