1. #KickBottleFlipChallenge
As lockdown continues, so does our quest to find new and fun ways to work on your kicking game from the safety of your home. We hope that you've checked out some of our previous posts on drills and challenges you can do at home, such as the
#KickBottleFlipChallenge. VIDEO
Today we’re going to be mixing it up even more!
All you’ll need is one of our very own
Rugby Kicking Nets, as used by pro's around the country such as Jonny Sexton. Nets currently available on our website with a 25% discount (see end of the article for more details) and a few basic household items!
Purchase a Rugby Kicking Net
VIDEO
2.The Bib Challenge
First up we’ve got the ‘Bib Challenge’ – although if you haven’t got any bibs lying about, then some small towels or t-shirts will work just fine.
Watch the video below for a better idea of what you’re going to be taking on here.
The premise of this drill is simple, it’s all about target acquisition and making sure you’re hitting the ball with a repetitive and smooth technique. We’d suggest using a football for the first two kicks to make sure that everything in your kicking procedure is in order, before moving onto a rugby ball for the final kick. Maybe try and introduce a challenge of your skill level here; only allow yourself to have a go at the final kick, if you have absolutely nailed the first two. Having a visual reference point such as the bibs is great. It allows you to see exactly how accurate you are being with your kicks and what adjustments are needed if your accuracy is off.
3. Coconut Shy Challenge
Next up we have a fairground favourite, the Coconut Shy! (albeit we imagine an extra rugby ball will be a more useful alternative here if you don’t have any spare coconuts to hand!)
For this you’re going to need to set up a stack of boxes, or anything you can find that can give you a suitable and stable base, and place a rugby ball (or coconut if you do happen to have one!) on top of them. Line up your rugby ball ready to kick facing the tower with your kicking net placed behind.
The idea of this is very similar to the ‘Bib Challenge’, it’s all about making sure that the accuracy and precision in your kick is exactly where it needs to be. If you find the ball veering either side of the ‘coconut’ then it probably means that you’re not driving through a line, so make sure you keep going until you’ve got a consistent and successful rhythm and you’ll be able to see the results.
4. Passing Accuracy
Finally, all of our kicking nets come with built in targets so you can practice a variety of kicking and passing movements without the necessity for external objects. It’s all well and good locking down your kicking technique during quarantine, but make sure to be working on your passing as well.
Once again, these little squares can prove to be such a valuable reference point for your accuracy and precision. Try and set yourself personal challenges with them, think “can I get it into that square ten times without fail?”, and if you can do that, why not 20? Keep testing and challenging yourself over this break, and you’ll be sure to reap the benefits when the time comes back around for putting your team colours.
Show us your skills - Tag @SchoolofKicking to get featured.
We’d love to see how you get on with these challenges, so be sure to show off your skills by tagging us, or reaching out on our Social Media platforms @SchoolOfKicking. As always, we hope you are keeping safe and well in this difficult time!
As mentioned above, our Rugby Kicking Nets (as shown in the videos) is currently available on our website. Claim your 25% discount by using the code “NETS25” at checkout. Be sure to get in there before someone else does!
