Can poor kicks ever improve?

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,462]

It seems to me as supporters we are very quick to dismiss players with poor skills. Sure, turnovers kill us and Nicholson, McDonald and Grimes are some of the worst turnover kings. The question is: can kicking be improved in AFL players? By the time a player is drafted, if he isn't a good kick, can he ever become one? (For the purpose of this thread, a good kick is someone who reliably hits a target.)

If you believe kicking can be improved, can you please provide some examples. I can't think of anyone who's been converted from a poor kick into a reliable one.

[jazza 1,323]

It seems to me as supporters we are very quick to dismiss players with poor skills. Sure, turnovers kill us and Nicholson, McDonald and Grimes are some of the worst turnover kings. The question is: can kicking be improved in AFL players? By the time a player is drafted, if he isn't a good kick, can he ever become one? (For the purpose of this thread, a good kick is someone who reliably hits a target.)

If you believe kicking can be improved, can you please provide some examples. I can't think of anyone who's been converted from a poor kick into a reliable one.

yes they can be improved

after many seasons of playing and some coaching, I gave it away to take preasure off my youngest son

when entering the Hamden league, the junior coach of the league was giving a skills training session for coaches and mentioned bad kicking can be IMPROVED and it would take a minimum of 100 hours of rehabilitation work. I questioned him further about this and the experts said it was easier for draft choices as they ended up with a football in their hands 6 days a week and the basic action was better to be worked on at AFL level with experienced coaches

Edited August 6, 2013 by jazza

[Bang Na Demon 127]

Todd Viney's kicking definitely got better further into his career. Partly that was decision making as he would look to buy as much time possible to get properly balanced before kicking and wouldn't try and get too cute with the kicks

[RalphiusMaximus 5,993]

It can be done, but they need to work damn hard at it and we just don't seem to have anyone who is pushing it in the playing group or the coaching box. They lament poor skills but where is the specialist kicking coach to rectify their actions?

[drdrake 3,038]

No by 18 years old your technique is hard to change, but what can improve is your decission making. I don't think our players are bad kicks I just think they make the wrong decision. Tom McDonald is a prime example along with Sam Blease, they just run themselves into trouble so instead of have an easy kick they pannick and are force to rush. It is also about kick placement, we kick to where players were rather than space for them to run on to. Our players confidence is shot completely shot, all they are thinking about is stuffing up.

Jack Grimes has a nice kick for some reason he just tries to nail it low and hard all the time.

[Scipio 5,868]

Jones seemed to improve a lot from 2009 to 2012 though that may have been more to do with decision making. Now he is quite a good user of the ball though not elite.

I'm of the opinion that anything can be improved with hard work.

Edited August 6, 2013 by Django

[Rob Mac...... 605]

Remember how badly Howe kicked until the beginning of this year (or last, I forget)? He must have really worked on it during that off season.

[old dee 22,927]

After playing and watching football for over half a century they rarely do.

There is the occasional success but in the vast majority of cases once you are 20 what you have is what you finish with.

Just pick good kicks in the first place.

Don't waste your time on poor kicks.

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

A lot of the points I was going to make have been mentioned but playing within limitations is very important.

For example, Tom McDonald should never be allowed to kick across the face of goal.

[Ted Lasso 16,825]

Skills and hardrunning need to be the theme of this pre season imo, they're our two most obvious weaknesses if you don't count the actual playing list.

[old dee 22,927]

Skills and hardrunning need to be the theme of this pre season imo, they're our two most obvious weaknesses if you don't count the actual playing list.

Only a small exception there Df26!

[Matt Demon 1,387]

Jobe Watson was a shocking kick

[hardtack 10,127]

Jones seemed to improve a lot from 2009 to 2012 though that may have been more to do with decision making. Now he is quite a good user of the ball though not elite.

I'm of the opinion that anything can be improved with hard work.

I was about to mention Jones when I saw your post... spot on.

[drdrake 3,038]

Jobe Watson was a shocking kick

No he wasn't, people kept telling him he was and he believed it. For players at this level it is all above the shoulders, they think to much, you can see it in Jimmy Toumpas every time he gets the footy, this guy has elite skills, he stops props and then instead of backing himself he takes the safe or wrong option. The same for Jobe, he didn't back his kicking skills, Jobe Watson also couldn't run out a game and get near it, in fact if you watch Jack Trengove now he reminds me of a young Jobe Watson.

[Ted Lasso 16,825]

Only a small exception there Df26!

Haha yes, the more i think about it the more it depresses me.

[beelzebub 22,225]

A lot of the points I was going to make have been mentioned but playing within limitations is very important.

For example, Tom McDonald should never be allowed to kick across the face of goal.

I sometimes wonder if he should be allowed to kick at all

[beelzebub 22,225]

There are differing natures of poor kicking. For some it is only a matter of refinement and practice. Some simply have peculiar approaches and then there are those who quite frankly are just totally f'n useless at kicking the pig.

The latter will NEVER improve and should NEVER be drafted.

So much good team work and rebounding drive is rendered useless and indeed costly by poor kicking.

For mine its the FIRST fundamental skill of the game. If you cant kick f off . I have to be that blunt.

Im not interested in any other skill or ability of any player if they CANT kick the footy

[Ted Lasso 16,825]

If i remember rightly Jack Grimes was a decent enough kick when he was drafted? maybe it's his decision making more so

[DeeVoted 582]

A bad kick or an inaccurate kick? Define the 2.

A bad kick may have something to do with the ball drop or body balance. Kicking on the run at speed is hard to do. You need to steady yourself a fraction,then have time to decide where you want to kick,you pick a target. If you are under pressure at the time, those two things (ball drop / balance) decide how it comes off the boot.

An inaccurate kick may be ball drop, balance or a wrong technic, some footballers tighten up, or get the yips in front of goal.

Like a golfer, you relax, go through a set routine. Some need hours and hours of practice for little gain and some improve out of sight. Golf swings can be improved most times, depending on the teacher and student. Its in the heat of the battle where old habits or a bad technic (under pressure) that separates a player able to gain composure quickly to be able to execute properly.

Some are more gifted than others, if you are missing targets or the ball spin is incorrect, and the technic is correct, then its a concentration thing and many hours of practice. There have been some shocking technics from all clubs in past years, but they still managed to pin point a pass to a team mate.

There is a saying practice makes perfect, but perfect practice makes perfect.

Edited August 6, 2013 by DeeVoted

[jazza 1,323]

1. bad kick

style not normal and either needs addressing or taking up hockey

2. inaccurate kick

plays for Melbourne

cant be fixed

[old dee 22,927]

There are differing natures of poor kicking. For some it is only a matter of refinement and practice. Some simply have peculiar approaches and then there are those who quite frankly are just totally f'n useless at kicking the pig.

The latter will NEVER improve and should NEVER be drafted.

So much good team work and rebounding drive is rendered useless and indeed costly by poor kicking.

For mine its the FIRST fundamental skill of the game. If you cant kick f off . I have to be that blunt.

Im not interested in any other skill or ability of any player if they CANT kick the footy

On this one bb I think we have a similar view.

IMO poor kicks can un do all their good work in 10 seconds.

At the MFC I have watched all the poor kicks I need to see in one life time.

we have a lot of things to fix, lets not waste hundreds of hours teaching players who are supposed to be the cream of the AFL crop how to kick. most IMO wont change much and the others will stay crap.

[old dee 22,927]

1. bad kickstyle not normal and either needs addressing or taking up hockey2. inaccurate kickplays for Melbournecant be fixed

Had not thought of that solution jazza

then all they have to do with their legs is run.

[rpfc 27,501]

There are different ways to become more effective with your kicks if you cannot improve your technique, which can be difficult for players with an ingrained kick since childhood.

Those new to footy can alter a new habit far more easily - I have seen that first hand up in Canberra.

So for those that cannot alter how they kick, they can alter when they kick, and what they try to do with the footy.

As clint bizkit said, playing within your limitations is a very quick way to get 'better.' James McDonald made his improvement with his kicking in this fashion.

The skills across the board will improve once the team improves as the pressure on skills is eased and, most importantly, the perceived pressure on skills is eased.

[Young Dee 1,303]

Of course they can its just a matter of finding an example

[beelzebub 22,225]

So for those that cannot alter how they kick, they can alter when they kick, and what they try to do with the footy.

can they do it somewhere else though....some other club. Not OURS !!

I dont want poor kickers....ever