Tips with Nick: The Basics - Angle of Contact

Coach Nick Fleming outlines the basics of angle of attack and what it takes to achieve a successful kick. Watch him explain angle of attack and his other basic tips to help you improve. Click here for more Tips with Nick.

Tips with Nick: The Basics - Foot Contact

Coach Nick Fleming's basic video instruction continues with Foot Contact. For more instruction and to watch the first five videos of the series, click here.

Tips with Nick: The Basics - Setting the Ball on the Block

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Tips with Nick - The Basics - Approaching the Ball

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The Basics: The Plant Spot

By Coach Nick Fleming

Height, power, and accuracy; all of these are important when it comes to kicking a football, and all are affected by where a kicker plants his foot when kicking.  Here are some tips to ensure you have a proper plant no matter which tee you use.

There are two important factors that affect a kick.  The first factor is how close a kicker’s foot is to the ball on the X-axis (close or far from the ball).  It is difficult to make proper contact if a kicker plants too close to the ball and are unable to open and expose the proper spot on the foot. The distance from the ball, as well as the appropriate amount of body lean, have to be altered to make good contact. When a new kicker is starting out, I recommend planting either a football length or a shoe length away from the ball.  This will allow enough room for the foot to open up and expose the proper spot on a kicker’s foot to make contact with the ball. It will also be close enough for the kicker to maintain good momentum through the football.  This length is a general guideline but can be an inch or two closer or farther away based on the kicker’s comfort level.

The second and more important factor affecting a kick is where a kicker plants on the Y-axis (close or further from the upright).  This axis has greater impact on power and height, but depending on whether the kicker uses a block or kicks off the ground, the plant spot will change.

If a kicker is using a 2” block, the plant should be knuckle of foot even with the football.  This allows contact with the ball to occur when the leg is on its upswing and the ball will get over the line of scrimmage more easily. This is the main purpose for using a block.   If a kicker is using a 1” block, the plant spot will need to move closer towards the uprights, so that the laces are even with the ball.  This will create contact with the ball during the upswing portion of the kick, allowing for better height at the line of scrimmage.  The benefit of using a 1” block rather than to a 2” block is that it allows the kicker to plant further up the Y-axis, with contact on the ball happening closer to leg lock (the point of the swing when the knee locks out), which can generate more power.  A kicker using a 1” tee will need to rely on better mechanics to get the ball over the line of scrimmage versus using a 2” block.

When kicking off the ground without the aid of a block, the plant spot should be back of the heel and even with the ball.  Obviously, a kicker no longer has the aid of raising the ball off the ground to make contact on the upswing, so he will need to rely on great mechanics to get the ball over the line of scrimmage and downfield with good distance.  A benefit to kicking off the ground is the ability to make contact at leg-lock which will create more power. 

New kickers should be aware that using a tee also creates more breathing room for erratic plant spots or swings; so don't jump right into kicking off the ground because it might give a kicker an extra yard or two of distance.  Without proper mechanics, the extra power gained from making contact at leg-lock isn’t noticeable because poor technique won’t allow it to happen.  A kicker should practice off a tee until the mechanics are perfected. 

As a recap, here are the important tips to keep in mind about Plant Spot:

·         A football length or foot length away from the ball is a good guideline for plant spot on the X-axis

·         When using a 2” block, the knuckle of the foot should be even with the ball on the Y-axis

·         When using a 1” block, the top of the laces should be even with the ball on the Y-axis

·         When kicking off the ground, the plant spot should be back of the heel and even with the ball

The Basics: Choosing a Kicking Tee

By Coach Nick Fleming

At the very beginning of kicking, even before you actually swing your leg, there are a few things you need to think about before lacing up your cleats to give kicking a try for the first time.  When you choosing your equipment, a few things are obvious; you need a ball, you need some cleats, but what about those kicking tees that are different sizes? Here are some important things to consider when choosing the correct tee for you.

When thinking about kicking tees, it’s important to remember one really solid piece of advice, and that is “higher tees and blocks do not automatically mean more distance.” In fact, distance is more directly related to a kicker’s mechanics and natural power of their swing.  The main thing a kicker should consider when choosing a tee is “how easily can I get the ball up over the line of scrimmage so the defense cannot block the kick?”

Kicking tees and blocks are made to give the kicker an easier time to get underneath the ball and get it up in the air.  Beyond the high school level, if all kickers were forced to kick off the ground, you would see a lot of blocked kicks because getting the ball up 10 feet in the air in 7 yards or less is quite difficult to achieve with pure mechanics.  Using a tee leaves a little room for error when trying to hit the sweet spot.  The mechanics related to kicking with a tee or block are relatively simple, the higher the ball is off the ground, the more your foot should make contact with the ball when your leg is on the upswing.  When a kicker makes contact with the ball when their leg is on the upswing, it is much easier to get the ball up in the air because the leg is at a better angle when contact occurs and popping it up in the air is easier to do.  For those who are already deep into the mechanics of kicking, remember that your plant spot should move back (away from the uprights) as the tee gets higher so that it is easier to achieve contact on the upward portion of the swing.

So, how does a first time kicker know if they want to use a 1/2”, 1”, or 2” tee or block?  The best way to find an answer is through trial and error.  Each beginner has different form, so they should find the tee or block that gives them the most success right away and then work from there.  My general rule of thumb is if you haven't played soccer or are one of your team’s better athletes, start with the 2” tee as that is usually easier for the “non-soccer” athletes to be successful (esp. toe kickers).  However, if you have played soccer your whole life and the soccer swing is already refined, try the 1/2” or 1” as that might be an easier transition with the swing you already have.

One question I always seem to get is regarding when to kick field goals off the ground.  I tell all of my students that if you are dead set on kicking in college, you should be practicing off the ground during the offseason from freshman year on.  For some students, the transition from a block to the ground is a long and hard road, so get a head start on making sure you’re ready when it’s time to impress a college coach. However, I would recommend for high school kickers to use a block during the season. Even if you’re more comfortable kicking off the ground, chances are good that your high school holder is not skilled enough to place the ball perfectly every time, so give yourself the extra breathing room that comes with using a block whenever you have the option.

For kickoff tees, use the same height tee that you are comfortably with using for field goals. By using the same tee, you don’t need to become comfortable having two different swings (an inch higher or lower than the other).  Kicking is all about making your swings as consistent as possible and each inch and degree of angle matters, so don’t make it harder on yourself by needing to create a kickoff swing an inch higher than your field goal swing.

Make sure to subscribe to us on YouTube, like us on Facebook at All AmericanKicking, follow us on Twitter @allamericankick and Instagram at allamericankicking.  Also feel free to reach out to me directly with your questions on kicking at nick@AllAmericanKicking.comnick@allamericankicking.com.