Football Position:Kicker

[ArCaNe66]

How do u become better at this position, i want to play it in highschool this year... any help is needed. i never done it before. but i used to play soccer thanks guys

[teriyakisaki]

well having a decent leg is kind of a given but most of it comes with practice and good form (follow through, head down, plant foot, etc). were you planning on punting,field goals, kickoffs or all of em?

[ArCaNe66]

all of them i really want to do well with this and im willing to do anything, im really dedicated

[teriyakisaki]

again, all it takes is practice. its probably the least demanding position but can have the biggest impact on a football game (look at the patriots, the FSU/Miami rivalry, or the FSU/PSU bowl game this past year). just do a google search for kicking drills/technique and maybe even get a couple videos. its all practice man. nothin special about it.

[ArCaNe66]

thanks man ill look into it, yeah Adam Viniteiri (sp) is my idol , hes amazing... anyways i cant play this year cuz i came late...(bull****)... so i gotta wait till my senior year to officially play!!!... damn dude thats gunna suck man......... not only will i only get to play 1 season but i wanted to get a scholarship for kicking.. i know i have high hopes and that may be out of reach for me but its a goal of mine

[Cheetah]

I like kickers that kick and get the tackle. I h8 when they just jog or stay in the same place. We have three headed monsters on our team if you know what I mean...

[teriyakisaki]

thanks man ill look into it, yeah Adam Viniteiri (sp) is my idol , hes amazing... anyways i cant play this year cuz i came late...(bull****)... so i gotta wait till my senior year to officially play!!!... damn dude thats gunna suck man......... not only will i only get to play 1 season but i wanted to get a scholarship for kicking.. i know i have high hopes and that may be out of reach for me but its a goal of mine

just keep your grades up (3.0+) for now and jsut make sure you get that kicking down pat (no pun intended). worry about offers after the season.

[CoachJBlair]

You will also want to work on your flexibility. This may almost more important then pure strength for a kicker, due to the fact you need a full range of motion for this postion.

http://www.sitekreator.com/qb

[IraHays]

My advice. Don't go out for the football team. If a persons goal in highschool is to become the place kicker, they shouldn't be out there.

[Mad Dog162]

My advice. Don't go out for the football team. If a persons goal in highschool is to become the place kicker, they shouldn't be out there.

That seems like pretty ****ty advice to give... wanna expand?

[Frodo16]

Kicking is all about speed and timing. Its not like rugby where you have a few seconds to compose yourself, its snap plant and hoof for field goals, just focus on kicking as cleanly as possible.

For punting, make sure you dont hit the laces. I am unsure as to whether a football will fly differently to a rugby ball, but if you hold the ball at a slight angle, pointing forwards and slightly to the left if you are right footer. This will give the ball a spiral, which aids in flight slightly, and makes it hard to catch.

[Mad Dog162]

Kicking is all about speed and timing. Its not like rugby where you have a few seconds to compose yourself, its snap plant and hoof for field goals, just focus on kicking as cleanly as possible.

For punting, make sure you dont hit the laces. I am unsure as to whether a football will fly differently to a rugby ball, but if you hold the ball at a slight angle, pointing forwards and slightly to the left if you are right footer. This will give the ball a spiral, which aids in flight slightly, and makes it hard to catch.

Fly half buddy?

[Frodo16]

Fly half buddy?

Well......i am a utility player, back row, back three, scrum half, fly half, centre, you name it, i've played it, i have been known to dabble in the dark arts of using the boot, usually chipping over lardy props and falling on it for the try!

[teriyakisaki]

My advice. Don't go out for the football team. If a persons goal in highschool is to become the place kicker, they shouldn't be out there.

wow. i think thats the worst advice i have ever read. ever.

[Mad Dog162]

Well......i am a utility player, back row, back three, scrum half, fly half, centre, you name it, i've played it, i have been known to dabble in the dark arts of using the boot, usually chipping over lardy props and falling on it for the try!

As a former defensively minded open-side flanker, you wereone of the two banes of my life. The other being smart-ass fullbacks who think they can out-pace me...

[Frodo16]

I enjoy nothing more than a fly half who thinks he can Carlos Spencer his way past me. All those over the head lofted passes are just begging for a driving dump tackle, aiming at the ribs of course!

[ArCaNe66]

thanks for the advice guys, sorry i wasnt on this weekend no internet...i havnt been to gym in forever i cant go lol.. it sucks ass... well.. it seems like u born to kick or not.. idk .. well..thanksanyways guys

[pcrossroads]

Flexibilty is good too you have to have that so you can get good follow through.

[matthor]

practice kicking medicine balls

[Frodo16]

lol @ matthor. I would say nice joke, but people here have a lot of bad information, who knows, he could actually be serious

[crazykid46]

Might be a bit late, just noticed this thread. Former All-County kicker myself, so hopefully I can help a bit:

- While leg strength is a HUGE benefit, accuracy is more important to most High School coaches. Why? You can have the leg strength to kick 90 yards, but if you can't do it consistently, you aren't gonna be too useful. Take a few footballs, go out to the football field, and practice. Start off at 20 yards (extra point range) and practice until you can make 10/10, then try for 20/20.

- When you kick, try to have a fluid motion. I don't know if you are a three step kicker or two step kicker, but keep it fluid. Keep your head down too and look at where you hit the ball with your foot. If you have a friend or parent that is willing to help, go to a field and kick. Tell them to watch your head. Everytime you lift it up during or right after your kick, do 10 pushups. Might not seem like much, but after a bit, you'll learn.

- You should kick and follow through, keeping your leg straight. You should also have to hop forward a little after your kick (if you put in that much power). Don't try and kill the ball, just swing your leg and kick.

- Make sure your plant foot is either even with the ball, or just a little behind it, depending on if you use a block or not to kick. Even if not, behind if you do. Your foot should also be a little more than a shoelength away from the ball on the side.

- Use your left arm for balance if you are a right footed kicker. When you approach the ball, it should come up on your final step and swing it down toward your leg as you kick. That will make your body kind of crunch down and give you more power.

- Stretch, STRETCH, STRETCH!!! That is a HUGE key to being successful. You'll get more power and better accuracy if you are very limber because you'll be able to follow through better and easier. Don't kick 100 times a day though, as that will tire your leg out. Kick 20-25 times if you can to start, then up to 50 times a day if you must after that.

- When lifting, explosive movents are better than heavier weights for kickers. Polymetrics, jump rope, and sprints will help you more than heavy squats will...However, do those anyway, but don't kick the day before, the day of, and the day after doing them. Give your legs time to heal.

Hope you still read this. If you have more questions, feel free to PM me.

[dtraynor]

thanks man ill look into it, yeah Adam Viniteiri (sp) is my idol , hes amazing... anyways i cant play this year cuz i came late...(bull****)... so i gotta wait till my senior year to officially play!!!... damn dude thats gunna suck man......... not only will i only get to play 1 season but i wanted to get a scholarship for kicking.. i know i have high hopes and that may be out of reach for me but its a goal of mine

most colleges, even big football schools like Notre Dame or Ohio State, dont recruit and offer scholarships to kickers. Usually you have to walk on, prove yourself, and then hopefully get a scholarship after a couple years. With the limited amount of scholarships that coaches are allowed to give, they are usually given to the more athletic postions. Most decent schools have a few kickers walk on every year...so why would they go looking for them? The goal for you should be to kick ass next season and have some good stats to show to coaches, convince them that you can be a very productive member of the team, and when you get the chance, show them what you can do!

[JayWesson1]

Like most people have said strength is an added bonus but the real keys are flexability (Range of motion), Stiking ability (Hit the ball cleanly consitantly), and leg drive (Leg swing speed). Being accurate and consitant is what will get you the job. Good luck!

[huskerfreak]

well, the kicker is usually the panzee on the team, lol just messin. but i'd say that the soccer would help you. the kicker/punter on my team is 14 and plays soccer. he's outstanding and probably as good as most high school kickers, so yea, it should help. I'd stretch more to improve flexibility. another thing that may not be an issue to you if you play soccer it hitting the ball in the right spot adn not just nicking it and having the ball scamper 10 yards and make you feel stupid, I'm a tail back and defensive line and that's what happens to me when i try to kick.