Choco Williams is the New Goal Kicking Coach

[drdrake 3,052]

33 minutes ago, Supreme_Demon said:

Definitely think Christian Petracca's kicking style looks a lot smoother.

Hoping that he, Alex Neal-Bullen, Charlie Spargo and Clayton Oliver kick ALOT more goals in season 2023.

If both Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver can each kick over 35 goals this season it will put them in strong chances to possibly win that elusive Brownlow Medal.

His ball drop last year was terrible, so high and the more stressed he got about missing he tensed up and just shanked it.  He focused so hard that it actually made his ball drop higher and worse.

Sometimes you need to stop tinkering and let it flow.

If Oliver and Petracca kick 35 goals, don't worry about brownlow, we are walking away with premiership 

[durango 1,984]

54 minutes ago, Supreme_Demon said:

Definitely think Christian Petracca's kicking style looks a lot smoother.

Hoping that he, Alex Neal-Bullen, Charlie Spargo and Clayton Oliver kick ALOT more goals in season 2023.

If both Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver can each kick over 35 goals this season it will put them in strong chances to possibly win that elusive Brownlow Medal.

If both player kick over 35 goals then we are definately going to be premiers.

[jnrmac 19,323]

3 hours ago, Grapeviney said:

For all his elegance and grace, Lyon finished with a 61% accuracy rate. Plugger's 70% is probably the best you can hope for from a player with a lot of shots on goal. 

I don't have the numbers to back this up is but I doubt accuracy has changed all that much, ever. There was no golden age of goal kicking, and I won't be holding my breath that Choco is going to usher one in now. 

Would love to see better returns from Nibbler and Trac, but all of our KPF are technically sound, and as reliable as they're ever going to be. 

There would be recent stats about the percentage of goals kicked from the corridor and either side.

Logic tells you there must be a higher percentage from the corridor.

One of our issues is that we are trying to protect the rebound from our fwd line. Hence the kick to the pocket.

 

[Demonland 66,453]

Thoughts on Gawny's kicking style under the tutelage of Choco?

 

Gawny first to arrive as always. 👋 pic.twitter.com/BTAJyBfCwb

— Melbourne Demons (@melbournefc) February 21, 2023

 

[DistrACTION Jackson 6,562]

5 minutes ago, Demonland said:

Thoughts on Gawny's kicking style under the tutelage of Choco?

 

 

At least he is walking in straight rather than facing almost sideways

[Queanbeyan Demon 6,116]

This is such brilliant news. The switch is pure genius.

Reminds me of the time FIGJAM was asked, after Travis Cloke had just kicked Colonwood out of the game for the umpteenth time, "have you ever thought of teaching Cloke how to kick?" 

Buckley replied (and if looks could kill, the journo would be well into his next life by now), "you recon I haven't been doing that?"

Words honestly fail me sometimes.

[layzie 29,758]

16 minutes ago, Queanbeyan Demon said:

This is such brilliant news. The switch is pure genius.

Reminds me of the time FIGJAM was asked, after Travis Cloke had just kicked Colonwood out of the game for the umpteenth time, "have you ever thought of teaching Cloke how to kick?" 

Buckley replied (and if looks could kill, the journo would be well into his next life by now), "you recon I haven't been doing that?"

Words honestly fail me sometimes.

Haha yeah I can recall at least half a dozen Herald sun back pages leading with the headline: "Kicking troubles Travis? Ask the experts!" With photos of Lloyd, BT, other kicking coaches etc

[58er 5,670]

On 2/16/2023 at 12:38 PM, layzie said:

That could be one of the reasons he's usually good for a big time goal outside 50 whereas inside 30 it's more about guiding it through. 

 That's the problem when players try and "guide it through". They don't go through straight and kick 40/50m. It doesn't matter if the ball goes back 20m over the line. Just kick through the shot whatever the distance. Guiding is not kicking!! 

[DEE fence 4,558]

Not convinced with Petracca's kicking, for me the release from the hand NQR, and he leans back to far too soon, it still looks too 'guided'. His upper body still looks a bit stiff, when I compare too Tmac, there is something about his upper torso that doesn't look so tense in the two steps befor the kick. That said I never mastered a set shot routine, so who am I to criticise.

[layzie 29,758]

16 hours ago, 58er said:

 That's the problem when players try and "guide it through". They don't go through straight and kick 40/50m. It doesn't matter if the ball goes back 20m over the line. Just kick through the shot whatever the distance. Guiding is not kicking!! 

True, there's always a fine line and a chance to 'overcorrect'. So many moving parts in a kicking action and I really don't like all these gimmicky fidgety habits players have like circling the ball around or 'Buddy arcing'. 

Kicking through the ball with the appropriate amount of guide would be ideal. 

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,533]

2 hours ago, layzie said:

True, there's always a fine line and a chance to 'overcorrect'. So many moving parts in a kicking action and I really don't like all these gimmicky fidgety habits players have like circling the ball around or 'Buddy arcing'. 

Kicking through the ball with the appropriate amount of guide would be ideal. 

That's a really good point. Players need to be shown how a minor change in the way the ball is held will alter its trajectory as it falls to the boot. If you're spinning the ball around, you're not concentrating on having the ball set into your hands correctly and in a consistent manner. They should look at Brendan Fevola as an example (of goal kicking, not lifestyle). He held the ball in an unusual way, but it was identical every time he kicked and it worked well for him.

[AzzKikA 2,371]

On 2/23/2023 at 2:50 PM, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

That's a really good point. Players need to be shown how a minor change in the way the ball is held will alter its trajectory as it falls to the boot. If you're spinning the ball around, you're not concentrating on having the ball set into your hands correctly and in a consistent manner. They should look at Brendan Fevola as an example (of goal kicking, not lifestyle). He held the ball in an unusual way, but it was identical every time he kicked and it worked well for him.

Don't need to look at Fev for that, BBB has a very set routine where he holds the ball and moves it up in front of his face in a straight line just before starting his 100km run up.

[Dr. Gonzo 22,626]

On 2/22/2023 at 7:36 PM, DEE fence said:

Not convinced with Petracca's kicking, for me the release from the hand NQR, and he leans back to far too soon, it still looks too 'guided'. His upper body still looks a bit stiff, when I compare too Tmac, there is something about his upper torso that doesn't look so tense in the two steps befor the kick. That said I never mastered a set shot routine, so who am I to criticise.

I think Petracca's problem is he tries to be too methodical. He slows it up and that means it's harder to guide the ball down to his foot as he is moving too slowly. His natural kicking action is ok and his field kicking is often sublime so he just needs to translate that to his goal kicking.

Edited February 25, 2023 by Dr. Gonzo

[layzie 29,758]

On 2/25/2023 at 2:25 PM, Dr. Gonzo said:

I think Petracca's problem is he tries to be too methodical. He slows it up and that means it's harder to guide the ball down to his foot as he is moving too slowly. His natural kicking action is ok and his field kicking is often sublime so he just needs to translate that to his goal kicking.

Yeah good call Gonzo, it's like trying to ride a bike too slow and not staying up. 

Edited March 2, 2023 by layzie

[Mazer Rackham 14,970]

On 2/22/2023 at 6:41 PM, 58er said:

 That's the problem when players try and "guide it through". They don't go through straight and kick 40/50m. It doesn't matter if the ball goes back 20m over the line. Just kick through the shot whatever the distance. Guiding is not kicking!! 

Think target. It's not enough to have the intention to guide it onto your foot, and have it start straight, etc, although those things should happen, and should be practiced. It's too much internal focus for a live situation. External focus is required: you are kicking the ball ........ to where or what? "Through the goals" is not specific enough. The ball must be directed to a place, eg a person in the crowd. Or an imaginary invisible goal post between the real ones. If you get that right, the ball goes through the goals almost as a bonus. Think target.

As part of their goal kicking practice, they should also try to hit the posts, left and right, from any given position.