How To Kick Field Goals

By: RTodd

Break Studios Contributing Writer

Once you have figured out how to kick field goals correctly, you will be a huge asset to your team. Kicking a field goal requires accuracy, power, finesse and a clear mind. You do not want to kick the ball as hard as you can and hope it gets to your target. Once you can pick out your target on the field and kick the ball directly to it, you will be ready to take your team’s field goals.

  1. Learning how to kick field goals does not require you to only know how to kick the ball powerfully. You need to know how to kick the ball over short distances, too. This will require much more finesse than power. Practicing short distance kicks is a great way to start off your training for field goal kicking.
  2. Keep your eye on the ball. This is one of the best ways to improve your accuracy. Even after you have kicked the ball, your eye should still be on the place where you originally wanted to kick. Lifting your head even in the slightest bit before kicking the ball can cause you to hit the ball incorrectly and miss your target.
  3. Sometimes you will need to chip the ball. This will require you to get your foot all the way under the ball when you kick it. Instead of hitting it towards the middle of the ball, which gives you much more distance, when you hit it towards the bottom, you will kick with much more height. This will get the ball over the heads of the players obstructing your kick’s flight path.
  4. Remember that the wind can and will affect your kicks. Powerful winds may knock the ball off its course. You should practice kicking field goals with the wind blowing in different directions and speeds. This will be difficult at first, but eventually, muscle memory will take over and you will be able to kick accurately even with high winds.
  5. Practice as often as you can. You should start out kicking short distances and trying to improve your accuracy. As you get better at this, begin to increase the distance. Gradually repeat this process until you feel you can hit your mark from the greatest distance you will need to use during game time.
Posted on: Jul. 22, 2010