One of the most popular questions and search results we get with our coaching section on Kick2Kick is not only how to kick a drop punt but how to kick the football further or how to get a better purchase of the Aussie Rules football. 
The best tip would be practice, practice and practice but some handy tips to help are:
- Muscles: Your leg muscles are important.
- Have strong leg muscles (Like Hurn, Lynch and the Rocca brother’s)
- and make sure they are warm before you kick (some full forwards before they kick at goal do a practice swing).
- Your toe should be pointed where you want the ball to go and you should follow through with your foot at about shoulder height.
- Met the sweet spot: About 4inches from the point of the ball.
- Kick through the football (do not stab) but do NOT try and kick the skin off the ball.
- The last tip would be to try a torpedo (torp) punt.
If you have any other tips or ideas please add them in the comments below and if you would like to add your own coaching tip please contact us.
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December 14th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
The way I managed to kick further was much like improving your basketball shooting.
have a shot from 30 if successful move back another 5 meters.. when you fail fwd 5 minutes.
repeat.
James Roses last blog post..Graham Polak to Rookie List, Cousins to Richmond?
December 15th, 2008 at 11:16 am
Yes practice, practice, practice and practice would be the best tip to learn how to kick a football further James and that should be the norm about any skill.
I would also suggest to try not to lift the ball up in the air when you kick as it tends to make the ball more up and under and you loose distance.
Thanks for the tip James
Jermayns last blog post..My Cancer Survival story pt6
February 3rd, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Following through is very important and keep your head down. Many young players lift their head before they make contact, which straightens their body, raises the point of impact with the ball and kicks the ball higher instead of further.
February 4th, 2009 at 8:27 am
Sorry Richmond Tigers that your comment got caught up in the spam filter…
Thanks for your input.
Following through is definitely very important and was the one tip I got when kicking the football
February 4th, 2009 at 1:56 pm
No worries. Glad I made it through the spam filter. Must be all the tackle-avoidance training!
I forgot to mention with the follow through that they swing of your leg must follow through in the direction that you want the ball to go. one of the classic examples of this was Tony Lockett’s 1300th goal. It was a shocker off the boot and it was a wobbly punt but because he followed through in the direction of the goal, the momentum kept it moving straight.
Also, for practising find a straight line to practice on, e.g., one side of the centre square. Then keep the ball and the arc of your kicking leg directly above the line and the line will also give you immediate feedback as to how accurate your kick was.
February 5th, 2009 at 10:18 am
Thanks again for your hints.
If you feel like writing any tips, hints or drills I would love to feature them on Kick2Kick under your name….
February 24th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
Hi Jermayn,
Thanks for your invite and the e-mail. Sorry for the late reply – I’ve been on holiday. I’m coaching this year and may be pressed for time but I’m happy to keep contributing one-offs as I browse your site.
If I get the time to write some bulkier content for you, I’ll let you know. I got the list of topics you want in your e-mail so I’ll use that as a guide.
Regards,
“Richmond”
May 14th, 2009 at 12:58 pm
me and my friends were wondering whether an afl footy goes further with the traditional punt or the torpedo…and why more players dont torpedo. thanks reagrs ash
May 15th, 2009 at 10:52 am
Hi Ash,
Thanks for your question.
Yes a Torpedo does indeed have the potential to cover the most distance, however the reason it is not used as widely as the traditional ‘drop punt‘ is because the torpedo is harder to master and if not kicked properly it will become ineffective.
In todays AFL players only use the torpedo as a last resort like when kicking at goals from 60m+ or when the risk of an ineffective kick is greater than a drop punt.
I hope that answers your question.
June 16th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
I’d say that it’s important not to lean over the football. In my own experience, it alters your balance and you most likely will not get the purchase/length on the kick that you want.
This is not always the case, but if you relax your back then you will most likely get a more satisfactory result.
June 25th, 2009 at 2:10 pm
how do you tackle someone hard
July 1st, 2009 at 12:13 pm
Hi!
How do you tackle someone hard? I think its a few things, including the power you have in your body but also where you tackle them. If you tackle them in the back, it may hurt them but your likely to give away a free kick, which is a waste of a tackle.
Thanks for your comment and sorry about the delay in getting back to you. Been busy with holidays, work and getting over a flu.
July 1st, 2009 at 9:35 pm
It is all about follow through.
If your technique is smooth and you follow the tips mentioned in the above post it will do a lot to improve your maximum distance.
That saying everyone has their optimum distance though.
Before my knee reconstruction I could kick 50-metres but after the op could manage 45-49 metres at best at drop punt.
Finding that sweet spot helps and you will know it.
It’s like that effortless hit of the bat in cricket or the swing of a golf club.
With regards to tackling a lot has to do with timing, instinct and judgement.
Some people just have that canny knack of knowing when to time a hit or tackle.
It does take practice but some people just have this judgement that can’t be learn’t.
July 3rd, 2009 at 12:25 pm
1) As far as kicking a footy further goes I have found that when I started doing lots of abdominal work I could kick much further than beforehand. I have talked to lots of other people about trying to kick further and most of them have also said having strong ab’s improved their maximum kicking distance.
2)Practise, kicking far is all about your timing, the more practise you have the better you will connect with the footy when you go to kick it, good connection makes it go further.
3) Increase your fitness, have you ever seen a fat person kick a footy a long distance?
4) Strong leg muscles, doing regular leg strength work also helps to maximise your distance.
July 3rd, 2009 at 10:14 pm
Interesting about the gut muscles.
I remember reading an article interviewing Sam Butler who had 2-3 years struggling with a groin injury and he said his kicking suffered and that since he has now gotten over it, he can now kick over 50m with depth in his kicking…
Hodge is another whos kicking has suffered along with Ball & Judd when they had the groin problems.
Thanks for your tips Jimmy, If you ever want to help by sending me some more tips on anything else AFL, please send it through.
Jermayn´s last blog ..2009 AFL Round Fourteen Tips
August 7th, 2009 at 9:50 am
I need urgent help with kicking an afl football. i can kick fine while standing i.e accurately and directly. but under any sort of pressure and on the run, my kicks spin backwards too much and there isnt penetration on them and they are up and under kicks. also, when i kick it on the run or under any sort of pressure, i notice that they hit the end of my boot. I desperatly need to know how to control the ball with you’re hand on the run that is, how do u hold it? do u push down on the football?? what angle should the ball land on ur foot?? how to control the ball all the way to ur foot etc. Thanks
August 13th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
@sammy – Thanks for your question and I hope I can answer your question in some way.
I think the number one suggestion would be to practice, practice and practice.
When pressure is upon you as you kick, the true nature of the kick comes out, so I would suggest you take your kicking action back to the basics and break down the various stages of your kick. Video tape it, watch it in the mirror etc.
In regards to your questions:
1) I would not think you push the ball onto your foot as that will most likely cause even more problems. Kicking needs to become a natural action, like breathing or eating.
2) The bottom 1/3 of the ball on a roughly 45 degree angle hits the boot in the middle between the shoe laces and edge of the boot.
3) The best way to control the ball is by your guiding hand (ie: left hand for left kicks and right for right kicks).
September 3rd, 2009 at 6:29 pm
To do a goo tackle you should watch their hips because people dont turn of walk without turning their hips. so if you are facing them you should watch around their stomach area.
September 4th, 2009 at 9:27 am
@Andrew!
Thanks for your comment and you are 110% correct in saying that you must follow the hips when tackling, they are the true identification of direction where the person is going.
We will be adding more skills and coaching tips in the off season and this will definitely be one of them. If you would like to help in anyway, please feel free to do so.