Penetrating kicking

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Adz2332

Adz2332

Brownlow Medallist
Veteran 10k Posts
Sep 9, 2010
13,229
13,709
Adelaide
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
Hi all,

A little about me. I’m 26 and about to come into my first real crack at footy. Yep left it late but I do come from a high grade basketball back ground.
The hardest thing for me so far has been the different kind of running / fitness you need. I have decent ball skills and can jump etc.
Now my main concern is my kicking. I’m fairly accurate over a shorter to mid distance but I really lack the long penetrating kick.
I can only hoist the ball around 40mtrs. I know a lot of distance etc comes from timing and kicking the ball sweetly but what exercises or machines at the gym can I use to build up kicking distance? What i thought also might help is becoming more flexible through the hamstring area etc?
Thanks guys
 
Its pretty much all about technique, some of the slightest guys in my team have the biggest kicks. Kick from the hip and not the leg is my biggest tip. Plenty of lunges and some pilates leg raises will strengthen them hips for you.
 
Thats a good idea! thanks mate.
Yer ive asked around some of the older blokes etc and they have said mostly comes down to technique. Its no good trying to kick the cover off of it etc.

Just seeing if strength can help also etc
 

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Can any help me?

I am fine in the short distances like 30 downwards on the run but when I am running full pace for kicks over 35 metres my ball drop is way off about 60% of the time. I slow down before I kick it and everything but is still manage to stuff half my long distance kicks. I would like to get this up to about 75% of the time I am hitting long, penetrating drop punts.

Any help appreciated
 
Make your ball drop as simple as possible, having large and complicated ball drops can make it easy for you to hit the wrong parts of the boot, focus on keeping it as simple as possible, with a small wind up and keep the ball upright or 'rocket ship position' as you may have been taught as a kid.
 
For me when I want a really penetrating kick flat out on the run I found if i hold the footy from the top half it comes off perfectly 99% of the time. It as though im holding it at the most top point so i can get the lowest ball drop.
With this I can hit people from about 50-55 metres where as with a standard ball drop it will be around 45-50 meters.
Of course practise makes perfect and its something i have been trying for years but this has worked the best for me.

As for exercises to help build strength I would look at doing lunges, squats, leg extensions and leg presses, just to make your legs stronger overall.
 
Speed?

The speed with which you kick will have an impact to an extent on the distance you'll get the ball. Of course without training that could potentially lower your accuracy, so could be a bad thing.
 
3 things which are extremely important in kicking .
1. Speed at which your foot hits the ball , hint in back swing get foot as close to your butt as possible .
2. Straight- keep everything as straight as possible, which includes having your shoulders straight over your hips at point of contact when going for distance , alot of players are either behind the hips and sky the ball ,or remain forward of their hips and don't get not elevation . No matter when kicking always take two steps after kicking .Stationary kicking creates bad habits !
3. Kick the ball out of the hands . When practicing try to kick the ball out of your hand guiding the Footy . Closer the ball drop is to the Footy , less room for era !
 
pace to freeze said:
3 things which are extremely important in kicking .
1. Speed at which your foot hits the ball , hint in back swing get foot as close to your butt as possible .
2. Straight- keep everything as straight as possible, which includes having your shoulders straight over your hips at point of contact when going for distance , alot of players are either behind the hips and sky the ball ,or remain forward of their hips and don't get not elevation . No matter when kicking always take two steps after kicking .Stationary kicking creates bad habits !
3. Kick the ball out of the hands . When practicing try to kick the ball out of your hand guiding the Footy . Closer the ball drop is to the Footy , less room for era !
Click to expand...

good tips PTF, I think it is time to work on my kicking
 
I've got this same problem. Kicking from about 50, it soars in the air and lands in the square. The distance it travels in the air could be spent going towards length. How do I fix this?
 

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hawker92 said:
I've got this same problem. Kicking from about 50, it soars in the air and lands in the square. The distance it travels in the air could be spent going towards length. How do I fix this?
Click to expand...

Get someone to film your kicking , from side on . If the projectory in shorter kicks is ok , I'll have a educated guess and say that when making contact your shoulders will be behind your hips . The most common reason for this is to try and compensate for low leg speed , perhaps low core strength or not getting foot close enough to your butt in back swing ?
 
I think that's it - the foot being too far from my butt. Core strength is fine, leg speed is fine.

Cheers!
 
"Roar Passion" said:
Get someone to film your kicking , from side on . If the projectory in shorter kicks is ok , I'll have a educated guess and say that when making contact your shoulders will be behind your hips . The most common reason for this is to try and compensate for low leg speed , perhaps low core strength or not getting foot close enough to your butt in back swing ?
Click to expand...


In kickbuilders videos....the backswing is non existent
also the foot connect with the ball is barely off the ground ?

I need help, i got video footage but where do i send it ??
 
get more momentum into the kicks, it almost looks like you stop for a millisecond when you kick it

and kick all the way through, you cut off your follow through at lower then waist height
 
cptkirk said:
get more momentum into the kicks, it almost looks like you stop for a millisecond when you kick it

and kick all the way through, you cut off your follow through at lower then waist height
Click to expand...

Ye momentum was non existent, I was copying a rugby punt and kinda stopped like say J wilkinson does

I think I need:
Approach

My balancing arm needs to go back in an arc
my shoulders need be hunched over

How do I drop the ball steadily onto my foot {afl players just guide it}> I just look akward with this

Backswing

Need be closer to my butt
Need to improve my bio-mechanic's obviously

Follow Through

Need to take 2 steps after I kick


I hit the ball with too much power and try to force the connection
I just think that it should be far easier with a round ball

Il try these suggestions anyway today, cheers!
 
don't over think it too much, everybody has a different style...as long as you can get distance with accuracy in the long run i couldn't care what your arms are doing
 
cptkirk said:
don't over think it too much, everybody has a different style...as long as you can get distance with accuracy in the long run i couldn't care what your arms are doing
Click to expand...

Ye Im warned about analysis by paralysis all the time, I know its negative
I am trying to learn a technique, for a month or 2 il get technical but after that il just let it flow
Getting technical isnt negative in my eyes , I want to perfect the technique


Still need all the help I can get
 
KickingTechnique said:
Could you please look at this youtube video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIKTwoMcA28

I need a massive overhaul in my technique on the drop punt. I would be willing to put any amount of time/money into it, everyday like.

I play a near identical sport Gaelic Football but I kick with a round ball

This is example of Gaelic
International rules is perfect example

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cd_5477H0vI&feature=plcp&context=C3d99119UDOEgsToPDskJTBabt2K53-w5sQyGplnzO
Click to expand...

From that vid you do have a couple of significant problems or flaws in your technique .
1. Your shoulders always appear well forward of your hips , meaning you are always crouched way over the football , which is makes it near on impossible to gain significant speed when contact is made .
You should make contact with your shoulder vertically over your hips and your shoulders should be heading backwards .

** The above problem escalates the below mentioned issues and you should these improve as you improve point 1 but they still need to be worked on.

2. Your backswing is to small , your foot gets no where near your arse.
3. Your kicking foot doesn't appear pointed on contact , meaning you will most likely have shut projectory in your kicks.
4. The balancing, non kicking foot , is flat when kicking , meaning balance can be diffucult, you should be up on your toe .
 
I have used 1 and 4 from above post.....now point 3 is my foot changed in my below video, I havnt a clue how to change it if it hasnt

I appreciate all input like all years spent reading and learning S&C, muscle imbalances, psychology but this is the most important. Nearly all the other skills are relativly easy but this is where I fall down

The difference between drop punt as a pass and shot is very confusing, I just want it to shoot,so : (whatever about natural flair type kicks I use a completly different type kick ,I want the perfect technique(meaning the only technique) for shooting hence this here kick....like James O Connor in rugby has arguably a better kicking technique than Dan Carter or is it different just for the sake of it, I doubt it)
1 - Kickbuilders is it much good for elite AFL goalkickers ?How are they with this technique, kick a ball 60m?
2 - Should my foot be pointed down like KICKBUILDERS videos or like normal in my video
In this report it seems to alternate between kickpassing and shooting
http://phillyhawks.com/z_NOT%20WEB%20SITE%20STUFF/pdfs/newkick.pdf
3 - Page 16
Should I land on my heels when kicking or on toes? This boy in B&W doesnt seem likely that he is gunna take 2 steps after kicking?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMI4o0nYFaU
This is updated version.
I have adjusted leaning forward when I swing leg ,I now keep shoulders aligned over hips.
*KEY POINT BELOW*
4 -I find it hard here to get much of a backswing, I feel slightly restricted when having to stay upright..The boy in the photo does not seem restricted in his hips while my kick is like stand upright and is rigid around hip.(I havnt used a backswing probly ever, I kicked the ball standing )* I NEED HELP IN THIS AREA BIG TIME
5 - The B&W photo in report above shows players shoulders to be hunched or something?, yet still aligned over hips? why is mine upright and rigid ?

Elite Afl players (Dan Carter + Wilkinson in rugby) with the best and most efficient technique what type training do they do to get this right?
In terms of getting biomechanics right? Swinging leg? improving accuracy ?
 
The best way to practice is without kicking at goals. I would focus on goal kicking after you have mastered the rest.

I'd form a square and try and kick balls to land within a set drop zone. Alternatively start 10m away from a friend and work your way back to 20m then 30, then 40m then 50m. If you cant kick 50m dont worry about it, lots of players cant. If you are trying to practice kicking 50 (or max range) you will probably develop bad hooking/running around habits as you try and generate max distance.

RP posts some good advice.

I've been playing football since I was about 5 (I'm 22) now and I've played at a reasonable level but kicking has always been the only thing that has held me back from being a better player. It is a diffuclt thing to do. I'm capable of kicking very well but haven't develop the consistentcy I would of hoped for. As a result like you I'm basically trying to relearn the art of kicking. I've changed my kicking style and am slowly noticing improvements.

three most important things...if you get these right, regardless the ball should go straight.

-low ball drop
-following through
-walk straight in kicking approach
 
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