Can you kick a football farther? Yes, absolutely! With the right training and technique, anyone can significantly increase kicking distance and master long distance football kicks.
Mastering the Art of the Long Kick
Want to send that football soaring? Kicking a football farther isn’t just about brute strength; it’s a finely tuned combination of power, precision, and proper mechanics. We’ll break down the essential elements to help you achieve those impressive distances, whether you’re aiming for a touchdown pass or a booming punt.
The Foundation: Proper Football Kicking Form
Before you can unleash your power, you need a solid base. Proper football kicking form is the cornerstone of achieving greater distance. It ensures that the energy generated by your body is efficiently transferred to the ball.
Stance and Approach
Your setup is crucial. A good stance provides stability and allows for a fluid motion.
- The Setup: Stand a few steps behind the ball, facing your target at a slight angle. Your non-kicking foot should be planted firmly beside the ball, pointing towards your target.
- The Approach: Take a few comfortable strides towards the ball. The number of steps is personal, but it should allow you to build momentum without overstriding or feeling rushed. The last few steps are about rhythm and control.
The Swing: Generating Power
The kicking leg swing is where the magic happens. It’s a dynamic movement that needs to be both powerful and controlled.
- Backswing: As you approach the ball, your kicking leg should swing back, bending at the knee and hip. This creates the potential energy that will be released. Keep your body balanced.
- Contact Point: Aim to strike the ball with the hard part of your foot, typically the laces or the instep. The ball should be struck slightly below its center. This ensures lift and forward momentum.
- Follow-Through: This is often overlooked, but vital. After contact, your kicking leg should continue its natural arc upwards and towards your target. A good follow-through helps maximize the transfer of energy and maintain balance. Think of it like swinging a golf club or a baseball bat – the swing doesn’t stop at impact.
Building Leg Strength for Football
While technique is king, leg strength training football players need to support that technique is essential. Stronger legs can generate more power, leading to longer kicks.
Key Muscle Groups
Several muscle groups work in unison to produce a powerful kick:
- Quadriceps: The front of your thigh muscles. These extend your knee, driving your leg forward to meet the ball.
- Hamstrings: The back of your thigh muscles. These help to swing your leg backward and then accelerate it forward.
- Glutes (Gluteal Muscles): Your buttock muscles. They are crucial for hip extension and overall power generation.
- Calves: The muscles in your lower leg. They provide the final push and control during the kick.
Effective Strength Exercises
Here are some exercises to build the necessary leg strength:
- Squats: Bodyweight squats, goblet squats, and barbell squats are excellent for overall leg development. Focus on proper form to avoid injury.
- Bodyweight Squats: Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, chest up. Lower your hips as if sitting in a chair, keeping your back straight. Go as low as comfortable, then push back up.
- Goblet Squats: Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell at your chest. Perform a squat motion. This helps with core engagement and form.
- Lunges: Forward lunges, reverse lunges, and side lunges work each leg independently, improving balance and strength.
- Forward Lunges: Step forward with one leg, lowering your hips until both knees are bent at approximately 90-degree angles. Ensure your front knee stays behind your toes. Push off with the front foot to return to the start.
- Deadlifts: Romanian deadlifts and conventional deadlifts target your hamstrings and glutes, vital for the power in your swing.
- Romanian Deadlifts (RDLs): Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding weights in front of your thighs. Keeping your legs mostly straight with a slight bend, hinge at your hips, lowering the weights towards the floor. Keep your back straight. Feel the stretch in your hamstrings, then return to the starting position by squeezing your glutes.
- Calf Raises: Standing calf raises and seated calf raises build strength in your lower legs.
- Standing Calf Raises: Stand with feet flat on the floor. Rise up onto the balls of your feet, squeezing your calf muscles. Hold briefly, then lower slowly. You can perform these on a step for a greater range of motion.
- Plyometrics: Exercises like jump squats and box jumps can improve explosive power, which translates directly to a faster kicking leg swing.
- Jump Squats: Perform a squat, then explosively jump upwards. Land softly and immediately transition into the next squat.
Drills to Improve Kicking Power and Distance
Specific drills can help you refine your technique and build the power needed for longer kicks. Power kicking drills focus on replicating the movements and forces involved in a real game kick.
The “Hit the Spot” Drill
This drill focuses on consistent contact and follow-through.
- Place a cone or marker a few yards away from where you’ll be kicking.
- Kick the ball, aiming to strike the marker with your follow-through.
- Gradually increase the distance of the marker. This helps you practice controlling your leg swing and ensuring a full follow-through.
The “Long Approach” Drill
This drill simulates the momentum of a game situation.
- Start further back from your kicking spot than you typically would.
- Take your usual approach, focusing on building controlled momentum.
- Execute your kick, paying close attention to the transfer of energy.
- This drill helps you get comfortable with a longer run-up and maintain technique under greater momentum.
The “Cone Target” Drill
This drill emphasizes accuracy and distance kicking.
- Set up a series of cones at increasing distances from your kicking spot.
- Aim to kick the ball and have it land within or go through a specific cone at each distance.
- As you get better, use smaller targets or group cones closer together.
The “Repetition with Variation” Drill
Simply kicking repeatedly is good, but varying the type of kick adds to your skill set.
- Punting Practice: Focus on a clean strike with the instep and a high, arcing trajectory.
- Drop Kick Practice: This requires a different timing as the ball must bounce before being kicked.
- Place Kick Practice: Focus on driving the ball low and hard through the uprights.
Enhancing Kicking Footwork Football
Your feet do more than just swing the leg; your kicking footwork football plays a significant role in your power and balance.
The Plant Foot
Your non-kicking foot, or plant foot, is your anchor.
- Placement: It should be planted firmly beside the ball, about six to twelve inches away.
- Angle: Point your plant foot towards your target. This helps align your hips and core correctly for the kick.
- Flexibility: Keep a slight bend in your plant knee. This allows for better balance and absorption of force. Avoid locking your knee.
The Approach Steps
The rhythm and speed of your approach steps are key.
- Consistency: Aim for consistent steps each time you kick. This builds muscle memory.
- Controlled Acceleration: Your steps should build speed, but not to the point where you lose balance or control. The last step before striking the ball is often a slightly larger stride to set up the powerful leg swing.
The Kinetic Chain: Connecting Your Body for Power
Achieving improving kicking power requires a coordinated effort from your entire body. This is known as the kinetic chain – a sequence of movements that transfer energy efficiently.
- Ground Force: Your legs push off the ground.
- Hip Rotation: Your hips rotate, driving the leg forward.
- Torso Twist: Your torso twists to generate more momentum.
- Arm Swing: Your arms swing in opposition to your legs for balance and added momentum.
- Leg Swing: Your leg swings through the ball.
- Follow-Through: The movement continues past the ball.
Think of it like cracking a whip. The initial movement at the handle (your feet on the ground) generates energy that travels up the whip (your body) and culminates in a powerful snap at the end (the kick).
Flexibility and Mobility: The Often-Ignored Keys
Good flexibility and mobility are crucial for a full range of motion, which directly impacts how far you can kick. Tight muscles can restrict your swing and reduce power.
Essential Stretches
Incorporate these stretches into your routine:
- Hamstring Stretches: Seated or standing hamstring stretches help improve your leg’s ability to swing back and forward.
- Seated Hamstring Stretch: Sit on the floor with one leg extended. Bend the other leg, placing the sole of your foot against your inner thigh. Lean forward from your hips, reaching towards the toes of your extended leg. Keep your back straight.
- Quadriceps Stretches: Standing quad stretches help loosen the front of your thigh.
- Standing Quad Stretch: Stand tall, holding onto something for balance if needed. Bend one knee and grab your ankle or foot, gently pulling your heel towards your buttock. Keep your knees together and feel the stretch in the front of your thigh.
- Hip Flexor Stretches: Tight hip flexors can limit your hip rotation and stride length.
- Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch: Kneel on one knee, with the other foot flat on the floor in front of you, creating a 90-degree angle at both knees. Gently push your hips forward, keeping your torso upright. You should feel a stretch in the front of your hip of the kneeling leg.
- Calf Stretches: Crucial for that final push.
- Gastrocnemius Stretch: Stand facing a wall, placing your hands on it for support. Step one foot back, keeping that leg straight and your heel on the ground. Lean forward until you feel a stretch in your calf.
- Soleus Stretch: From the same position, slightly bend the back knee while keeping the heel on the ground. This targets the lower calf muscle.
Putting It All Together: Training Regimen Example
Here’s a sample training schedule to help you improve your kicking:
Day 1: Strength and Power
- Warm-up: 10 minutes of light cardio and dynamic stretching (leg swings, hip circles).
- Squats: 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions
- Romanian Deadlifts: 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions
- Lunges: 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions per leg
- Calf Raises: 3 sets of 15-20 repetitions
- Jump Squats: 3 sets of 10-12 repetitions
- Cool-down: Static stretching, focusing on legs and hips.
Day 2: Kicking Drills and Technique
- Warm-up: 10 minutes of light jogging and dynamic stretching.
- Approach and Plant Foot Drills: Focus on 10-15 repetitions, emphasizing proper placement and rhythm.
- “Hit the Spot” Drill: 20 kicks, focusing on follow-through.
- “Cone Target” Drill: 20 kicks, varying distances.
- “Long Approach” Drill: 10 kicks, practicing longer run-ups.
- Cool-down: Static stretching.
Day 3: Active Recovery or Rest
- Light activity like walking or swimming.
- Focus on foam rolling and static stretching.
Day 4: Strength and Power (Lighter Session)
- Repeat Day 1, but reduce the weight or number of repetitions slightly.
Day 5: Kicking Drills and Specificity
- Repeat Day 2, perhaps focusing on a specific type of kick (e.g., punts).
Day 6 & 7: Rest
Allow your body to recover and rebuild.
Important Considerations:
- Listen to Your Body: Don’t push through pain. If something hurts, stop and rest or consult a professional.
- Progression: Gradually increase weight, repetitions, or distances as you get stronger and more skilled.
- Consistency: Regular practice is key. Aim for at least 2-3 kicking sessions per week.
- Hydration and Nutrition: Fuel your body properly for optimal performance and recovery.
- Professional Guidance: If possible, seek advice from a coach or trainer experienced in football kicking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: How often should I practice kicking?
A1: For significant improvement, aim for 2-3 dedicated kicking sessions per week, with rest days in between for recovery.
Q2: What is the most important part of a football kick?
A2: While many factors contribute, the follow-through and consistent contact point with the ball are often cited as the most critical elements for generating power and accuracy.
Q3: Can I improve my kick without lifting weights?
A3: Yes, you can still improve kicking distance through bodyweight exercises, plyometrics, and consistent, focused kicking practice. However, adding targeted strength training will accelerate your progress.
Q4: How do I avoid kicking the ball too low or too high?
A4: For distance, you generally want to hit the ball slightly below its center with a good follow-through. A lower strike point with a powerful upward swing will send the ball higher. For a flatter trajectory, hit closer to the center or slightly above. Experimentation with your plant foot position and the angle of your swing also plays a role.
Q5: My plant foot seems to interfere with my swing. What can I do?
A5: Ensure your plant foot is planted firmly to the side of the ball, not directly behind it. Also, maintain a slight bend in your plant knee, which allows for better balance and prevents you from “kicking through” your plant leg, which can cause it to move and disrupt your swing.
By focusing on proper football kicking form, implementing power kicking drills, dedicating time to leg strength training football players need, and refining your kicking footwork football, you’ll be well on your way to achieving those impressive long distance football kicks and significantly increase kicking distance. Remember, consistency and patience are your greatest allies in this journey.