Perfect punting

Work on your kickers’ specific technique so they can develop their natural kicking ability into a repeatable, accurate skill under pressure.

An ideal session to run and then encourage players to use as homework. Challenge the players to practise with their stronger and their weaker foot.

1. Ensure the hips and shoulders are pointing down the pitch and the ball is held in the middle of the body.
2. The follow-through should be towards the target.

1. Put cones every 5m back from a set of goalposts.
2. Have a kicker start at the nearest cone and kick at the post.
3. Concentrate on the foot following through to the target.
4. When he has hit the post once, then he moves back to the next cone. He tries to get back as far as he can in 10 attempts.

1. Mark out the cones and balls as above.
2. The kicker has one minute to kick five balls through the posts.
3. The time element puts pressure on the technique to be repeated accurately.

DEVELOPMENT

Put two players against each other in the 15m channel. They aim to kick the ball as far down the channel without kicking the ball out of the sides. The receiving player kicks from where the ball lands or he catches it. The first player to land the ball over the other player’s try line scores a point.

TECHNIQUE

• Keep the ball in the middle of the body.
• Hips and shoulders should face the target.
• Kick the foot through to the target.