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AFM Magazine


Kicking It In

Placekicking Fundamentals and Drills
by: Derek Franz
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There is a saying among football coaches that “kicking a football is like swinging a golf club.” This statement is true because both incorporate the upper and lower body to work simultaneously. However, the two skills are very different. As a former Division I-A place kicker, I have included in my article a set of techniques and drills for soccer style kickers to help any coach work with their athletes.


Diagram 1. Middle/Right-
footed
Kicker



Diagram 2. Middle/Right-
footedkicker



Diagram 3. Left Hash/Left-
footed kicker



Diagram 4. Left Hash/Right-
footed
kicker



Diagram 5. Right Hash/Right-
footed kicker



Diagram 6. Right Hash/Left-
footed kicker



Diagram 7. Upright Accuracy
Drill



Diagram 8. Width of Field Drill


Diagram 9. Height Drill
Standard Steps and Approach

The place kicker starts every PAT/FG by taking three steps back while facing the line of scrimmage. These steps must be of equal length and about a yard deep. These three steps should be the same length as a walking step; shorter kickers have shorter steps and so forth. Following the third step back, the kicker must look up and make sure he is aligned through the tee or holder’s hand with the spot he is aiming at, which is the middle of the crossbar or slightly left or right.

Next, the kicker looks down at his feet and takes two steps to the side. If the steps back are done properly, the kicker can look down at his feet and they will direct him in the proper angle for the side steps. The two side steps vary in angle depending on whether it is a kick from the middle of the field, left or right hash. The two side steps are approximately one half to three quarters of a yard wide. After the two side steps, the kicker drops the kicking foot back in a comfortable staggered stance. The shoulders and body should be squared to the goalposts. A slight angle of the feet and shoulders at the tee or ball is OK; however, if they angle directly at the ball it will drastically affect the direction of the placement.

The approach begins when the kicker sees or feels the snap moving towards the holder. The first step is called a power step. The power step is with the front or non- kicking foot. A power step is no more than picking his foot up and placing it down six inches in front of his original spot. The power step gets his momentum going forward and leads to the second step. The second step is with his kicking foot, and it is just over a yard deep. The final step is the cross over step, which directs where he lands his plant foot. His plant foot and toe should point towards where he is kicking the ball.

The plant foot should land with the inseam of the cleats parallel or slightly in front of the ball when kicking off the ground. Off a one-inch tee, the foot should have its toe even with the middle or back of the tee. When using a two-inch tee, the foot should be inches behind the tee. The width from the ball or tee on all PAT/FG’s is no wider than six inches from the tee or holders spot. The plant foot is slightly wider when kicking off a kicking tee than the ground. As the place kicker is striking the football, his opposite arm needs to pull through his body. The holder holds the ball straight up, or tilts the ball slightly towards himself. Never have the holder tilt the ball away from himself. This will cause the ball to helicopter spin.

Middle of Field (PAT/FG) Technique

The place kicker takes three steps back while facing the line of scrimmage. Following the third step back, the kicker must look up and make sure they are aligned through the tee and the spot they are aiming at (middle of the crossbar or slightly left/right). I recommend on PAT’s for the kicker to use the middle of the crossbar as a landmark. As the placement moves farther back, I recommend for right-footed kickers to aim closer toward the right upright and for left-footed kickers aim more toward the left upright. The adjustment accounts for the natural hook on the football as they attempt to hit the ball farther.

Following the three steps back and checking his alignment, the kicker looks down at his feet and takes two parallel steps to the side. The two steps should be approximately one half to three quarters wide and at a 90-degree angle. After the two side steps, the kicker drops his kicking foot back in a comfortable, staggered stance. His shoulders and body should be squared up to the goalposts. A slight angle of the feet and shoulders at the tee or ball is OK, however, if they angle at the ball directly it will drastically affect the direction of the ball (See Diagrams 1 and 2).

Left Hash

The three steps back remain the same distance, but the kicker’s steps are now angled back. This allows the aiming point to go through the kicking tee and the spot aimed for on the crossbar. A left-footed kicker’s two side steps are still one half to three quarters wide, but are angled at a slightly more than 90 degrees. A right-footed kicker’s two side steps are angled slightly less than 90 degrees. To help his accuracy, on the side steps have him look down at his feet as he takes his side steps. This should help with the correct angle. Finally, the shoulders and body are still directed at the spot on the goalpost. The approach and steps are the same as the middle of the field placements (See Diagrams 3 and 4).

Right Hash

The three steps back remain the same distance, but the kicker’s steps are now angled back. This allows the aiming point to go through the kicking tee and the spot aimed for on the crossbar. A left-footed kicker’s two side steps are still one half to three quarters wide but, are angled slightly less than 90 degrees. A right-footed kicker’s two side steps are slightly angled more than 90 degrees. To help his accuracy, on the side steps have him look down at his feet. Finally, his shoulders and body are still directed at the target on the goalpost. The approach and steps are the same as the middle of the field (See Diagrams 5 and 6).

Coaching Points

A proper strike by a soccer style kicker is done with the toe and knee out. The ball is struck on the inseam of the shoe laces and the foot bone. The toes are squished to the bottom of the shoe and never come off the sole. If the toes come up in the shoe, the kicker has toed the ball.

When evaluating a place kicker’s approach and placement, I recommend filming your place kicker prior to or during practice. The camera angles should be from behind and across the holder to allow them to see the kicker’s approach and placement up-close. On the film, see if both feet are off the ground at any time. If both feet are in the air at the same time, they are too deep on their steps and too far away from the ball. The air will cause them to lose power and height on the ball. If a right-footed kicker continually misses to the right, adjust their landmark on the crossbar to the left, and look to see if the kicker is leading with their knee at the ball and not his foot. A kick that leads with a knee is when the knee is the first part of the leg to attack the ball instead of the foot. If a right-footed kicker is missing to the left, the steps are also too deep, the foot went around the ball instead of up and through and the kicker was probably leaning too far back and not over the ball on contact.

During practice, emphasize that he should not look up until his kicking foot has re-touched the ground. A good kicker who follows through properly with his head down on PAT’s should first see the ball after it has cleared the uprights.

Placekicking Drills:

Upright Accuracy

Align the kicker directly in front of one of the uprights. The purpose of this drill is to strike the ball into the upright or as close as possible. Five yards or closer to the upright in either direction is a well-struck ball. Chart the kicks to see how many accurate strikes were done and how many went wide of his landmark (See Diagram 7).

• This drill can also be done on the end line of the end zone, striking both uprights from across the field.

Width of Field Accuracy

Align the kicker on a clearly marked yard line across the width of the field. Have him strike the ball with the goal of having the ball land inside of five yards or closer from the original line. Chart the kicks to see how many accurate strikes were done and how many went wide of his landmark (See Diagram 8).

Height Drill

I learned this drill from a Minnesota Viking’s scout that I worked out for many years ago. Place the ball in the end zone five yards from the crossbar. Have the kicker take his placekicking steps and strike the ball with the goal of clearing the crossbar. If the ball clears the cross bar cleanly, his PAT/FG attempt should almost never be blocked if the placement is done in a timely fashion. In the college ranks, we have all placements from snap to kick at or under 1.3 seconds. If the ball strikes the upright and goes over, or hits the crossbar and projects back, the ball was struck relatively well. If the ball goes under the bar, this line drive kick has a strong possibility of being blocked. If the place kicker is missing the sweet spot of the ball, mark the kicking ball with a colored dot. The sweet spot of the ball is just under the middle of the ball. Chart the kicks to see how many accurate strikes were done and how many sailed low of his landmark (See Diagram 9).

Game of Pig or Horse

If a kicker is able to work with another kicker, this game is great for practice, competition and a little pressure. Play the game just like in basketball; one person strikes the ball from any distance, on a hash or inside of the hashes. The first person to spell out the word has lost.

At Highland Community College, our place kickers and punters are continuously working on some aspect of their game throughout practice. We never allow them to just stand around and watch. During their least active times at practice they are working on their steps or stretching. I recommend on the practice field or at home, that they have a designated spot where they have their steps perfectly marked with tape or spray painted in the grass. I hope these drills will help you and your place kickers become more successful.






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