All contents Copyright © 1999, George Jakowenko.
 

Adjustments for missed kicks

Ball sails right
Correct the following:

• Plant foot is more than 5”-7” away from of the block or ball.
• Plant foot is in front of the block or ball.  It should be even with the block.
• The kicking moves too slowly and lags behind the ball when you make contact.  As you approach the ball, if your kicking leg trails your body, you will have moved past the block, so that when your foot reaches the ball, you will be out of position, and the ball sails right.
• Your set-up is positioned too far to the left.
• As you kick the ball, your body leans to the left.

Ball sails left
Correct the following:

• Plant foot is less than 5”-7” from the block or ball.
• Plant foot is behind the block or ball.  It should be even with the block.
• The kicking leg is moving too fast into the ball.  If your kicking leg is moving too fast into the ball and your foot leads your body, your foot has moved past the block before your body, and you will be out of position, causing the ball to go left.
• Your set-up is positioned too far to the right.
• As you kick the ball, your plant foot does not push off the ground.
• You swivel your hips to the left.
• You are swinging your kicking leg around your body like a baseball bat instead of a golf club.  Your leg finishes facing the sideline instead just to the outside of the uprights.

No height
Correct the following:

• Make ball contact lower.  You may be not kicking the sweet spot (just below the center of the ball).
• Raise the kicking foot after you kick the ball towards the opposite hand.
• If you are using a 1” block, use a 2” block.
• Start your swing low and follow through high.

Too much height
Correct the following:

• Make contact higher on the ball.  You are kicking the ball too low below the center.
• If you are using a 2” block, use a 1½ or 1” block to lower the center of the ball.
• Tilt the ball back towards you more to lower the center of the ball .

Wobble and Helicopter Kick
This kick is caused by not properly positioning the kicking foot as it meets the ball.  If your toe leads into the ball first and you kick the sweet spot, the wobble and helicopter kicks will result.

Top-like spin kick
Poor position of the kicking foot as it meets the ball.  Foot position is most likely pointing to 1 o'clock.  If your toe leads into the ball first and you kick the middle, the ball will spin like a top.  Your toe/heel should be pointed to 2:30 on a clock.

Ball starts straight but fades left
Improper tilting of the ball.  Tilt the ball to the right for right-footed kickers.

Ball does not go far

• You are not hitting the sweet spot on the ball
• you are not making maximum contact on the kicking foot.
• Ball is not inflated properly.
• Shoe is not laced tightly.
• Leg whip is too slow.

• The ball is kicked far below the sweet spot; kick higher on the ball.
• Tilt the ball back towards you.
• Tilt the ball more to the right.
• Make contact on your foot higher up (3rd or 4th eyelet from the toe).
• Use a 1" block to lower the ball

Injuries
Three most common injuries are:

• Muscle pulls
• Shin splints
• Hyperextended knee

Injury remedies
See your trainer or team doctor

Weight training
Get into a weight training routine.  Lift all year round.  Lift during the season also, but do not lift two days before a game.  Basic routines include leg press, leg extensions, and squats.  Give your muscles two days to fully recover.

Equipment

Proper shoe size
The kicking shoe must be snug all around your foot, not just tied tightly.  If you wear a size 10 street shoe, you need to wear at least 1/2 to one size smaller kicking shoe.  The leather shoe will stretch after a few practices.  Optimum number of kicking shoes is 4 pair:  two of the same type that you will use most often, one pair for artificial turf and one pair of football shoes with long cleats for the plant foot.  If you are a right-footed kicker, he left shoe is the one that you will change for different turf conditions.  The right shoe will be the same.  That is why you frequently see kickers wear two different types of shoes.  The left shoe is for traction and the right shoe is for ball contact.

Socks
Should you wear socks? Yes, wear a thin pair.  Make your kicking foot as hard a surface as you can by wearing a tight shoe, thin socks and wrapping the shoe with tape to tightly cover the laces--check local rules and regulations to confirm whether this is allowed.  If you wear floppy shoes and a thick pair of socks, you will create a “soft foot”, which will cause you to lose about 10 yards on kicks.

Field goal and kicking blocks
Have 2 of each block.  Field goal and kickoff blocks come in 1” and 2” heights.  Practice on both to see which gives you maximum distance.  Generally, the higher the block, the more height and distance the ball will have.

Properly tying your shoelaces
Properly tied laces will increase your accuracy and distance.  The tighter your laces, the harder you make the surface of your foot.  Tie the laces behind your heel or to the outside or inside of your ankle.  Do not tie the laces on top of your foot.  You will create a small knot that may change the ball’s direction.  Carry an extra pair of laces both to practice and to the game.

Taping shoes (check local rules and regulations)
Use athletic tape to tightly wrap the kicking foot so you can eliminate “soft foot.”  When taping your kicking shoe, do not tape the cleats.  If you tape the cleats, you will lose traction and your kicking foot will slide as you approach the ball.  As you wrap the tape underneath the shoe, make sure that the tape is wrapped between the cleats, keeping the tape clear of the cleats.

Inflating the ball
If the ball is not properly inflated, it will not travel the maximum distance.  Just like the “soft foot”, an improperly inflated ball will create a “soft ball”, which will reduce distance.  As an exercise, kick a soft ball and then a properly inflated ball and measure the distance each travels.

Taping ankles
Nearly all players have both their ankles taped to prevent injury; however, for a kicker, taping the kicking foot is not wise.  Tape the ankle of the planting foot only.  If you tape your kicking foot, the foot will not flex properly, thus affecting your form.

New or used ball
New footballs are smaller and harder because the leather is new and has not yet been softened or stretched by use.  If you have a choice between a properly inflated new ball and a properly inflated old ball, select the older ball, as it will travel farther.