You can get better at kicking if you think you need to get better at kicking. I have seen it with my own two eyes up here in Canberra. The ones prepared to do the work and humble enough to listen have become excellent kicks.

Decision making under pressure is where we fall down. That is harder to fix and involves training and confidence, but ultimately requires you to play the game to get better.

Dont want to derail the thread as it has been very interesting with lots of reasonable thoughts expressed but

Did wonder if RPFC was referring to "football kicking" in Canberra or the other kicking that seems to be prevalent there.

I would quote as the best example the "slipper" and would hope there is indeed more "thinking" and "humble" listening to improve the standard.

On the practice and muscle memory

I have recounted watching Kelvin Templeton kicking at the chimney and marking the rebound.

If he missed it was a run around the house to collect the ball.

I cant recall him kicking great distance but he seemed pretty accurate.

Bernie Quinlan played junior footy at CHF and always had to kick a distance as he was mobile enough to get a long way out with no one to kick to.

Dont want to derail the thread as it has been very interesting with lots of reasonable thoughts expressed but

Did wonder if RPFC was referring to "football kicking" in Canberra or the other kicking that seems to be prevalent there.

I would quote as the best example the "slipper" and would hope there is indeed more "thinking" and "humble" listening to improve the standard.

On the practice and muscle memory

I have recounted watching Kelvin Templeton kicking at the chimney and marking the rebound.

If he missed it was a run around the house to collect the ball.

I cant recall him kicking great distance but he seemed pretty accurate.

Bernie Quinlan played junior footy at CHF and always had to kick a distance as he was mobile enough to get a long way out with no one to kick to.

When I was a boy I had a football coach who used to say that if you were a good kick you where half way to being a good player.

If you were a poor kick at best you would only ever be half as good as a good player.

From what I understand, it's not actually leg strength - hamstrings have more to do with it. And technique obviously.

Well I'm sorry Ron, it appears you are incorrect.

The motion of kicking and generating power predominately comes from quad strength. That is not to say technique has nothing to do with penetration and power. Obviously it does.

You may have noticed at training that part of the warm up is standing 15m apart and kicking from a standing position. Then move apart to 25m, and then to about 40 m.This is about ball drop and leg action technique. You can definitely alter your technique through repetitive new muscle-memory drills.

I agree about Davis, Bail, Nicho, Joel Mac have to work extra hard because their natural efficiency stats come from a poor base. Young Viney is another candidate.

However, I agree with a post above about natural hand-eye coordination. Hird was an outstanding kick and yet had one of those "both-hands-off the-ball-and-let-it-drop" kind of actions. His hand-eye coordination was exceptional.

If you want a training manual for a kicking action, look at Fevola, Barry Hall, Ablett snr and jnr, Leigh MAtthews, Carey, and of course Robbie.

Techniques obviously vary with players. Some have a few aspects to their kicking that need a lot of work. Others have one or two. Ball drop, body weight, timing, follow through.

Viney's technique is not actually too bad. I think it's more to do with the fact that he kicks at top speed rather than settling which is why he misses a few targets. Someone like bail has a bad ball drop as well as a few other things. It doesn't look like he'll improve much unless he adapts or changes some of those aspects to his technique.

You can do all the kicking practice in the world while stationary but it won't mean anything come an AFL game where your are expected to hit targets on the run under serious heat.

Edited March 27, 201312 yr by stevethemanjordan

Dont want to derail the thread as it has been very interesting with lots of reasonable thoughts expressed but ....

Its been a blessed relief to have a thread where actual footy is discussed as opposed to club politics and tanking related palava.

Nice also to have a thread where people can have opposing views yet the discussion not devolve into name calling and 'i know more than you' posturing.

Nice also to have a thread where people can have opposing views yet the discussion not devolve into name calling and 'i know more than you' posturing.

what would you know .....

what would you know .....

Irony