How to Teach a High School Football Player to Kick
One kick can mean the difference between victory and defeat in football. There are two types of kicks used in the game. The placekick is when the ball is kicked from on top of a tee or from the ground while another player holds it upright. The punt is when the punter kicks the ball by dropping it from his hands. At the professional level it's critical to have a consistent kicker on the team. High school teams aren't always blessed with such talent. It helps if a kicker has a natural inclination for kicking or experience playing soccer, but with proper coaching you can improve the kicking of almost any player.
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Instructions
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Placekicks
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Teach your kicker how to kick "soccer style." The modern placekicking style is known as "soccer-style," an involves kicking the ball with the top inside of the foot, instead of the old-fashioned straight-toe style. The majority of kickers at the professional and collegiate level kick "soccer style" as do many high schoolers. Whether you have experience kicking or not, demonstrate how a kick is performed before you walk your kicker through it.
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Instruct your kicker to place the ball on the tee so that it leans back slightly. Have him align his kicking foot directly behind the ball and place his other foot beside the ball. A standard kicking tee holds the ball in an upright position and is used for kickoffs.
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Direct the kicker to take three steps back, starting with his kicking foot. Make sure that his steps are normal sized so that the approach isn't exaggerated when he goes to actually kick the ball. Have him take two steps to the left, if kicking with his right foot. If kicking with his left foot, he will take two steps to the right.
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Check that his hips are aimed at the tee. Have him lean forward slightly and keep his head down. Tell him to relax and focus on the ball. Line up beside your kicker in the same stance. Sometimes it helps for a kicker to see the stance so he can replicate it.
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Check to see that the toe of the kicker's nonkicking foot is pointed downfield. Have him start toward the ball with his kicking foot and take two steps in that direction before kicking the ball. Watch to see that he kicks the football with his ankle locked and his toe pointed down.
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Watch how the kicker strikes the ball. He should connect with the top left portion of his foot, where the shoelaces are, and follow through the kick.
Punts
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Position the punter behind the center fifteen yards from the line of scrimmage. Show him how to call for the snap by flexing his open hands to signal he is ready for the ball.
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Stand beside your punter and have the center snap the ball to you instead. Catch the ball with your hands and spin it quickly so the laces are facing up. Hold the ball securely in both hands so it is level with your chest and position the ball over your kicking leg. Have the center snap the ball to your kicker so he understands how to handle the ball before punting.
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Direct your kicker to step forward with his kicking foot while keeping his shoulders square. Have him keep the ball level as he releases it.
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Watch his kicking leg as your kicker strikes the ball. Make sure he hits the thick part of the football squarely with the top of his foot.
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Tips & Warnings
Coaching kickers and punters is somewhat different than coaching other positions. Kickers need plenty of repetition to perfect their kicks. Kickers and punters do not need to practice tackling drills or do conditioning as much as the field players unless they also play another position. Kickers and punters also need to rest their legs. Too much practice will wear them down.
A special 2-inch tee is used for field goals and extra point kicks in high school. The holder places the football on top of it after the snap. Once the kicker has learned to kick from a regular tee he can move on to working with a holder and the 2-inch tee.
Use a field goal ball holder to practice field goal kicks when there is no one to hold the ball for you.
References
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