There is a lot of pressure when it comes to delivering a kick. In this one moment you can make or break the entire game, or even have lasting impact on the entire season.
This knowledge can making being a kicker in American Football a very stressful occupation, whether you are in college, a pro, or even just on the junior high or highschool level.
Many people who don't truly know or understand the game think of football as nothing more than a physical sport that requires no real thought, concentration or understanding, these people are sadly misguided.
The perfect kick isn't about how hard you kick, it is an art and you need to get in the proper mindset to deliver a great kick.
One of the most important aspects involved in delivering a great kick is to understand the stepping pattern involved in the kick. These steps should be consistent but you will also need to consider the angle away from the the ball as well when planning out your steps.
There are two stepping patterns that a kicker uses, the three-step or two-step kicker. Any most cases, coaches tend to favor the two-step method because there is less distance between the kicker and the ball, meaning less chance for the football to get blocked, but the three-step pattern can actually provide much more power and momentum against the ball. Beyond your stepping pattern, it is also important to develop your actually leg swing properly, too. Many just-starting kickers believe they need to over kick the ball and throw their entire body into the swing, but it is really about form and control.
While the pattern and actual kick is essentially the 'biggest component' to a good kick, you should never underestimate how important your own mental blocks or mental approach can be, as well. Kickers rarely get recognition for their great kicks, but they can certainly get negative response and get blamed for ruining a game.
This creates stress, and you will need to understand how to deal with this stress. A good kicker needs to participate in the teams conditioning and lifting, and make himself seem like a regular part of the team- this will bring a kicker close to his team. Following a routine is also important when it comes to mental practices.
While working on your kick, your pattern and understanding your mental condition is important to the game, it is also important to have natural talent, practice and a good coach or mentor.
As you can see, there is a lot that goes into being a kicker, and figuring out how to kick perfectly does consist of a lot of trial and error. Advancing your abilities quickly doesn't have to be that difficult though. There are many football kicker camps throughout the United States, and many of them are ran directly by former college or pro kickers that understand exactly what it takes to be a great kicker. What better mentor and coach then someone who has been there and done that for themselves?
Understanding How to Kick a Football might seem hard due to all the aspects that go into truly learning the art. Luckily, there are many great camps ran by professionals such as former-NFL kicker Shane Andrus that are truly worth looking in to.
