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Nicholas Brag recently wrote an article on punting techniques and I thought it was worth sharing:
Overview
Punter is one of the most difficult and least rewarding positions to play in football. Punters are expected to kick the ball well on every attempt, no matter what, and one dropped ball or one botched play can result in a lost game or even a lost job. Punting techniques vary significantly based on what the punter is attempting to do with the ball.
Open-Field Punt
According to longtime NFL punter Ray Guy, the open-field punt mixes a combination of distance and hang time, with distance taking a slight backseat. The reason for this is that a punt that hangs in the air for a longer period of time allows the coverage team more time to advance toward the returner, thus decreasing the chance that the returner will have a big-play return. This punt is performed by slightly raising the position that you drop the ball, or holding the ball a bit longer than you would for a line-drive punt.
Coffin Corner
A coffin-corner punt is when the goal of a punt is to place the ball as close to the end zone as possible before going out of bounds. This is typically done when the line of scrimmage is at or around midfield, allowing you to aim your punt in a diagonal motion. This punt can be performed in one of two ways. You can drop the ball sooner than normal, resulting in a low trajectory kick, and step in the direction of the punt. The other option is to drop the ball at the normal time, resulting in a long, high punt, but aim to drop the ball slightly off of one side of your foot, thus resulting in an angled kick.
Rolling Stop
When there is little threat for a return and the opposing end zone is 50 to 60 yards away, a punt that is designed to stop rolling or bouncing just before the end zone is a viable and effective option. This punt is performed by adjusting your release point and force behind the kick to match the amount of room you have before the end zone. A longer kick will need to have a lower line-drive trajectory, and a shorter kick will need a higher, looping trajectory.
High and Short
Teams sometimes will be forced to punt from its opponent's 35-yard line depending on the situation in the game. During these times, the goal is usually to punt the ball as high into the air as possible, with the ultimate result being the coverage team catching or downing the ball deep inside the opposing team's territory. This type of punt is done by releasing the ball as late as possible, resulting in your foot making contact with the punt at it's highest point, which causes the ball to fly high into the air with little distance.
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Overview
Special teams play is vital in the NFL when it comes to winning and losing games. Placekickers who are successful at kicking field goals help their teams maintain momentum and punters who can place the ball high and deep and limit the opponent's ability to return the ball give their team's defense an advantage.
Average Field-goal Length
The average field goal attempted by the top five kickers in the AFC and NFC of the NFL was 36.5 yards in 2009, according to College and Pro Football Newsweekly. The average field goal made was 34.4 yards. Field-goal kickers made an average of 81.2 percent of their field-goal attempts.
Dramatic Improvement
Hall of Famer Lou "The Toe" Groza was the first placekicker admitted into the Hall of Fame. He played for the Cleveland Browns from 1950 through 1967. The first 11 years of his career, he was also an outstanding offensive tackle in addition to his kicking duties. Groza made 234 of 405 field-goal attempts during his career, a success ratio of 58 percent. In 2009, Jason Hanson of the Detroit Lions made 21 of 22 field-goal attempts, a success ratio of 96 percent.
Punting
The top five punters in the AFC and NFC averaged 45.6 yards per punt in the 2009 season. This is the distance measured from the line of scrimmage to where the punt lands or is caught by a punt returner. This does not include the 11 to 14 yards behind the line of scrimmage that most punters release the ball from.
Expert Opinion
Special teams are often the most underrated aspect of professional football. According to former Chicago Bears and Buffalo Bills head coach Dick Jauron, punting and field-goal kicking are often responsible for keeping or changing momentum in a game. "Some coaches may not pay as much attention to special teams, but when you are successful on a long field goal or have excellent coverage on a punt, you keep momentum," Jauron said. "When you miss a field goal attempt or have a poor punt, your opponent gains momentum. That can be very difficult to overcome."
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Nicholas Bragg recently wrote an article on punting drills I thought it would be good to share it with you:
Overview
Punter is one of the most difficult and least rewarding positions to play in football. Punters are expected to kick the ball well on every attempt, no matter what, and one dropped ball or one botched play can result in a lost game or even a lost job. Punting techniques vary significantly based on what the punter is attempting to do with the ball.
Open-Field Punt
According to longtime NFL punter Ray Guy, the open-field punt mixes a combination of distance and hang time, with distance taking a slight backseat. The reason for this is that a punt that hangs in the air for a longer period of time allows the coverage team more time to advance toward the returner, thus decreasing the chance that the returner will have a big-play return. This punt is performed by slightly raising the position that you drop the ball, or holding the ball a bit longer than you would for a line-drive punt.
Coffin Corner
A coffin-corner punt is when the goal of a punt is to place the ball as close to the end zone as possible before going out of bounds. This is typically done when the line of scrimmage is at or around midfield, allowing you to aim your punt in a diagonal motion. This punt can be performed in one of two ways. You can drop the ball sooner than normal, resulting in a low trajectory kick, and step in the direction of the punt. The other option is to drop the ball at the normal time, resulting in a long, high punt, but aim to drop the ball slightly off of one side of your foot, thus resulting in an angled kick.
Rolling Stop
When there is little threat for a return and the opposing end zone is 50 to 60 yards away, a punt that is designed to stop rolling or bouncing just before the end zone is a viable and effective option. This punt is performed by adjusting your release point and force behind the kick to match the amount of room you have before the end zone. A longer kick will need to have a lower line-drive trajectory, and a shorter kick will need a higher, looping trajectory.
High and Short
Teams sometimes will be forced to punt from its opponent's 35-yard line depending on the situation in the game. During these times, the goal is usually to punt the ball as high into the air as possible, with the ultimate result being the coverage team catching or downing the ball deep inside the opposing team's territory. This type of punt is done by releasing the ball as late as possible, resulting in your foot making contact with the punt at it's highest point, which causes the ball to fly high into the air with little distance.
About this Author
Nicholas Bragg, a lifelong athlete and certified personal trainer, attended four separate colleges from Maryland to California, finishing in 2004. Named to the CEO's club as an elite performer at Intuit in 2009, he changed careers in 2010 and now contributes writing to Mahalo and SportswithM.
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/460956-football-punting-techniques/#ixzz1QsMvngU0 |
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William Lynch recently wrote an article about kicking workouts and I thought is was worth sharing:
In football, kickers don't get much credit. Yet kickers often make the difference between winning and losing, with a clutch field-goal kicker worth his weight in gold. Reliable punters can also flip field position to either save a struggling offense or further enhance a dominating defense. These workouts will help kickers maximize their potential and earn a place of honor on any team.
Drop Consistency
Punters need to learn how to drop the ball straight during their approach in order to produce consistent, accurate punts. A simple workout to improve the skill begins with the punter standing along one of the yard lines. The punter then steps off his normal approach, stepping with his punting leg along the line, and drops the ball. Except in this drill, the punter allows the ball to drop to the ground. A proper drop, with the front nose of the ball slightly down and in, will result in the ball hitting the ground and bouncing backward slightly to the side of the line.
Height and Accuracy
Position a tee along the backline of the endzone about 7 yards from the goalpost. To practice accuracy, the kicker strikes the ball in an attempt to hit the goalpost. To work on achieving height, the kicker attempts to drive the ball over the upright and downfield. Placing the ball 7 yards from the goalpost simulates kicking from behind the line, while any ball that hits the goalpost would achieve enough height to clear the line.
Horseshoe Drill
Place-kickers require lethal accuracy to succeed. The Horseshoe Drill will help build a kicker's confidence when he's staring down the goalposts, regardless of where the ball is positioned. To begin, place 10 footballs in a horseshoe shape starting at the left side of the 10-yard line, extending out to and across the 30-yard line, and then ending back at the right side of the 10-yard line. Kickers get one shot from each distance, learning to line up kicks from various angles.
Line Drill
Punting along one of the yard lines will help develop proper ball placement, approach, leg swing and follow through. The straight line serves as a guide, providing the punter with a simple reminder to keep his body and the ball in correct alignment. The punter begins with his kicking leg positioned on the line. He catches the snap and positions the ball in direct line with the kicking leg. Throughout his approach, the punter always steps on the line with his kicking leg. Practicing the drill also improves accuracy, with punts meant to travel along the line. |
Leland Gordon recently wrote an article about football kicking drills. I thought it was worth sharing. Check it out below:
The kicker is one of the most important players on a football team despite the fact he is barely asked to throw and catch the ball, tackle opponents or run with the ball. Teams depend on kickers to score points in high-pressure situations by kicking the ball through the uprights while the defense tries to block the kick. Kicking drills help kickers develop a rhythm and solidify fundamentals they can take with them into high-pressure situations.
Horseshoe Drill
The horseshoe drill gives you a different distance and angle for each kick and you only get one try for each. Set the balls up on tees in a horseshoe shape and work your way around the horseshoe, kicking each ball. According to Footballdrills.com, you can add pressure to the horseshoe drill by having two kickers alternate kicks and whoever misses has to run sprints. Aside from extra point attempts, kickers will rarely make an attempt from the same spot on the field.
Blocker Drill
The blocker drill teaches the kicker to get a sense for how quickly he needs to make his attempt. The center snaps the ball to the holder and two kick blockers sprint toward the ball. One center cannot stop two rushers, so at least one blocker will get a somewhat clear path to the ball. The kicker must learn to get off a quick and accurate kick before the blockers get their hands on the ball, according to Football-Tutorials.com. Kicking the ball accurately and with enough distance can be a difficult task when blockers attempt to block the ball.
Height and Accuracy Drill
The Height and Accuracy drill requires the kicker to kick from a tee 7 yards away from the uprights. The goal is to smack the ball on the upright, above the crossbar, or at least get it to land within a 4-yard wide zone that is 40 to 45 yards away from the tee. Kicking the ball high enough and early enough is another part of kicking that kickers need to practice through drills. A low line drive kick stands a high chance of being blocked, so the kicker has to get a minimum amount of height on the kick from the beginning.
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