Punting
- Choose Your Approach
- Warm Up
- Stretching
- Pre-punt mental routine
- Distance from the center
- Alignment to the line of scrimmage
- Foot alignment prior to the snap
- Upper body, arms and hand positions
- Leg Position
- While you wait for the ball to be snapped
- Concentrate as the ball is snapped
- When to start the take-off
- Proper stride length
- Take off towards the ball
- Weak snap
- Bad snap
- How high to hold the ball
- How to catch the ball
- Ball rotation in hands
- Grasping the ball
- Angle of ball
- Elbow extension
- Hold the ball through the strides
- Extend the ball outwards at the approach
- Ball angle and tilt of drop
- Arm and hand position at drop
- Shoulder position at drop
- Lower the ball to the foot
- Control drop speed
- Release the ball
- Bend the knee and cock the foot
- The Toe Point
- The plant foot
- Foot contact on sweet spot
- Contact point on foot during contact with the ball
- Optimum contact of the ball with the foot
- Position of arms during contact with the ball
- Position of head during contact with the ball
- Position of hips during contact with the ball
- Position of shoulders during contact with the ball
- Position of hips at point of contact with the ball
- Follow through with the punt foot
- Punting foot after follow-through
- Position of head after the follow through
- Position of planting foot after the follow-through
- Body position after follow-through
- Game situations
- How high should the follow-through be?
- Distance from the line of scrimmage after the punt
- Other factors affecting the flight and distance of the ball after the punt
- Wind direction
- Temperature
- Seam vs. panels vs. laces.
- Height
- Out of end-zone punts
- Distance
- Common Injuries
- Weight Training
- Practice techniques
- Ask the Coach
- George's Notes
- Glossary
Warm Ups
Slow jog around the field two times.
Stretching
The exercises below show basic stretching technique. Not everyone will be able to get maximum flexibility, but reach as far as you can. The more time you take with the exercise, the more flexible you will become.
Hurdler's stretch.
Get into position. [See picture 1.] Then reach for your
toe. [See picture 2.] Straighten back up and gradually
lean the other way to get your
shoulders to the ground. [See picture 3.] Switch to
the other leg
and repeat the exercise. Repeat at least 8 times.
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| #1 | #2 |
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| #3 | |
| Campfire
stretch. Bring the balls of your feet together. [See picture 4.] Use your elbows to push your knees to the ground. Gradually push your knees down as far as you can. Repeat 8 times. |
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| #4 |
| Hamstring
stretch, toe touch. Feet should be shoulder-width apart. Bend at your waist and let the weight of your body stretch your hamstrings. [See picture 5.] Hold this position to the count of 10. Straighten up and repeat the exercise 8 times. Gradually stretch until the palms of your hands reach the ground. |
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| #5 |
| Thigh
stretch. Sit on your knees and lay back. Gradually extend the lean until you can get your shoulders close to or on the ground. [See picture 6.] |
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| #6 |






