23 Jul 11 10 Steps to Emergency Kicking Tune-Up
This week I received a ton of calls asking ‘What can my son due to get his kicking/punting tuned up for the start of the 2011 season?’ (which begins on August 1st and only 10 days away!) Well, most of you who have been training with me on a consistent basis are already tuned up and ready to go. You’ve been following a program that has gradually increased your kicking frequency over the last few months and has improved your accuracy, distance and overall confidence.
Well what about the kickers and punters out there who let the summer slip away and have only practiced a couple times, or even worse- not at all! Yes, you are definitely behind schedule and should have been practicing all summer, but don’t worry! I have created a special 10 step emergency tune-up guide for you to follow over the next 10 days which you will start TODAY! This is for every kicker/punter whether youth, HS, College or Pro. You should print this guide out or save it to your phone so you can committ to it over the next 10 days. Good Luck!
1. Kick or Punt a total of 40 balls these days:
(F 7/22, S 7/24, T 7/26, R 7/28, S 7/30 and S 7/31).
This will allow you to kick 6 times over the next 10 days and help build your confidence back up and get your leg conditioned again for weekly kicking/punting.
2. Sprint:
You need to fire up those fast twitch leg muscles and build SPEED. Speed trumps Strength in kicking/punting. I am not asking that you go run incredible long jogs. What I’m recommending is something geared toward firing up your fast twitch muscle fibers and consumes much less time but is more challenging. The following sprinting drill will help generate more speed and allow you to get that ‘fast leg snap’ as well condition your body for the gruelling double-sessions with conditioning drills your coach will put you through the first 2 weeks of practice in August.
Shuttle Runs every other day through July 31:
Sprint Goal Line to 10 Yard Line (touch hand to line) and sprint back through Goal Line. Rest 5 seconds. Repeat and without rest run back to the 20 (touch hand to line) and sprint through goal line. Rest 20 seconds. Repeat both 10 and 20 and continue without rest sprinting to 30 yard line (touch hand to line) and sprint through goal line. Rest 30 seconds. Repeat all 3 without rest and continue sprinting to 40 yard line (touch hand to line) and sprint back through Goal Line. COMPLETE. This will probably tire you out if you haven’t been doing any conditioning. Do this every other day through July 31. If this is too easy for you, I would like you to repeat the process in reverse (Run to 40 and back, Rest 5 seconds. Run to 40 and back then 30 and back. Rest 20 seconds. Run to 40 and back, 30 and back, 20 and back, rest 30 seconds. Run to 40 and back, 30 and back, 20 and back, 10 and back. COMPLETE!
3. Stretch:
Your muscles need to be flexible and strong to endure daily double-session practices the first 2 weeks of football camp. Also, your legs need to be loose/flexible to ensure you can kick/punt fundamentally sound and decrease the risk of injury due to strained quads, hamstrings, groins, etc. The easiest solution to ensure you ‘get your stretching in’ is to follow the FREE downloadable 3 page Football Kicking ‘Stretching Guide’. Do this DAILY and do it 2-3 times per day. It should take you roughly 10 minutes each time you stretch. If you can committ to stretching when you shower in the morning, before & after you kick, and before you go to sleep you will feel much more ‘loose’ and you will significantly increase your chances of a healthy injury-free season. On top of that, your genuine well-being will improve and if you have constant back, hip or other pains, these stretches will help to alleviate some of that pain due to tension/pressure/stiffness.
4. Core Focus:
The word ‘core’ has become so widely used of late. I hear it used more often than anything in the workout world. Your ‘core’ refers to the center of your body consisting of mostly your Abdominal Muscles, Hips and Low Back. These 3 muscle groups are paramount in a kicker or punter. I encourage you to implement core excercises in the gym at your workout sessions now and through the season. I recommend a personal trainer who can help you with specific kicking or soccer type of core movements or simply calling me to schedule a 1 on 1 in-gym training session so I can show you around the gym and give you specific workouts based on your body type that will help improve your overall balance, stability and strength. If you don’t live in California and can’t come out to see me, here’s a few simply ones for you to do (do these 2-3x per week, usually at the end of your gym session).
* Bent Knee Leg Lifts on Dip/Pullup Bar
* Bent Knee Leg Lifts (with twist to each side) on Dip/Pullup Bar
* Straight Leg Lifts on Dip/Pullup Bar
* Low Back Extensions (don’t go past parallel) use weight like 10 to 25 pound plate to challenge even more
* Safe Hip Exercises (see #5. below)
5. Isometric Leg Speed/Strength Program
I’m not going into detail into this. You can read all about it at the link. I’ve been recommending this program for the last 4 years because it WORKS. It had added an average of 3 yards per each of my student’s field goals, kickoffs and punts. Do this starting ASAP through the season (full instructions included when you receive the program). Athletic Quickness Kick Farther Program
6. Kicking World eBook
This is it. Everything you need to know about field goal kicking, kickoffs, punting in a concise format with step by step guides on technique, fundamentals, drills, exercises and even discussion on gym workouts and kicking equipment you need. The best part about this Football Kicking eBook is it is downloadable immediately and you do not have to wait for any shipping as it is in electronic format only so you can read it on your iPad, iPhone, Smart Phone, Laptop, PC or Mac or even print it out! Read detailed description of the book I wrote here: ‘Complete Guide to Kicking & Punting’ by Brent Grablachoff
7. Emergency Tune-Up Lesson
Schedule a 1 on 1 Training Session with me any Sunday at Laguna Hills High School in beautiful Orange County, CA or any other day in beautiful San Diego, CA with 3 locations near downtown, La Jolla and East County! I offer kicking lessons and punting lessons year-round in So Cal. You can also fly me out to train your son 1 on 1 wherever you may be located or come train with me for a 3 Day session like this Professional Kicker did (see his before & after instructional YouTube Video).
8. Virtual Private Lesson
If you don’t have the means to see me in California, there is a ‘virtual private lesson’ option. You would simply e-mail or mail me footage of your kicks/punts and then we schedule a 15 minute phone call to break down your form/technique and help you understand everything that is going on and what you need to work on to improve. This is one of the best deals in the Kicking World Shop
9. LAST California Kicking Camp of 2011
Sunday, July 31 One-Day Camp Only!
Laguna Hills High School
8:30am-11:30am Youth Ages 10-12
12pm-3pm HS Ages 13-18
Cost: $100 Youth, $200 HS
Register Online Now!
10. LAST Texas Kicking Camp of 2011
Tuesday & Wednesday, July 26-27!
6pm-8pm, 8am-10am (both sessions included)
Cedar Park, TX
Cost: $300 Returning, $350 New Student
Limited to first 8 signups, Only 2 Spots Left, Call to Register!
As always, feel free to e-mail or message me on Facebook or YouTube if you have any questions or need help with anything. Our YouTube site and Facebook page are incredible resources for you to get free tips, participate in contests and make some kicking/punting friends. You must ‘LIKE’ the Facebook page to unlock all the additional features.
Have a great start to your 2011 Summer Camp!
-Coach Brent Grablachoff
619-564-1333
brent (at) kickingworld.com
www.kickingworld.com
Tags: Football Kicker Workout, Kicking Training, Kicking Workout
26 Jul 10 San Diego Pop Warner Kicking Camp Re-Cap
On Sunday, July 25th we had a San Diego Pop Warner Kicking Camp at La Jolla High School. The camp was open to all youth kickers and punters ages 10-13. We had students come from all over Orange County, San Diego, Los Angeles, Temecula Valley and even Sacramento California! The youth kicking camp is designed for the beginner and intermediate pop warner kicker who is still learning the basic fundamentals in order to consistently kick extra points and even make field goals. We work on everything from extra points to field goals from the hash marks to kickoffs, onside kicks, and even some punting! As we do at every kicking camp, the focus is on kicking instruction with 1 on 1 coaching throughout the camp with high coach to student ratio. After all the camp students learn the techniques we give them a free kick period to practice what they’ve been taught. We also have a kicking competition for each facet of the kicking game: field goals, kickoffs and punting. All kicking camp students participate in the fun kicking competitions and have the opportunity to try to win awards. We give out all sorts of cool prizes like Wilson TDY footballs, Wizard football holders, kickoff tees, field goal blocks and more!
In this year’s summer San Diego Pop Warner kicking camp we had some impressive kicking talent. Our most accurate kicker of the camp was Alec Dibell of Fullerton Pop Warner. Alec made 4 field goals in a row back to 30 yards allowing him to knock off the competition and win most accurate kicker overall and for his age group of 13 year olds. In the younger group, we had the 10, 11 and 12 year olds competing. There was a clear winner in this group as young Jake Haggard, only 10 years old of San Clemente Pop Warner was able to also make 4 field goals in a row back to 25 yards. We also had a longest field goal competition where each student got a chance to see how far they can kick! Andy Clyde, 13 of the Irvine Chargers Junior All-American Football League won the longest field goal of the camp with a 35 yard field goal! All 3 campers happen to be active Kicking World students! Great job boys!
In the punting competition Cole Carpenter, 12 years old of Temecula Valley Pop Warner won the younger age group with a 35 yard Punt Average. Alec Dibble of Fountain Valley Pop Warner displayed some awesome punting skills winning the 13 year old group with a 46 yard Punt Average! Great job on those punts!
By the time we got to kickoffs everyone’s legs were starting to die out. This is the case at most kicking camps- the last section tends to be the weakest. Even though the boys were tired they still were able to pull together some long kickoffs! Cole Carpenter of Temecula Valley Pop Warner won the younger group and Andy Clyde (Irvine Chargers JAAF) crushed the competition and won the overall and older age group kickoff competition with a 44.5 yard kickoff average!
All in all the camp was a major success because we had plenty of kicking instruction 101 geared toward the beginner pop warner kicker and punter. By the end of the kicking camp it was obvious there was dramatic improvement from everyone. Some of the kickers were able to perfect their onside kicks and even hit the hard to master ‘pop-up onside kick’! One kicking camp student couldn’t make it over the goal posts kicking from the goal line, but by the end of the camp he was routinely kicking extra points! It was a fun day out on the field and it’s very rewarding working with the younger guys and witnessing their kicking improvement.
Tags: Kicking Camp, Kicking Competition, Onside Kick, Pop Warner Kicking Camp, San Diego Kicking Camp, Youth Kicking Camp
12 Jul 10 2010 Youth New Jersey Kicking Camp Re-Cap
We had our 2010 youth kicking camp at Toms River North High School on Sunday, July 11, 2010. The day was a major success as there were Pop Warner football players from all over Ocean County in attendance. Jersey Shore Pop Warner Football League (JSPWFL) represented the camp to the fullest with players coming from Toms River Raiders PW, Jackson PW, Lakewood PW, Lacey PW and Point Pleasant Beach PW. The morning kicking camp was focused on kicking fundamentals 101, teamwork, building friendships and having fun!
Our youth kicking camp is geared toward the beginner kicker and punter who wants to learn the basics and some intermediate skills in a fun atmosphere. We teach you everything you need to learn to kick a field goal, punt a football and kickoff more effectively with more confidence. In Pop Warner football most leagues award a PAT (extra point) kick as 2 points versus the normal 1 point. This is an added value for a team if they have a kicker who can consistently make their extra points. Unfortunately most youth football players never learn how to kick field goals and the coaches have to settle on trying to run it in or throw for 1 point after the touchdown. However if you come to one of our youth kicking camps this need is addressed and you will learn how to kick consistent field goals! At a Kicking World youth kicking camp each player develops a foundation in football kicking and punting as well as team work and discipline that will help them the rest of their football careers.
This year we had a ‘fun’ competition for field goal kicking and kickoffs. We had a battle in the 10 year old group with Aidan Schell (10) 1st place of Jackson Pop Warner ultimately edging out Rashaun Reeves (10) 2nd place of Lakewood Pop Warner with a last second pressure field goal. In the 11/12 year old group we had a clear winner in Daniel Van Clef (12) of Jackson Pop Warner. The kickoff competition was very exciting as Tyler Sosa (12) of Toms River Raiders PW earned 1st place by edging out Todd Stueber (11) 2nd place of Toms River Raiders PW by only 1 yard to make it one of the closest kickoff competitions in a long time!
It was great to be back in New Jersey and we really look forward to working with more and more Pop Warner football kickers and punters in the future. Thanks to Jersey Shore Pop Warner Football League for sending your players to the kicking camp. We look forward to having you back in Toms River next year! Be sure to check out all the photos and videos from the kicking camp!
Tags: Football Kicking Camps, Kicking Camp, Kicking Competition, New Jersey Kicking Camp, Youth Kicking Camp
18 Jun 10 How to Kick a Football Farther!
Every week I hear “What can my son do to strengthen his leg and kick a football farther?” Today I’m going to give you a few tips to help improve your kicking and punting distance. Contrary to popular belief, kicking a football far is not necessarily due to a ‘strong leg’ but more commonly it is due to a ‘fast leg’ and precise ball striking. One of the easiest ways to immediately improve your distance is to work on striking the ball’s sweet spot with the correct part of your foot. You want to hit the ball with the upper instep of your foot (right at the second shoelace loop from the top of most soccer cleats). If you strike the ball down by your toe or on the middle/side of your foot you’re going to lose a ton of power! You also want to make sure your ankle and knee are ‘locked’ at impact. If you keep your leg or foot loose at impact you will severely cut down your power. In field goal kicking, punting, and kickoffs you want the ball to explode off your foot. See below for two excellent videos that will help you understand the above points.
To improve your leg speed there’s several things you can do and here’s a couple quick tips that will help you:
- Isometric Resistance Band Training (builds the fast-twitch muscle fibers)
- Sprinting short distance (20 to 30 yard wind sprints)
- Improving Flexibility/Stretching (allows your leg to snap through quicker)
- Leg swing motion in shallow end of pool (water resistance improves balance and speed)
Here’s 2 free instructional videos on our YouTube page that will help you with precision and power and kick the football farther. For detailed training tips, practice routines, kicking and punting fundamentals, techniques, mental training tips and more check out the Complete Guide to Kicking & Punting Book!
Tags: Football Kicker Workout, Kicking Instruction, Kicking Training, Kicking Video
31 Jan 10 How to Strengthen Your Kicking Muscles and Kick Farther
I highly recommend all of my kicking students to strengthen their hip flexor muscles and kicking muscles. It’s important to stay healthy and injury free and a great way to do this is to strengthen your hip flexors, quadriceps, and hamstrings muscles. Speaking from experience, I know how important it is to train your hip flexor muscles. At a kicking workout I tore my hip flexor and it is a hard injury to recover from! Please reference the following resources that will help you train for kicking, strengthen your muscles to prevent injury, and increase your kicking power.
Athletic Quickness: “Kick Farther and Run Faster Training Program”
Why Buy: To strengthen your hip flexor muscles and help increase the ‘fast-twitch’ muscle fiber speed of your legs. This can help contribute to a faster kicking leg and improved power as you kick field goals, kickoff, or punt. If you want to kick longer field goals, kickoffs, or punts; I recommend picking up this program!
Price: $27.95
Kicking World: “Complete Guide to Kicking & Punting”
Why Buy: This is a complete book to help teach you everything you need from kicking fundamentals, techniques, form, practice routines, training program, weightlifting program, strength & speed tips, kicking equipment suggestions, and mental game preparation. This book is loaded with everything you need to take your kicking and punting performance to a whole new level!
Price: $19.95
Tags: Football Kicking, Kicker, Kicking Book, Kicking Training, Punter
06 May 09 Laguna Hills HS Kicker/Punter Richie Hogan Commits to Central Michigan University!
Outstanding Kicker & Punter Combo, Richie Hogan, #16 of Laguna Hills HS recently commited to Central Michigan University! He will go from being a “Hawk” to a “Chippewa.” I had the pleasure to coach Richie this season as the Special Teams Coach at Laguna Hills HS. He is one of the best kickers coming out of High School that I ever worked with. I’m expecting him to do big things in Michigan! Please join me in congratulating Richie on an outstanding career at Laguna Hills HS and wish him much success in college! Click here to view a YouTube kicking video of Richie booting the ball:
Tags: College Kicker, High School Kicker, Kicker, Punter
29 Jul 08 New Kicking Camp Instructional Kicking Videos Posted!
Check out all our new kicking and punting videos at www.youtube.com/kickingworld Also, be sure to sign up to the new Kicking World message board which will allow you to ask and answer questions relating to kicking, punting, training, exercises, equipment, etc. www.kickingworld.com/forum
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