HOW TO KICK A FIELD GOAL PART 1: LINING UP FOR A KICK

Special Team Servant's Complete Guide to Kicking Field Goals Accurately, Consistently, and with Proper Technique

How To Kick a Field Goal: Lining Up for a Kick

So you want to learn how to kick a field goal but you don't know where to start? Look no further! The first step in accurately, consistently, and kicking a field goal with proper technique is learning how to line up for a field goal.

Lining up for a field goal requires purpose. If you just wing it or haphazardly take steps back, how could you repeat that every time and be a consistent clutch kicker for your team?

The best kickers are all consistent kickers, and consistent kickers intentionally take the same steps with the same purpose every single time. Taking intentional steps to line up for a field goal starts by finding a small target beyond the uprights.

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Picking a Small Target Beyond the Uprights

Picking a small target beyond the uprights is the first step in correctly lining up to kick a field goal.

To do this, you'll want to look through the uprights. Depending on the stadium you're playing in, that could mean you may be looking at fans in the stands, trees outside the stadium, letters on the scoreboard, or simply clouds in the sky.

If you properly pick a small target which, you would be picking be a specific fan, a specific tree branch, a specific letter on the scoreboard, or a specific shape within the cloud in the sky or whatever small target lies beyond the uprights you're kicking through.

Don't pick a target that is right behind the uprights or closer to ground level. Think of it like this: If you could kick the ball 100 or 1000 yards, what would you want it to hit?

Why?

This helps you execute the concept of "Aim Small, Miss Small".

If you pick a small target beyond the uprights and kick a perfect kick towards that target, depending on how far away your target was you may hit that target, but more importantly, you will make your field goal.

If you pick a small target beyond the uprights and have some small breakdown in your kick, you may miss your small target, but more importantly, you still have a great chance of making your field goal.

Don't generally aim (without a specific target) to kick a football through the uprights.

If you are just aiming to kick a football through the uprights and have some small breakdown in your kick, you have a significantly greater chance of missing your field goal.

Aiming small gives you the flexibility to miss small while generally aiming big sets you up to miss big.

Take Three Natural Steps Backwards as You Continue to Line Up to Kick a Field Goal

Don't take baby steps. Don't take giant steps five times bigger than you would typically take. Take three natural steps.

You want to be comfortable as you kick a field goal. If you take baby steps when you line up for a field goal, you will end up feeling crammed because you have a lot of power to unleash on the football with a very short approach. If you take giant steps when you line up for a field goal, you will end up feeling so far away like you have to run or stretch just to get back to where you'll kick the field goal.

Taking three natural steps back will set you up to feel comfortable and be in a position to naturally approach the ball without feeling crammed or too far away.

Draw an Imaginary Line from Your Small Target Beyond the Uprights

Line up with that small target.

Find your target and draw a straight line from your target to your football (or kicking block), to your foot.

If your line is straight from your target through the football (or kicking block) to your foot, you will be lined up correctly.

If it is not a straight line, you will need to go back to your football and retake your steps if you have time. If the game clock is too far down, you'll need to adjust yourself (without moving further backward or forward) and straighten your target line before taking any further steps to line up for your field goal.

Take Two Natural Steps to the Side

These are the last two steps you'll need to take as you line up for your field goal.

Similar to your steps backward, you will need to keep these steps natural. Steps that are too big will make you feel further away from the ball while steps that are too small will make you feel crammed.

Make Sure You are Straightly Facing the Ball

As one last check, you'll want to make sure you are straightly facing the ball.

There should be a straight line from your inside hip to the outside of the ball.

If your chest or outside hip is facing the ball, you will be too closed in your stance. If your chest or inside hip is facing directly downfield you will be too open in your stance.

Being too closed or too open in your stance will cause problems as you approach and kick the football.

You should be standing in a position where you can walk a straight line as you approach the football. If you can do this, you are straightly facing the ball!

Conclusion: Lining Up to Kick a Field Goal

In order to correctly line up to kick a field goal, you first need to pick a specific target beyond the uprights. This helps you practice 'aiming small and missing small'. Take three natural steps backward and make sure you, your ball (or kicking block), and the target are lined up. Take two natural steps to the side and make sure you are straightly facing the ball.

The next step in kicking Field Goals Accurately, Consistently, and with Proper Technique is approaching the ball.