Weekly Q&A - 15th May 2019

If this is your first Q&A that you have seen with the School of Kicking, every Tuesday we will be available to answer your burning questions regarding everything Rugby. However, any questions you have throughout the week we can answer across our social media platforms and email at reception@schoolofkicking.com. Here are some questions from yesterday's Q&A. Q. Do coaches encourage tactical kicking at a younger age? A. Not enough coaches do and we feel they should, a lot of coaches see it as kicking the ball away. A good kicking game creates pressure which will allow you better field position and more opportunities to run. It forces teams to put more players in back field which in turn creates less defenders in the defensive line which creates more space to attack. Q. Best way to train plant foot? A. Plant would indicate the foot plants and doesn't move. We would prefer you to follow along to the target so the best thing is to not worry about your plant foot and work on following along. Q. What's your top tips for young fly half's? A. WORK HARD on ALL of your game, it's also important that you practice good technique - practice makes permanent. Q. In your opinion is the drill kicking at the post on the try line a good drill to use? A. We sometimes use this as a practice as it gives you the chance to take dead aim at the target. It also gives you instant feedback (based on where the ball goes) when working on technique. Q. What drills do you use to teach kickers to kick through the ball and not stab at it? A. We would sometimes put down cones and encourage the kickers to run through to them after the kick, this also helps with posture. When working on this don't become concerned with the outcome, just focus on the process. Q. Best tactical in play kick? A. If executed properly at the right time there are lots of tactical kicks that work. A successful cross field kick will always work well. Q. Ant tips for the length of the kick? A. The key is to use your biggest muscles to generate power, therefore working on a J shape swing and following along will also allow you to get your body weight through the ball. Q. Will there be another E-Book available on drop kicks? A. Watch this space, we will be launching a new online classroom very soon. (If you have not downloaded our first eBook Click Here). Q. What are the prices for the early bird offer? A. If you are interested in the Pre-Season cycle the early bird offer ends soon. (Click Here for more information). Q. Best Calf exercises? A. We would recommend doing exercises that work well for you already. However, calf raises, separated calf raises and farmer's walk are some of the exercises we would recommend. Q. Any tips for pressure kicking? A. Try and make sure you don't just leave the pressure kicks to a match day, try and incorporate some match pressure into your kicking session so you feel more comfortable when that big kick comes up in a game. Q. When is the perfect time to do a box kick in a match? A. It would depend on the tactics of your team. From a box kick you're trying to create a pressure but as equally important is the good organised chase after the kick. Q. Where do you put the pin of the ball when you kick? A. We like to have the valve facing forward, it gives you a consistency when setting the ball and keeps the weight through the middle of the ball.