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

Kick-off

Angle the ball in a similar position as you would for a field goal.

To determine proper distance from the ball, start by going back about 7 yards in the same angle as the field goal. Jog to the ball and plant as if to kick the ball. If your plant foot does not land even with the tee and 5-7" to the left, then adjust your distance from the ball. [See pictures 32 and 33.] You can start the kickoff between 7 and 10 yards. Pick a distance most comfortable for you; there is no magic distance.

Your steps to the ball must be consistent. Do not change the length of your strides as you get closer to the ball. If you have to change the length of your strides by taking short “chopping” or “ballerina” steps, then adjust the distance to the ball.

The follow-through must be as high as you can get your leg. Just like in a field goal, use your planting foot to push off the ground. You should land about 18" past the tee on your kicking leg.

Because of the speed of your approach and the height, your kicking leg must be high and you must land on your kicking foot (the opposite landing for a field goal). [See pictures 34 and 35.]

#32 #33
#34 #35

Normal Kick-off

[See picture 36]
The ball must travel at least 10 yards.
Must be as deep as possible.
Hang time should be a minimum of 3.3 seconds. Hang time above 3.3 seconds is very good for high school; 3.8+ seconds for college and 4.0+ seconds for pros.
The ball should reach the 10 yard-line for high school and the goal line for college and pros; anything beyond that is very good.

#36

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