Why its great to knock over a Drop Kick:
- Gets the crowd going.
- Keeps the scoreboard ticking over.
- Offers another option in attack that the opposition must cover.
- Often they can scored be from nothing, like Bob’s effort above.
Its a fine skill, yet rarely coached. Surprising considering how one goal can turn a game, as Richie McCaw has discovered recently.
Anyway, when kicking a goal, all you need to know is that there are two variations; distance and height.
Distance: Where you drop the ball on the ground before you strike it is essential for distance. The further you drop the ball away from your kicking foot and the more distance your kick is likely will generate. The closer the ball is dropped towards your kicking foot the shorter the kick.
Height: If you want height in your kick then simply apply the opposite logic. A high drop kick, i.e. a 22m drop out or a kick off requires a tighter strike. If the closer the ball is dropped to the body and the kicking foot and taller the strike of the ball.
And remember
- Practice!
- Keep your head down, like TIger!
- Follow straight through so you don’t snatch it!
- Listen to your kick, can you hear the strike of the sweet spot?
- Make sure to knock a few over in a team run so your pack know not to clog up your channel!
2 Comments
April 29, 2008 at 6:21 am
I think that the drop goal has the potential to turn a match around. It seems to be saved most of the time for crunch time at the end of a match-when there is not as much of the element of suprise. When you consider that he 1995 and 2003 RWC’s were both won on drop goals does not seem to matter. I guess the question is, do coaches tell their players to refrain from it, our are fly-halfs worried about getting reamed out by their teamates in case a drop goal does not work?
April 29, 2008 at 5:06 pm
We agree Steve. Getting reamed by your team-mates is an intrinsic part of playing at 10. The pressure and criticism are something every good 10 needs to learn to handle. Its a confidence position. There are so many examples of drop-goals changing the dynamic of a match, so many instances when a drop-goal has lifted the crowd, that I find it curious that this skill isn’t encouraged more by coaches. I think it more similar to hitting a field goal in American Football than an actual three-point penalty. Clive Woodward’s book touches on this..