HOW TO KICK A FIELD GOAL PART 3: TIMING OF OPERATION FROM SNAP TO KICK

Special Team Servant's Complete Guide to Kicking Field Goals Accurately, Consistently, and with Proper Technique

How To Kick a Field Goal: Timing of the Operation from Snap to Kick

Now that you know how to approach the ball to kick. field goal, the next area we will be discussing is the operation time from snap to kick.

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The Operation Time is How Long it Takes from Snap to Kick

Depending on your level of play, this could take anywhere between 1.2 and 1.4 seconds

A Fast Operation Time Starts with a Well Timed Approach

Your holder should have a down hand, or a hand that stays on the ground (or block if your in high school). The down hand helps your holder know where to place the football once it is snapped.

A well timed approach to the ball is triggered by your holder's down hand.

Once you see your holder lift his down hand to catch the ball, you should start your approach.

If you start your approach to the ball to kick a field goal before your holder lifts his down hand, you'll arrive too early and either kick his hand or be forced to slow down all of your momentum to give him time to place the ball on the block.

If you start your approach to the ball to kick a field goal too long after your holder lifts his down hand, you'll arrive too late and be at great risk for a blocked kick.

If you are not fully comfortable with your approach to the ball or want a refresher, be sure to check out Part 2: Approaching the Ball.

Stay Focused on Your Holders Down Hand, I Repeat, Stay Focused on Your Holders Down Hand

You have already picked a very small target between and beyond the uprights that you are trying to kick the football towards.

You have already lined up for your field goal correctly so the ball will go towards that small target after you make your field goal.

You may hear the crowd. You may hear the student section chanting "block that kick". You may hear the defense calling you names. The wind may be blowing. The field may be sloppy.

It may even feel silent or feel as if things are happening incredibly slow and fast all at the same time.

Your nerves may be getting to you. You may feel like you have weak knees. Here it is very easy for you to get distracted, lose your focus, and ultimately set yourself up to miss the kick.

The best thing you can do to stay focused is only worry about one thing at time, and at this moment, that is your holder's down hand. If you stay laser focused on your holder's down hand, everything else that you could possibly worry about (that you largely cannot control) will just disappear. In order for these things to disappear, you must be laser focused on your holder's down hand.

You Can Mentally Be Ready to Approach as Your Holder Calls for the Ball

Let's think of racing for a moment.

If race cars are at the starting line and start once the light turns green, that would be equivalent to kickers starting their approach to kick the field goal once their holder's down hand leaves the ground.

Race car drivers can anticipate the green light coming once they see the yellow lights.

So what is a kickers yellow lights?

A kicker's yellow light is the holder's call for the ball.

Unless you are executing a quick kick where you're running onto the field to kick a field goal as the game clock is winding down, you will be on the field before the game clock starts and your holder will have time to call for the ball.

Calling for the ball is similar to what a quarterback does every down. It may be something like "ready, ready, set", "color, color, set", "hut, hut" or something else your team is accustomed to. In any scenario, this is your yellow light.

You know once your holder starts calling for the ball, very shortly after the holder's hand will be lifting from the ground to catch the snap, and that is your trigger to start your approach.

In order to not be caught flat footed and rush your approach, you can be ready to approach when you hear the holder call for the ball and start taking your approach to kicking the field goal once your see your holder's down hand leave the ground.

Conclusion: Timing of Operation from Snap to Kick

In order to have the right timing to kick a field goal, you need to start approaching the ball once you see your holder's down hand leave the ground. Your holder's down hand is the hand that will remain on the ground or on your kicking block. You can anticipate your holder's down hand leaving the ground as you hear your holder calling for the ball. The total operation time from snap to kick should be between 1.2 and 1.4 seconds depending on your level of play.

The next step in kicking Field Goals Accurately, Consistently, and with Proper Technique is making sure you have proper plant foot placement.