Placekicking

  1. Choose Your Approach
  2. Warm-ups
  3. Stretching
  4. Kicking routine
  5. Mental routine
  6. Proper distance and angle from the ball at ball address
  7. Foot placement at ball address
  8. Position of arms, shoulders and hips at ball address
  9. Where to look when waiting for the ball to be snapped
  10. What to think as the ball is snapped
  11. Timing with the center, holder and you
  12. When to start the take-off for the kick
  13. Steps
  14. Where to look when approaching the ball
  15. Proper take-off toward the ball
  16. Foot speed at the approach
  17. Position of hips and shoulders at ball approach
  18. Position of arms at ball approach
  19. Position of kicking foot prior to the kick
  20. Positions of kicking thigh and knee at explosion into the ball
  21. Position of arms at contact
  22. Foot placement and angle of planting foot at contact
  23. Position of head at contact.
  24. Position of shoulders at contact
  25. Position of hips at contact
  26. What part of the ball to kick
  27. What part of the foot kicks the ball
  28. Position of laces, tilt and angle of the ball on contact
  29. Ball rotation on contact
  30. Position of head during follow-through
  31. Position of shoulders during follow-through
  32. Position of arms during follow-through
  33. Position of planting foot during follow-through
  34. Position of hips during follow-through
  35. Position of kicking foot during follow-through
  36. Position of head after follow-through
  37. Position of kicking foot after follow-through
  38. Where to land after follow-through
  39. Speed of ball rotation after the kick
  40. Holding the ball
  41. Which hand to hold the ball
  42. Wind direction and speed
  43. Temperature
  44. Seam vs. panel vs. laces
  45. Accuracy
  46. Indicator as to why the kick missed
  47. Increasing traction
  48. Kick-off
  49. Normal kick-off
  50. On-side kick-off
  51. Practice Drills
  52. Height
  53. Maximum Distance
  54. Quick kick
  55. Bad holder
  56. Weekly workout schedule
  57. Game day schedule
  58. Miscellaneous
  59. Adjustments for missed kicks
  60. Injuries
  61. Weight training
  62. Equipmen
  63. Glossary

Position of shoulders at point of contact

Shoulders should be level; since the ball is already raised by the tee, there is no need to dip your shoulders to get underneath the ball. Dipping the kicking-side shoulder will cause you to undercut the ball, decreasing distance and “pushing” the ball to the right. However, college and pro kickers do need to lower the kicking leg slightly because the ball is on the ground.

Position of hips at contact

Hips should face the holder. Rotating your hips too soon will pull the ball to the left.

#20
#21
#22

What part of the ball to kick

Kick the ball 1½” - 2” below the center. Laces should face the goal posts for maximum distance and straight flight. [See picture 23.] If you kick the laces, the ball’s flight will be affected and the distance could be decreased.

#23

What part of the ball to kick

Maximum distance is reached by kicking the “sweet spot” of the ball with the top 3 inside eyelets of the kicking shoe. [See picture 24.] College kickers must make contact with the top of the top side of the big toe joint.

#24

Position of laces, tilt and angle of the ball on contact

The laces should face the goal posts. [See pictures 25 and 26.] The ball is held straight up and down and tilted 1" to1-1/2” to the right. For a left-footed kicker, tilt the ball to the left the same distance. Tilting the ball keeps it from fading in flight. As an exercise, if you are a right-footed kicker, tilt the ball left 2” off center and kick it a few times. The ball will fade left. Now tilt the ball only 1” off center to the left and kick it; then don't tilt the ball at all and kick it; now tilt it 1” to the right and kick it. The ball will fade less each time you tilt the ball from left to right. I have found that about 1" to 1-1/2” from center to the right will produce a straight kick. Moving the ball to the right will also lower the center of the ball. If you keep kicking under the ball, tilt the ball back and angle it to the right 2", and you will hit closer to the sweet spot. By increasing the angle of the ball, you lower the sweet spot.

#25
#26

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