No Step Kicking/One Step Kicking

These drills develop the most important part of the kick - body position at impact. First, the no-step kick. In this drill you will put your plant foot one football length from the ball (the normal distance); however, you're toe needs to be even with the ball. The drill does not work if you plant your foot in the same position as normal because you have no momentum coming into the kick. At this point the drill is simple - you swing your leg, with no step, and kick the ball.

At first you will not be able to kick the ball very far. This is a difficult drill. In the beginning don't try to move beyond a 20-yard field goal. The drill is great for teaching the proper body position at contact. In this drill you can really feel what is going right or wrong with your body position on each kick. It also is great for practicing the follow through.

Because you have no momentum going into the ball, the only way to generate leg speed is to swing hard, but smooth, and to follow through down your target line. Try to get your leg above your waist on your follow through. The one step kicking drill is similar to the no step drill. The obvious difference is that you take one step at the ball. To begin, kick a normal field goal. Mark the spot where your kicking foot last steps before it hits the ball. This distance is your last step to the ball. You will use this exact distance for the one step drill.

Place your kicking foot on the spot you marked. Your kicking should be in front which is the opposite of a normal field goal. From this position take one step and kick the ball. Basically, you are working the same techniques as the no step kick, you are just adding one step of momentum. Concentrate on making good contact and following through high and down your target line. Again, this drill helps you work on proper body position at contact.

Although these drills are difficult and unnatural feeling, if you can become good at them you will notice an improvement in your regular field goal approach.


Bad Snap Drill

Instead of setting up the ball the way you like - put the ball in awkward positions to kick. For example, you could set the ball up with the laces facing directly at you. Kick the ball this way. This drill will teach you that although the ball might not travel as well with a bad hold, the kick can be made. Take several repetitions of kicking "bad holds." As we all know, not every hold is perfect in the game, so you may as well get used to kicking a field goal with a less than desirable hold.


Door Handle Drill

This is a great drill to practice following through. When I first learned to kick field goals I was unable to follow through very well because of all my soccer experience. In soccer, you are trying to keep the ball low, most of time, and subsequently I developed the habit of punching the ball. In field goal kicking you want the ball to get a nice high trajectory so it doesn't get blocked. This drill will help teach your leg to follow through and eventually kick a higher ball.

The drill is simple. Put your hand on a door handle or countertop and just practice swinging your leg as high as you can. Try to do fifty kicks a day. You can do it when you are bored or watching TV. If you practice long enough, eventually your leg will start to follow through naturally on your field goals. Also, it is important to be stretching regularly while doing this drill; your leg can't kick very high if your hamstring is not flexible.