We talk a lot about the J shape kick here at the School of Kicking. This is simply a kicking principle shifting from a C shape to a J shape.
In this video, Stuart Alred demonstrates what we mean by a C shape versus a J shape.
The J shape kick is a very important kicking principle because it it forms the foundation for every kick we teach our kickers. We want to encourage kickers to move from a C shape to a J shape swing, where you continue to follow through towards the target after making contact with the ball.
The C shape kick
If you’re a C-shape kicker, you’ll tend to kick with your instep and come across your body with your kicking leg. The limitation of kicking this way is that there’s only a small part of your leg swing putting power in the direction you want the ball to travel.
The J Shape kick
The beauty of the J shape kick is that it enables you to develop a more powerful swing shape. That’s because more of your power goes through the flight path of the ball for longer. Even if you were to miss hit the ball ever so slightly, the ball will still go in the direction you intend it to go.
In this video, Dave Alred highlights the technique behind the C to J shape kicking principle and the impact it will have on your body position and the power produced in your kick.
Pillar to Target
Key to the J shape swing is the follow through, where your body or pillar travels towards the intended target. This makes the kick one of the most robust under pressure as it’s much easier to control where you run in a game than where you kick.
We hope you found this article and videos helpful. Our kicking principles follow our unique Dave Alred Coaching System incorporating the tools that’s helped some of rugby’s biggest names become the best in the world.
