Creating a spiral with a kicked ball is difficult, even for professional players. Kickoffs and place-kicks will not spiral because of the angle of the ball, but punts will spiral if your technique is correct. Punts that spiral -- or turn over, as coaches say -- not only travel farther, but tend to bounce forward, lengthening the distance of the punt.
Step 1
Catch the ball when it's snapped and spin it so that the laces are facing up. Hold the ball in your right hand if you are right-footed, and your left hand if you are left-footed. Your thumb should be on the seam in the middle of the ball and should stop at the bottom of the laces. Turn the ball slightly inward to reflect the curve of the top of your foot. Step with your non-kicking foot before fully extending your arms in front of you.
Step 2
Drop the ball straight down. The ball must drop without rotating at all. As you drop the ball, you will begin your kick. Point your toes as much as possible. Doing this creates a large flat surface along the outside half of the top of your foot. Using your hip flexor muscle in the front of your hip, swing your leg explosively forward.
Step 3
Strike the ball with the outer half of the top of your foot. If your toes are pointed, you will have a large surface area to work with. Poor strike accuracy results in a wide variety of possible rotations that can cause the kick to travel much shorter distances and bounce in unpredictable ways. The ball should strike your foot and, much like passing a football, roll off of the outside of your foot. This rolling action causes the ball to spiral. If your leg speed is slow, the ball will spiral on the way up, but the nose of the football will not turn over and continue the spiral. Follow through the contact. Elite punters kick their leg so forcefully that they are lifted off of the ground by the kicking action.
Things You'll Need
- Football cleats
- Footballs
References
- "The Football Coaching Bible"; American Football Coaches Association; 2002
- "Football: Skills and Drills"; Tom Bass; 2004
Member Comments