Place kicking: follow through

[Dutchrugby]

Hi everyone!
This is my first post so first I'll introduce myself. I'm Jesse, 20 years old and I come from the Netherlands. I started playing rugby 2 years ago after 10 years of playing football (soccer). I've played rugby for 1 season but because I went to university I unfortunately have chosen not to play this season. My first year at university is almost over and next season I really want to start playing rugby again so I've just started training.

There's someting I need a little help with. I practice a lot of place kicking and after a few good days of practice I can kick the ball over the post from 35 meters (in front of the posts) without much difficulties. The thing is, now I want to work on my distance.

Because I've played football for such a long time, I know how to kick. The problem is, the techniques to kick a football or a rugbyball are a bit different. I've managed to change some things but the one area I have the most difficulties with is the follow through at the end of the kick.

It seems I just can't shift my weight through the kick and stand on my kicking leg after the kick like James Hook in this video at 1.57 This video of Matt Giteau shows my problem the best I guess, (except for the fact that I point to the posts with my kicking leg after the kick): [video=youtube;FxPPZRXlg3g]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxPPZRXlg3g&feature=related[/video]

Is it because I lean back too much? How can I prevent this from happening? Are there more ex-footballplayers with the same problem?

Thanks in advance!

 

[TNT88]

I haven't got much experience at place kicking. But if your leaning back too much, maybe you need to re-work your stance for long range kicks. Make it more compact and lower your centre of gravity.

Anyway, maybe just experiment with a few methods. Place the ball back 35 metres and try to kick it off 2 steps, see what your instincts come up with? You just need a consistent action.

 

[best_fullback]

You really want to be thinking about the dynamics of what you are doing. Think about your leg as if it were a golf club - you want to get the maximum power out of your leg in conjunction with your body.

Firstly, think about why you do a run up. Secondly, think to yourself what you are doing when you kick the ball. As you have correctly stated there is a big difference between how footballers kick a ball and how the technique should differ to correctly kick a rugby ball. I think the technique can be best explained in this is an absolutely fantastic video from totalrugby with Dave Alred, England kicking coach on the real fundementals of successful goal kicking:



Hopefully after you have watched that you will appreciate the imporance of:

• Momentum
• Foot position
• Following through with your body

Also I have done a detailed blog a few years back (its in my signature) about my aim to improve my goal kicking. It might be worth a look also. Just practice, practice, practice. Let us know how you get on!

 

[Dutchrugby]

Thanks for your replies, I really appreciate it!
@ TNT88: Last saturday I've already tried different run ups but I keep leaning backwards which prevents me from shifting my weight through the kick. I'll try again next training and I'll let you know
@ best_fullback: Thanks for the video, helped me a lot! I think I need to hit the ball a little bit higher and I need to do the same exercise (run through the ball) before I even think of getting it through the posts. I've already read your blog, it's been really helpful. Looking forward to the next one
If anyone has more tips, please don't hesitate and let me know

 

[mikefoot1]

I do a bit of long kicking (the kicks where the normal kicker says they can't do it, so i'll have a go) I find that if you try to copy techniques things can go a bit wrong. I found my kicking technique by going to a pitch alone and not leaving until I was happy with the amount of kicks I could get over from a challenging distance. Just try a number of different ways until you find your easiest and most successful one. Like I do a run up which I haven't seen another kicker do before, which is turning my back on the ball walking in a line 45 degrees away from the ball and taking two steps to the left (depending on the angle of the kick) concentration is the key.

Hope this helped

 

[Dutchrugby]

Thanks mike! It's exactly what I'm trying to do: just practice and develop a style of my own. The one thing I have the most problems with is the follow through (I think that's because I'm still used to a football kicking style, even if it's 3 years ago since I played football). Do you follow through the ball? Can you try to describe how you do this? (e.g. body position, position of non-kicking foot etc). Thanks again

 

[mikefoot1]

Ahh no worries man, well like you I kind of have a football stance and follow through. I have my non kicking foot quite a distance from the ball and hit the ball with behind my big toe, I find that my leg swings up to about waist height and I also find that my chest and head are pointed at the posts while my lower body is pointing slightly left of the posts (as i'm right footed)

Happy to help man

 

[Dutchrugby]

I think the key factor for me is my upper body position, I'll keep your advice in mind next time I'm practicing, thanks I'm right footed too and your description sounds pretty logical. I have a lot of tests and deadlines this week, but after that I'll start practicing a lot, I'll let you know if I'm improving! Please, if anyone has anymore advice, it's more then welcome!

 

[jb12780]

Body position of the upper body is definitely key. I am 5'10'' 165 lbs. (sorry i'm american!), who has never played football (soccer) in my life, and never played rugby until this spring (I played american football all my life). So one day on a whim, I asked a kid on our team who used to be on the football (soccer) team how to kick. After a lot of practice, I hit can consistently from about 22m. I am using a Gilbert 320 tee (which i find to be a piece of crap), and 2 step back, one step over to the right walk up (lefty). There have been times where I get my head over the ball like taking a free kick and hit a screamer off the crossbar, so it is definitely key.

The reason why I am taking the challenge of kicking is because I have grown to love the sport in a few short months, and I always like a challenge. Any advice on kicking in general would be nice. One thing I am considering is getting a telescopic tee, cause I feel the 320 is too low for me. (Sorry for hacking your thread Dutchrugby!!)

 

[Mantgm240]

What kind of kicking tee do you use?

 

[jb12780]

What kind of kicking tee do you use?

Were you asking me or dutchrugby?

 

[Dutchrugby]

I use a Gilbert ABT adjustable tee.

I've tried the tee at different hights at different distances but I think I don't need more hight then it is on the picture. I've also used one of these:

For close range it's fine, but with longer kicks I loose accuracy because I need more power to kick the ball far. Do you have any advice on tees?