28 Jun 11 Choosing The Right Kicking Tee
I shot this video yesterday to demystify the process of choosing the right kicking tee and also help debunk several ideas held by many high school kickers, their parents and coaches. Every week I get the question “What kickoff tee should I use?” or “What field goal block should I use?” Today’s video will answer these questions and go in depth on why & when you should use a certain kicking tee. If you have any additional questions on selecting the right kicking tee simply post a comment below this post or add a comment to the YouTube video.
Tags: Kicking Equipment
26 Jan 11 What is the Best Kicking Net?
I’ve tried several football kicking nets over the years and quite frankly was disappointed or moderately pleased at best up until the last couple years. Back in my days of high school football, my kicking coach made me lug around the kicking net to each game and at the time that thing weighed about 50 pounds! Jumping ahead to 2011 and beyond, the football kicking net transformation is impressive and the weight of some of these units are less than 20 pounds! Not only do the new kicking nets fold up compactly but more importantly, set up and break down quickly! My favorite football kicking net is The Net Return kicking net
Best Kicking Net #1
As The Net Return’s slogan goes, their net truly is ‘The Only Net You Need.’ The Net Return specializes in making the best football kicking net that is used by hundreds of football teams from NFL to NCAA to High School. They also have some cool looking baseball, golf and soccer nets. Check out their website if you want the best kicking net available today! The Net Return is more expensive than most kicking nets but the quality, features and options on it are far superior than the run of the mill nets you see at most sporting good retailers.
Best Kicking Net #2
If the Net Return is a bit out of your budget range, then go to Wizard Kicking for our second kicking net recommendation! Wizard Kicking has developed some awesome kicking products over the years from their football holder to an extensive line of affordable kicking nets and snapping nets. The Wizard Kicking Net is an excellent choice for any kicker or punter. Wizard Kicking is based in Southern California just like Kicking World and they are THE source for all your football kicking equipment needs!
Final Thoughts
Whichever kicking net you end up choosing, be sure it includes the overhang on top like The Net Return and Wizard Kicking nets. This will eliminate your frustrations of errant kicks or punts going onto the field during a game! You can settle on one of those cheap kicking nets at a sporting goods store, but if you’re like me and only want the best- then go for one of my recommended choices above! If you have any questions about kicking nets feel free to e-mail me anytime.
This is the second article in a new series on ‘What is the Best ___’. Be sure to follow the rest of our articles in this series which tackle tough questions like What are the Best Kicking Shoes, What is the Best Kicking Tee, What is the Best Field Goal Block, What is the Best Ball Holder, What is the Best Football to Kick and more!
Tags: Kicking Net
16 Dec 10 What Are The Best Kicking Shoes?
When I was in high school I spent hours researching kicking cleats trying to find what the best kicking shoe is and figure out the differences between all of them! Finally after becoming friends with NFL kickers and talking to guys around the league and other college teams I finally found out what works best. It was a long trial and error process of testing out several cleats and combinations until I finally found the ‘proven winners.’ I hope this article helps you find the best kicking shoe for you!
Hands down, more pros and people serious about kicking and playing soccer use the Adidas Copa Mundial soccer cleats. I used ‘Copas’ throughout my college career and it is still the most preferred kicking shoe among specialists in the NFL. Watch any NFL game and you will see one out of every few kickers or punters wearing them. Adidas Copa Mundial soccer cleats are of the higest quality and made in Germany. Both Kickers and Punters can benefit from kangaroo leather soccer cleats like the Copas.
The other popular kicking shoe is the Nike Tiempo Legend soccer cleat which is also made from kangaroo leather. There are a few versions of the Legend cleat since Nike updates their models ever year. In 2010 the most current is the Nike Tiempo Legend II and Nike Tiempo Legend III with the original Nike Tiempo Legend availability dwindling down. 
Why do I recommend these cleats?
The reason I recommend the two above cleats is because of the soft and supple leather and how it forms to your foot. Just like anything you wear, you want it to be comfortable. With kicking, punting and soccer it’s even more important to not only be comfortable, but to also be able to ‘feel’ the ball. Look at many of the top ball strikers in all these worldwide soccer and futbol leagues. Most of them have the ability to finesse their shots and control their kicks. In kicking, you don’t want a soccer cleat that is just going to be built for speed. Your main focus should be a kicking shoe that will allow you to make solid contact as consistently as possible and enable you to feel the ball and control your kicks and punts. 
Kicking Shoes I do not like
Some popular kicking shoes I’ve seen students wear that I personally do not like are the Nike Vapor soccer shoes. Many of my students like them, but I tried kicking in them and they just felt weird. While the Vapor cleats are designed for speed and have a multitude of color and model choices, I just could not ‘feel’ the ball as much as I can with a kangaroo leather style shoe. There are several soccer cleats and specialized football kicking shoes that will work for everyone. Most of it comes down to taste, fit and personal preference. I suggest you go out and try on as many pairs as you can at all the local shops like Dick’s, Sports Authority, Sport Chalet, Big 5, Modells, etc. They all have similar prices or if you like buying online I recommend Soccer.com 
Why Do Kickers Wear 2 Different Shoes?
You may see some kickers and punters wearing two different shoes. What the heck is that all about? Well the answer is, some kickers and punters prefer a more stable football shoe with better ankle support for their plant foot. The plant foot is the foot that you land on just before you kick the ball. The other reason is sometimes field conditions may not be favorable for a soccer cleat which tends to have smaller spikes on the bottom. Some kickers and punters use screw in football cleats for their plant shoe. Many times guys wear a different plant foot because of previous ankle injuries, weak shins, or even compensating for a flaw in their form which puts them off-balance. Personally, I find that if your technique is right, you will have better balance and stability and look less goofy if you just wear the same shoe on both feet. I hope this information is helpful for you. 
Secrets for Optimizing a kicking shoe
There are so many tricks and secrets kickers have for optimizing their football kicking shoes. One I found quite useful over the years is to cut the tongue flap of your cleat and tuck in the laces on the outside corner so that you have a flush striking surface. Every little bit helps, even if it just makes you a little more confident! For even more detailed information about kicking cleats and special secrets including how to get the right fit, choosing the best plant foot shoe and more, please consult my book, The ‘Complete Guide to Kicking & Punting’
This is the first article in a new series on ‘What is the Best ___’. Be sure to follow the rest of our articles in this series which tackle tough questions like What is the Best Kicking Net, What is the Best Kicking Tee, What is the Best Field Goal Block, What is the Best Ball Holder, What is the Best Football to Kick and more!
Tags: Football Kicking Cleats, Kicking Cleats, Kicking Shoes
13 Oct 09 New Footballs for 2009-2010 Kicking Lessons
Starting this weekend I’ll be using Spalding J5V ADVANCE Footballs for all my kicking lessons and kicking camp students in 9th grade and up. They are the official ball of the CIF (California) Southern Section and just about every High School between Los Angeles and San Diego use them. I will be using them now too. Very soft leather, nice quality, build, and durable. A lot more expensive but hopefully my students will enjoy them and will help their kicking game since it will be the ball they use in High School. We will still continue to use Wilson TDJ Composite and Wilson TDY Composite footballs for our youth students. To order your own footballs- visit our official supplier at Wizard Kicking based out of Orange, California.
Tags: Footballs, Kicking Equipment
12 Feb 08 Kicking Equipment at Wizard Kicking
I just bought all of my new equipment for 2008 from Mike at www.wizardkicking.com I thought I’d share you pictures of my football camp and football lesson equipment and training tools for the new season. If you need anything from kicking shoes to tees or footballs, visit Wizard Kicking.com or call him at 888-964-5425! Tell them that Brent from Kicking World sent you. Kicking World has a lot of camps planned for 2008 so it was important for me to get up to date with all of the new innovative equipment out there. I know that with the use of new technology and my teaching expertise, your kicking and punting skills will take off in 2008! Give us a call at 619-564-1333 or visit us online at www.kickingworld.com
Kicking World provides personalized kicking & punting camps, kicking lessons, and kicking instruction for kickers and punters focusing on Southern California. We specialize in working with kickers and punters aging from 9 to 18 and also work with many OCJAAF (Orange County Junior All American Football) Teams, as well as Pop Warner football programs. High School Kickers and Youth Football kickers and punters rely on us for expert instruction, given in a professional & fun atmosphere that helps foster the growth of their ability whether it be 
mental or physical. We will help you get stronger, more consistent, get more height on your ball, and get to the next level! Give Kicking World a try by visiting us online at www.kickingworld.com or calling us direct at 619-564-1333 to speak with Coach Brent.
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