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    Kicking Essentials: The Ultimate Guide for Players and Coaches
    Kicking Essentials: The Ultimate Guide for Players and Coaches
    Kicking Essentials: The Ultimate Guide for Players and Coaches
    Ebook128 pages1 hour

    Kicking Essentials: The Ultimate Guide for Players and Coaches

    By Gareth Ashton

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    About this ebook

    Kicking Essentials is a fully illustrated, step-by-step guide to developing kicking technique and in-game performance. Designed by Kicking Coach and Sports Performance Specialist Gareth Ashton for Rugby Players and Coaches, it covers the success factors and key points for the most common types of kick, technique and game-based drills, and more. Discover the secrets of the game’s top performers.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherGareth Ashton
    Release dateMar 17, 2013
    ISBN9780473240882
    Kicking Essentials: The Ultimate Guide for Players and Coaches
    Author

    Gareth Ashton

    Gareth Ashton founded Prokicking in 2006, and has since delivered specialist kicking coaching and education services to rugby players and coaches throughout New Zealand and the world. Gareth holds a Bachelor of Sport and Recreation from Auckland University of Technology, is a Level 2 certified Youth Conditioning Specialist through the International Youth Conditioning Association and is a qualified Speed Coach. As a Kicking Coach Gareth has worked and conducted kicking clinics with players, teams and organizations from all levels in the game of rugby; including various high school, club and representative squads, through to professional athletes on an international level. As a Strength & Conditioning Coach Gareth has also trained hundreds of athletes across a wide spectrum of different sports and levels: from rugby, to basketball, to sailing, and from competitive high school players through to Oceania Championship Gold Medal winners. Gareth was the Strength & Conditioning Coach and Sport Scientist for the New Zealand Young Football Ferns to the FIFA U17 World Cup in Trinidad & Tobago 2010. Gareth himself played many different sports, including representing at regional and national levels in Football and Aussie Rules. He currently resides with his wife Leigh and daughter Kalani on the North Shore of Auckland, New Zealand.

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      Book preview

      Kicking Essentials - Gareth Ashton

      KICKING ESSENTIALS

      The Ultimate Guide for Players and Coaches

      Gareth Ashton

      Published by Calypso Sports & Fitness at Smashwords

      Copyright 2013 Gareth Ashton

      Smashwords Edition, License Notes

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      This book is also available in paperback.

      ISBN 978-0-473-24088-2

      ~~~~~

      ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

      There are many people who have contributed to the production of this book in some form or another. Too many to name here individually, but you know who you are, and I sincerely thank you for your time, feedback, perspective and encouragement.

      Special mention goes to Nick Elrick, one of the kickers featured, for your time and patience in front of the camera – thank you.

      Finally, this book simply would not exist without the expertise of Leigh Ashton. You had a hand in every aspect of its production from editing and formatting through to photography, not to mention putting up with my obsessive attention to detail as the finish line drew near. Words aren’t enough. Forever indebted. With love.

      ~~~~~

      DISCLAIMER

      This text is intended to provide coaches and fitness professionals with concepts and activities for training. Implementation of any philosophy, exercise, activity, or idea contained within this text is done so at the individual’s own risk.

      Calypso Sports & Fitness and the authors assume no liability for any direct, indirect or consequential loss, injury, or damage of any kind, including but not limited to death, from use of this text.

      Always consult a licensed medical professional before commencing an exercise program.

      ~~~~~

      TABLE OF CONTENTS

      FOREWORD

      INTRODUCTION & HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

      FUNDAMENTALS OF KICKING

      Balance

      Energy Transfer

      Ball Contact

      Non-Kicking Side

      TYPES OF KICK

      Drop Punt

      Spiral Punt

      Place Kick

      Drop Kick

      Bomb

      Grubber

      Box Kick

      Banana Kick

      PHASES OF KICKING

      Approach

      Ball Position

      Leg Swing

      Contact

      Finish

      SELF-COACHING AND TROUBLESHOOTING GUIDE

      Common Errors and the Solutions

      KICKING IN THE GAME

      KICKING DRILLS AND GAMES

      Ball Control

      Punting Drills

      Place Kicking Drills

      Contestable Kick Drills

      Drop Kick Drills

      Games

      SESSION PLANNING AND GUIDELINES

      Sample Sessions

      STRENGTH EXERCISES AND GUIDELINES

      ABOUT THE AUTHOR

      TESTIMONIALS

      ~~~~~

      FOREWORD

      Before my first game of rugby when I was 8 years old, my Dad told me to Kick a ball and have some fun.

      From that point on my whole rugby career has been about having fun and striving to become more accurate in all aspects of kicking the ball. This was my attitude while playing for All Blacks and Super 14 teams and is still relevant today.

      Being involved in professional sides for a number of years has allowed me access to top level coaching and quality opportunities for skill development. Kicking Essentials now makes this knowledge available to players of all levels.

      Kicking Essentials will help players learn to kick a ball and help coaches teach the skills of kicking. This book provides specific technical information, simple and effective drills, and a valuable troubleshooting guide. This enables problems to be rectified immediately – whether practicing with a friend at the park or playing in a competitive game.

      Gareth and I have been great friends since playing Australian Rules Football together many years ago. As I have progressed into a professional career in Rugby Union we have continued regular kicking sessions and competitions (which I usually won!!!) to improve my kicking and also to develop this kicking tool.

      I highly recommend this book to players, coaches and parents at any level that wish to learn the art of kicking. So lace up your boots, head out to the park…

      Kick a ball and have some fun!!!

      Nick Evans, All Black

      ~~~~~

      INTRODUCTION & HOW TO USE THIS BOOK

      The kicking game is one of the most exciting aspects of rugby. Few other plays have such an impact on field position and can change the course of a game in an instant. From landing the game-winning conversion in front of thousands of screaming fans, to competing with a mate in a game of Forceback down at the local park, few other skills evoke the same kind of emotions as kicking.

      The game has undergone many changes over the past couple of decades and yet the importance of quality kicking has, and always will be, an integral part of the game. A capable kicker enables teams to employ a variety of game plans and options when competing. Different kicks can be used to manipulate and control an opposition team, and become weapons in both attack and defense situations. The importance of having a reliable kicker in your team cannot be overstated; the more competent and skilful the kicker is - the better position the team is in to win games.

      For most, the journey to be the best kicker (as in any field) can be an incredibly lonely endeavour. Up-and-coming players don't often have regular access to a kicking coach so the reality of kicking practice is a lot of time spent alone before or after trainings, or with a friend returning your seemingly endless number of place-kicks and punts. The positive side to this is that players are truly accountable for their training and progress; responsible for the success or failure of every kick. But the down side is that if players don’t know what a good kick should look and feel like, or how they can improve, then there

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