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Video:How to Kick a Field Goal

with J.J. Housley

From footwork to positioning, there's a lot to keep straight when kicking a field goal. Learn a couple things to keep in mind when kicking a field goal.See Transcript

Transcript:How to Kick a Field Goal

Hi, I'm J.J. Housley, former kicker for the University of Kentucky. I'm here with About.com today to show you how to kick a field goal.

Field Goal Kicking Footwork

I'll start off by talking about the equipment. If you'll notice, I'm wearing one white shoe and one black shoe. The black shoe is on my kicking foot. I use a soccer shoe because it fits tighter. This left foot is more sturdy - it's a football cleat. You use that to plant because you want something a little more padded and a little more sturdy for your plant foot.

Field Goal Ball Position

Whenever you're starting to kick, whether you are using a person or a T like I'm using today, you always want to make sure the laces of the ball are facing towards the target. That way when you are kicking you aren't going to be hitting the laces, and it hurts, and it also makes the ball go off target.

Field Goal Kick Positioning

I start off by getting behind the ball in a position facing towards the target. Now this next step will differ depending on the size of the kicker, but I always like to take three steps back. From here, I make sure I'm still in a straight line in the middle of my target, and at this point you are going to take two steps to the left, perpendicular to that point. From here, I'm going to be in a ready position ready to kick the field goal with my weight on my front foot.

Stepping Toward the Ball

My first step is always going to be on my left foot if I'm a right-footed kicker, and it's a short jab step to get you on target. So what I do is take one jab step towards the ball. Now you are going to take steps towards the ball and there is an imaginary straight line that you are making towards that ball. You never want to go inside or outside of that line because you will go off target. And then every step from there is going to be right towards the football, being even with the ball of my toe up in front of it. You don't want to be too far behind the ball because you'll have a tendency to sweep across it, and you don't want to be too far because you will block you leg and it will go out to the right.

Kick the Field Goal

Now when I make contact with the football, I'm going to have my leg locked straight out with my toe pointed down. My leg is locked, and when I contact the football it's going to be toe down, leg extended. The follow through is very important in the kick. When you come through the follow through, you don't want to come in and stop. Make sure that when you kick the football that you are following through towards the target.

And that's how you kick a field goal. Thanks for watching. To learn more visit About.com.

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