Straight-On Kicking (Toe Poke)
Strait On Kicker (Toe Poke)

As the years pass there seem to be fewer and fewer Strait on Kickers. That is in part because players see that there are few if any strait on kickers in the pros and in college. They feel that if they are to have any chance at all of going to college to kick they have to kick soccer style. This is pretty much true. However, there are some advantages to kicking strait on.
1.Strait on kickers do not have as much problems with slipping in bad weather.
2.Strait on kicking is easier to teach and learn.
3.Knowing where to place the tee and lining up for a kick is easy.
4.It is easier for a backup to be prepared for use.

Key points to kicking strait on.
1.Place the kicking foot (right) directly behind the ball and the plant foot even and to the left of the tee.
2.Step back with the right foot first. Most field goal kickers step back three steps then even their feet. Some will an extra two steps for extremely long attempts or kickoffs.
3.Keep the head down and focused on the sweet spot of the ball. There should be a slight forward lean to the kicker.
4.The first step is with the right foot. The kicker should understand that his shoulders are like rifle targets. The kicker should be square with the target at all times.
5.As you approach the ball nothing should be able to make you take your eyes off the target.
6.Here is one secret that can help you get loft on the ball early. Just before you kick the ball lock your toes into an up position. This lifts the tip of your shoe and punches the ball up into the air.

If you are having trouble with your strait on kicking it could be one of these reasons.
•If you are having accuracy problems it could be that your shoe is rounded on the end. This makes for difficult kicking because you have to hit the ball almost perfect and that is very hard to do with a rounded shoe. You can purchase a straight on kicking shoe but they are very costly.
•Your kicks are strong but almost always line drives. You are probably hitting the ball in the right spot but you may have forgot to raise your toes before the kick. You have probably seen some kickers tie a shoe string onto the front of their cleat to keep their toe up. You can do this without the shoe strings but you have to remember to do it.
•You are kicking the ball short and high. Try raising your focus spot on the ball a little. If you aim about an inch above the white line and lock your toes up you should hit the ball in the right spot because with the toes locked up they will strike the ball a little higher up.
•Your kickoffs are good but your field goals are not. Remember that by the time the ball gets to the tee you have to already be in motion. Because you do not have a ball to focus on before a field goal focus on the tee.

If you hit the ball in the right spot, with enough energy it will do what you are trying to get it to do. If the ball does not do what you want it to there is a reason. You must fix the problem. Kicking is not rocket science but it requires concentration and focus each and every time you kick the ball. The better you can focus under pressure the better the kicker you will make. no matter what style you choose.