|
|
GUEST EXPERT ARTICLE
I'm not just talking about how far you kick. Power is the result of work over time. Power is your capacity to perform effectively. A 50 yard kick that's 10 feet wide has no power, that's not the result you're looking for as you practice all these hours.
I'm going to define kicking power as your ability to consistently get the ball through the uprights.
I learned about power as a professional martial artist. I've been practicing and teaching martial arts for more than 20 years. Some years ago, I started to analyze the key components of power for martial technique. I soon found that these same components can be used to develop and apply power in personal and professional life and in football!
My football career began at age 44. At age 47, I'm still a semi-pro kicker in the New England Football League. When I'm getting ready to kick the guys on my team, most of them half my age, always send me out with these words: "Through the PIPES!"
"Through the Pipes" has become a theme I use in my talks with athletes I coach, and in my presentations for businesses and students.
"Through the Pipes" means I'm on target. Being on target is not just what happens when you lay into your kick, it's the process of consistent practice and effort. In martial arts, we call this accomplishment through consistent effort "Kung Fu".
Want to be a "Kung Fu Kicker"?
The effective application of power depends on three components: balance, focus and timing. Kicking a football is one of the most challenging opportunities to develop and practice these components.
The success of your team depends on your ability to focus under pressure. Physical balance is essential to getting the ball "Through the Pipes", but emotional and spiritual balance is what you need to get you through your endless workouts and to keep your mind quiet when you face adversity. The old cliche is right, when it comes down to the moment you've trained for, timing is everything! Not only the correct timing and connection of your body and mind as you kick, but also the execution of the whole unit from snap to kick.
You develop power through "Kung Fu". If you translate Kung Fu directly, it means achievement through effort. Let's again relate that to 3 key components you need to develop power: motivation, discipline and time.
Footballers are among the most motivated people on earth and I'm sure you're no exception. Just make sure your motivation is properly directed; not for personal glory, but for the success of your team. Not just for the moment of the winning field goal, but for the endless hours of practice and coaching that results in that successful kick.
That leads us to discipline. Discipline is developing the habit of doing what it takes to get it "Through the Pipes". I'm not going to lie; this work is hard, sometimes frustrating and often painful. Can you find joy in this discipline? Can you keep your mind on the task at hand even when it's difficult? Can you keep this up over time?
Time! That's the key component. Too many people want to be the "overnight success". There aren't any. There are naturally gifted athletes, but if you're one of the blessed few you've got an even more difficult challenge. You've got to motivate yourself by constantly competing to make yourself better. If you're better than your competition, compete against yourself. Never accept your last best, always strive to expand your limits. You might not end up as one of the chosen few that earn a living kicking a football, but the "Kung Fu" you develop through your craft will help you achieve success wherever life takes you.
Ultimately, you are the only person responsible for your success. You're part of a team, but you're the one who has to hit it. As a kicker, you've got to work longer and harder on your own than most players. Use your alone time to develop your kicking "Kung Fu".
Ultimately you'll be ready when you team turns to you for the game winner and tells you to get it "Through the Pipes". Learn more about Jim Bouchard >>> |
Through the Pipes: The Secret of Kicking Power
Doug and Tommy's Frequently Asked Questions
