Lewiston evening teller. [volume] (Lewiston, Idaho) 1903-1911, 1907-10-11

DROP KICKERS
The Great lEckerSOII Tells
How to Put Them
Over

|
| err.
In looking back over football history
for the last five years approximately
20 per cent of college games have been
won through field goals. His estimate
takes into consideration the punts
which have crossed the goal line re-
| sulting in safeties.
! Goal kicking is an art acquired
only by hard practice and the exercise
of great care" says Eckersall MANY
men can get out and in one game boot
| the ball over the bar and between the
| posts without ever having practiced
| the trick before But at the same
time they might try and try in other
| games and be unsuccessful in negotiat-
ing the points. That is simply because
they happened to catch the ball just
right the first time and didn't the other
! times
drop kicking is exceedingly difficult
at first, but with practice 1t becomes
easier and with a line that will hold
and give the kicker the requisite time
to get away his attempts, the feat is
not difficult But there are certain
things that the kicker must figure out;
he must know just what is likely to
! happen and work on those lines.
How to Be Good Kicker.
/ "Of course, the first requisite for
successful kicking whether punting or
drop kicking, is to get the muscles Of
the leg working freely. Many kickers
get out Just before a game and put
forth all their strength, thinking that
this is the best way to get limbered
up. I have found that this method is
wrong. The muscles are jerked and
strained, and when called upon later
they are liable to act in a ierky man
ner. which tends to impair the ac-
curacy Of the attempt. Just before 60
ing into game get out and boot the
| ball gently. working in the muscles of
the leg gradually
After this is done, the next care is
to get in touch with the center rush.
! The center and the kicker must work
| together or the best Of kickers will be
! unable % work right. The kicker is set
| for his tri0 and the pass must come
right for his attempt or he will be com
PEELED to kick ont of position and
| thereby lose his aim and nullify his eff
| fort. Practice many minutes each day
receiving passes from the center and
get his passes exactly where you want
them.
''The ball should be passed by the
center, so that it comes end first to
| the kicker, This saves valuable sec
onds adjusting the ball in the hands
| to be dropped. The dropping of the
| ball is the main thing. A man may
have ever so much power in his kick
ing leg and yet not be able to kick
| goals. Usually this is because the ball
has not been dropped to the ground
| correctly. After the bal is received 1t
should be poised for an instant with
the stem in. a parallel line with the
goal posts, thus giving direction.
"Just before dropping the ball is
given a slight downward twist accord
| ing to the distance to be kicked If
| the goal posts are close to the kicker.
the ball must be raised higher in the
air than when they are farther away
The closer the posts the more perpen-
dicular the ball should be when 1t
strikes the ground. This is something
the kicker must gauge for himself
when the ball is dropped great care
should be exercised. 1t must be done
gently and there must be no force
u,IioI ,,oiob+ furis4 ~ Sidax,,o,ys ond 1,,+
Of line. If there is the kick is liable
to go off at an angle The lacing
should always be on the opposite side
from which the bill is kicked, for the
rawhide presents too uneven a sur
face for good results. When the ball
is dropped the foot should be brought
back, the kicker rising on the toes of
his other foot to better balance himself
and get more force.
Toe Must Land at Right instant.
"Then comes another important de-
tail The ball must be kicked just as
/ its apex touches the ground. If the
toe strikes the ball before it touches
the ground 1t is not drop kick, and
the ball will shoot along the ground
and not rise. If the kick on the other
hand. is too slow, and the ball has ris-
en- on the bound. the impetus is likely
to send it straight up in the air. and
nothing is gained. The toe should hit
| the ball Just at the instant the ball
hits the ground. Then, If the ball be
truly dropped, the effect is the same
as kicking a goal from placement.
"It takes much practice and an ac-
curate Judgment of time and distance
to gain this end, but once judged cor
rectly. 1t comes instinctive1y thereafter.
TT have explained the kick up to the
time the ball hits the ground, and have
explained why 1t should be struck by
the toe at the same time that it hits
the ground, Now something about an
other essential point The shoe worn
| by the kicker should have a stiff toe.
| IT shorId fit fhe foot snuglv for IL ii