Set Shots - how to improve them & who in AFL improved their technique?

[josie]

I was watching goal kicking technique by Redpath in VFL and TBoyd during replays and really noticed that both of them keep the ball quite still before kicking it. They also kick through the ball rather than stabbing at it.

Whereas Stringer (& possibly Dahl) jiggle it about from left to right quite a bit. Surely this ball movement is a problem? I recall reading somewhere the ball drop has a lot to do with success too.

Crameri can be a little unreliable at times, and Grant is just deplorable. Such a pity after all the hard work the team & they themselves have put in, to miss gimmie goals.

Hoping T Boyd and Redpath can help those with the yips (or one of the coaching staff such as Gia - who was a reasonably good set shot).

Welcome thoughts from those who have played the game. Also seems a lot of it is in the head? Cloke apparently seeking help from shrink.Good on him for leaving no stone unturned. Not sure if it helped on weekend as did not watch Pies game.

Struggling to recall players who improved their technique during their career.

[The bulldog tragician]

Stringer came to us as an extremely good set shot so I don't think his technique is inherently bad, it's just a concentration thing that is in danger of becoming entrenched.

Chris Grant was a sometimes unreliable shot who later developed a very set routine, counting the steps etc. Riewoldt (Nick) has done the same and improved a lot over time.

Agree that Tom Boyd is classically text book shot whose methodology should be shared.

[Nuggety Back Pocket]

I was watching goal kicking technique by Redpath in VFL and TBoyd during replays and really noticed that both of them keep the ball quite still before kicking it. They also kick through the ball rather than stabbing at it.

Whereas Stringer (& possibly Dahl) jiggle it about from left to right quite a bit. Surely this ball movement is a problem? I recall reading somewhere the ball drop has a lot to do with success too.

Crameri can be a little unreliable at times, and Grant is just deplorable. Such a pity after all the hard work the team & they themselves have put in, to miss gimmie goals.

Hoping T Boyd and Redpath can help those with the yips (or one of the coaching staff such as Gia - who was a reasonably good set shot).

Welcome thoughts from those who have played the game. Also seems a lot of it is in the head? Cloke apparently seeking help from shrink.Good on him for leaving no stone unturned. Not sure if it helped on weekend as did not watch Pies game.

Struggling to recall players who improved their technique during their career.

Thanks Josie for a good thread. Grant Stringer and Dahlhaus all have varying degrees of flaws in their kicking techniques. Goal kicking is an art when performed correctly. Some of our great forwards in the past Collins Beasley and Templeton all had fine kicking skills. Maybe the pace of today's football has restricted the time spent at training in particular to iron out any kicking flaws.
Grant has been in the system for 6 years now and still hasn't corrected his goalkicking. Matthew Lloyd has been brought in by Essendon to assist Daniher with his kicking style.
Maybe it is time for us to take a similar approach as it is such an important need.

[LostDoggy]

Set shots are a routine and too many players change their routine according to where they are kicking from , if the player keeps the routine simple with good momentum , a consistent ball drop and a full follow through, the results should be consistent as well , obviously from the boundary or the pocket would be different but the preparation should be the same . Paddy Ryder is a good example of a consistent routine and a player who has improved , Cloke on the other hand is an example of an inconsistent routine , his ball drop is all over the place like a mad womens milkshake and is a player who if anything has gone backwards . I seem to remember a VFL video showing ( I think ) young Melbourne players kicking tennis balls towards a hula hoop lying on the ground from 20m away , repeat the routine until you have a consistent strike in the hula hoop ( Right, Left or both ) and then switch to footballs kicking toward goal from 20m , then 30m etc

[GVGjr]

Crameri just about refuses to drop the ball correctly and was to kick those flashy goals. Even when he is running into the goal by himself he holds the ball on an angle. We have some work to do with a few of the boys.

[LostDoggy]

Dickson would be a good bloke to emulate as well as he's incredibly accurate.

It's one of those areas that they probably nail at training and in the warmup but come game time is a totally different beast. As others have said, much of the goal is kicked from above the neck.

[Maddog37]

Get on the phone to Lindsay Thomas......

[1eyedog]

I played almost all my footy at FF and my coaches - like most I assume - always said to kick the ball over the goal umpires head. As I got older I was told all sorts of things such as imagining a laser running between my boot and the goal umpire.

There's not a lot to it as far as I'm concerned. The walk / jog in comes down to individual preference not unlike a fast bowlers approach. There are many similarities with cricket in fact. You have your routine and number of steps you take. On the way in whether you look at where the ball is going to land or at the footy you keep your head as still and straight as possible. Make sure you're well balanced upon release and guide the ball onto your boot. Dermot Brereton is always banging on about this and he is dead right. It is the most single important and easy thing you can do when kicking for goal and it completely eliminates error from the ball drop. A nice big follow through with a straight boot the same time as your head comes up gives you every chance of kicking straight.

Regardless of routines (KT had a magnificent routine / action) you undoubtedly will get the yips and that just comes down to pressure and confidence.

Nick Riewoldt has done wonders at kicking for goal over the years, he was terrible 3-5 years ago, just terrible and he was trying so many different routines I think he just over thought it. Chris Grant improved his kicking for goal as well. He started well and then fell in a huge hole for a few years before simplifying his approach. Granty's problem was that he often stabbed at the ball rather than kick through it.

[LostDoggy]

Roo just shortened his run up and started treating the goals like a field kick and he improved out of sight. Stringer is nearly at the point where he would be better off playing on when he takes a grab or lining up to snap to like Stevie J.

[F'scary]

Dickson, Tom Boyd and Redpath should get an extra allowance to teach some of the others how to take a set shot.

[1eyedog]

Crameri just about refuses to drop the ball correctly and was to kick those flashy goals. Even when he is running into the goal by himself he holds the ball on an angle. We have some work to do with a few of the boys.

Didn't Macca bring a specialist someone in to address this? Was it Lloyd or someone else?

[F'scary]

Didn't Macca bring a specialist someone in to address this? Was it Lloyd or someone else?

Oh God NO! We don't want our guys tossing bits of grass in the air at Etihad with a super dopey look on their faces.

[Webby]

Just get Lin Jong to hand out lessons! He does not miss!

Seriously, that bloke COULD NOT KICK two years ago, but with practice, practice, practice and keeping it simple, he's now our most reliable set shot! 7 goals 1 behind career tally.

[1eyedog]

Just get Lin Jong to hand out lessons! He does not miss!

Seriously, that bloke COULD NOT KICK two years ago, but with practice, practice, practice and keeping it simple, he's now our most reliable set shot! 7 goals 1 behind career tally.

Agreed, probably the best example of how to improve your kicking full stop.

[Bulldog4life]

Just get Lin Jong to hand out lessons! He does not miss!

Seriously, that bloke COULD NOT KICK two years ago, but with practice, practice, practice and keeping it simple, he's now our most reliable set shot! 7 goals 1 behind career tally.

Yes. I always feel confident when Lin Jong lines up for goal.

[boydogs]

Grant & Dahlhaus both have high ball drops. Aker used to always go on about reducing the distance between your hand and your boot

Stringer I think is a bit different, he struggles to get a consistent runup from his set shots and veers off to one side

[bornadog]

Stringers problem is now purely in his head. He has missed so many set shots this season, that it is playing in his mind. He needs to practise alot and even talk to a sports psychologist.

[jeemak]

Less coaching, more practice and stick to a few basic principles. They are:

- Drop the ball as low as possible
- Keep your head down through the kick (imagine your knee hitting your forehead)
- Relax, and don't over kick it
- Give yourself enough room to get over the mark

[Greystache]

Stringer's technique is flawed, it's purely a technical thing. He drops the ball at an angle to his right and pretty much needs to hook it with his instep to pull it back in the direction of goal. He misses to the right nearly every time.

He's fine on the snap and even on the run because he's running at the target and lines himself up. Until he fixed his ball drop he's going to continually miss.

[SlimPickens]

I've seen Jake train a lot and he rarely misses on the track. It's an in game thing, where his technique goes missing. Gia was a fantastic shot at goal and as our forward coach brings plenty to the table but I wonder if a different voice such as a Dunstall, Rocca or even Carey for a session or two would help Jake.

[Jeanette54]

One of the best was EJ.

He had a distinct approach, with an almost half crouch, presumably to reduce the ball drop, ball held dead still during the approach, and kind of exploded from that position to a beautifully balanced contact position. That statue outside the ground was not a figment of the artists imagination.

I have a distinct memory of two goals at the old Moorabbin ground, both of which would have come from within the centre square (if they had of had one in those days). With a wind advantage Ted went through his normal routine and from the moment the ball left the boot there was no doubt. It wasn't a dry day either. Five minutes later he repeated the shot, just to prove it was no fluke.

He just had the confidence that his routine would work, and I don't remember him missing too many.

For those who don't remember the ground, Moorabbin was about the only ground that could match Western Oval when it came to a bleak winters day. The outer terraces at Moorabbin were every bit as miserable as those below the scoreboard at the Geelong road end.

[Mofra]

The lack of apparent routine is worrying.
Dunstall used to talk about how he knew how many steps he took and at what pace (e.g something like 7 walking steps starting with the left, 9 jog steps and 5 steps at full pace).
A strict routine is something many of the best set shots had (Lloyd still throwing grass in the air at Etihad under a roof because it was part of his routine).

[F'scary]

Less coaching, more practice and stick to a few basic principles. They are:

- Drop the ball as low as possible
- Keep your head down through the kick (imagine your knee hitting your forehead)
- Relax, and don't over kick it
- Give yourself enough room to get over the mark

a la Tom Boyd. Great technique, not a lot to go wrong. The way in which he prepares, it is like watching a gun being fired: The gun is checked, then the ammo is loaded, then the marksman positions himself, takes aim and pulls the trigger. Blammm, right between the eyes.

[LostDoggy]

Stringer doesn't look like kicking a goal from a set shot. He runs towards the left then back to the right and then try's to correct himself because he is now facing the points

[Mantis]

Stringer doesn't look like kicking a goal from a set shot. He runs towards the left then back to the right and then try's to correct himself because he is now facing the points

But he kicked one on Sunday.

His action is up the shit, but so is him aim.. He kicks it with a 'fade' so he should be aiming at the left hand goal post as opposed to what he is doing now (right of centre)

Lin Jong is a massive 'hook foot' so aims outside the RH goal post and surprise, surprise they go through the big sticks.

[LostDoggy]

But he kicked one on Sunday.

His action is up the shit, but so is him aim.. He kicks it with a 'fade' so he should be aiming at the left hand goal post as opposed to what he is doing now (right of centre)

Lin Jong is a massive 'hook foot' so aims outside the RH goal post and surprise, surprise they go through the big sticks.
I didn't say he never kicks a goal, just doesn't look like he will with his Run up all over the shop.

[stefoid]

Stringers problem is now purely in his head. He has missed so many set shots this season, that it is playing in his mind. He needs to practise alot and even talk to a sports psychologist.

For sure the yips. Technique is not an issue - he can kick them from anywhere except when he has a chance to think about it. Classic Chris Grant. Those two should have a chat. Grant got over it eventually but it took him years!

If I was him I would run back way back behind the mark, wasting no time, quickly pick out an opposition supporter 30m behind the goals, run in and try to bean that guy hard in the head with the ball.

[bornadog]

For sure. he can kick them from anywhere except when he has a chance to think about it. Classic Chris Grant. Those two should have a chat. Grant got over it eventually but it took him years!

If I was him I would run back way back behind the mark, wasting no time, pick out an opposition supporter 30m behind the goals, run in and try to bean that guy in the head with the ball.

you can almost hear him thinking, " gee another set shot, will I get it this time"

[Mofra]

If I was him I would run back way back behind the mark, wasting no time, pick out an opposition supporter 30m behind the goals, run in and try to bean that guy in the head with the ball.
Grant said that when he stopped having set shots at goal and instead just started passing to a random member of the crowd behind the goals his conversion rate improved immediately.

[stefoid]

you can almost hear him thinking, " gee another set shot, will I get it this time"

Problem is you get performance anxiety and your heart and mind race and your fine motor control goes to shit.

With grant, the harder the set shot, the more chance he was to kick it because the pressure of expectation was lower. On the boundary line at an acute angle? could be easily be forgiven for missing that, so no pressure and he bangs through a banana no worries. 35m out dead in front - shouldnt miss this - doh! a point...

[Flamethrower]

Tom Boyd's technique reminds me of Tony Lockett.

Jarrad Grant's technique is diabolical, especially from short range (~30m out).

[LostDoggy]

Watching Grant in the set shots I reckon he comes in like a left footer and of course kicks right. No wonder he is a bad kick. Watch him from behind and you might get the same thought as me.

[Ozza]

Watching Grant in the set shots I reckon he comes in like a left footer and of course kicks right. No wonder he is a bad kick. Watch him from behind and you might get the same thought as me.

Agree. Definitely starts his approach with a couple of little skips on the wrong leg. Can't be good for your balance heading in to the target.

As for Stringer, there are two tell-tale signs in his approach where you can tell before watching the ball that he will miss.
The first is whenever he stutters/takes a few shorter steps in his run up. Its a bit like watching a bowler at the local cricket match who misses his normal stride in his run up and throws in a few stutter steps - they inevitably bowl a bad ball if they go through with it.

The other issue Stringer has is when he leans back on his kick.

Of the two set shots he missed on the weekend - he did one of each. Whereas, on the run - he keeps his momentum going towards the target and is quite deadly.

[Ozza]

Stringers problem is now purely in his head. He has missed so many set shots this season, that it is playing in his mind. He needs to practise alot and even talk to a sports psychologist.

Its a technique problem with his approach. The issue in his approach may be 'in his head' - but he just needs to get his routine well rehearsed at training so his confidence in it returns. He needs a Matt Lloyd, not a doc.

[F'scary]

Tom Boyd's technique reminds me of Tony Lockett...



Agree, they both look (looked) like they know exactly what they are doing. I have noticed too that Tom Boyd has chosen a couple of times to centre the ball to the top of the goal square when he has had a set shot out wide from outside or on the 50m arc line even though he has a booming kick. I concluded that a) he is not selfish and b) makes a judgement that if the % chance of kicking the goal is not high enough (<=50%?) he chooses to do the team first thing.

[stefoid]

Its a technique problem with his approach. The issue in his approach may be 'in his head' - but he just needs to get his routine well rehearsed at training so his confidence in it returns. He needs a Matt Lloyd, not a doc.

But someone said he nails them at training.

[F'scary]

But someone said he nails them at training.

My conclusion is that his technique is flawed at the moment such that it doesn't stand up under match day pressures.

[bornadog]

I think a few players have improved their set shot kicking. Stringer certainly has and Grant showed on Sunday he can kick the ball straight. I wonder if there has been a focus at training?

[LostDoggy]

Just goes to show how much of it is in the head, I reckon. Grant's confidence is up and his technique looked superb on the weekend, everything was very straight, upright and simple.

[hujsh]

I'm guessing Dickson got it right saying he doesn't put too much thought into his set shots. I'd imagine the routines and everything are as much a way to get you out of your own head as anything else for most players

[Ghost Dog]

Crameri just about refuses to drop the ball correctly and was to kick those flashy goals. Even when he is running into the goal by himself he holds the ball on an angle. We have some work to do with a few of the boys.

I have to close my eyes when Grant kicks the ball. His ball drop / the way he holds it makes me grind my teeth.
Have to dig around and find his stats but I'm sure he kicks a lot of points.
Barry Hall was like a well oiled machine. I used to enjoy watching him kick for goal and always felt confident when he had a set shot.

I really like Marcus's technique, he has a great action.

[bornadog]

I have to close my eyes when Grant kicks the ball. His ball drop / the way he holds it makes me grind my teeth.
Have to dig around and find his stats but I'm sure he kicks a lot of points. .

In 2015 he has kicked 10 - 10

Overall 82, 54 but I am not sure how many are set shots.

[Ghost Dog]

In 2015 he has kicked 10 - 10

Overall 82, 54 but I am not sure how many are set shots.

Well, all players have things they need to work on. But I think it's too late for him to change his drop style. Guess I have to put up with it.

[Ozza]

Great to see Stringer finding his set shot rhythm in recent weeks (right time in the season). Crameri is looking solid. Redpath and Boyd both have good routines. Dickson obviously the master. Grant seemed a little more fluent on the weekend (maybe just confidence being up after his early goal?). Bonti and Macrae are both very comfortable when they get a chance, and Wallis is one of the best in the side when within his range of about 45 MAX.

It can all change very quickly - but we are in ok shape at the moment. Helps when we get so many scoring opportunities in games recently to practice.

[always right]

Well, all players have things they need to work on. But I think it's too late for him to change his drop style. Guess I have to put up with it.

But he has changed his ball drop albeit marginly. He holds the ball nowhere near as upright.

As for Stringer, I notice he is a far better set shot shooting for goal from the right flank than the left flank.

[Happy Days]

But he has changed his ball srop albeit marginly. He holds the ball nowhere near as upright.

As for Stringer, I notice he is a far better set shot shooting for goal from the right flank than the left flank.

Also known as the Buddy Gauge; he's a 100% chance of hitting a goal from the right flank, decreasing gradually to 0% from the other flank with every metre he moves across.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CG49W8KUQAAeRAM.jpg:large&imgrefurl=https://twitter.com/docsherrin/status/607528687618002944&h=683&w=1024&tbnid=XEKDtAoC1psCbM:&docid=4818hs0QicjakM&itg=1&ei=j17UVer6M8HVmAXQh4XACg&tbm=isch&ved=0CB0QMygCMAJqFQoTCKr-mf_7tMcCFcEqpgod0EMBqA

[bornadog]

http://www.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CG49W8KUQAAeRAM.jpg:large&imgrefurl=https://twitter.com/docsherrin/status/607528687618002944&h=683&w=1024&tbnid=XEKDtAoC1psCbM:&docid=4818hs0QicjakM&itg=1&ei=j17UVer6M8HVmAXQh4XACg&tbm=isch&ved=0CB0QMygCMAJqFQoTCKr-mf_7tMcCFcEqpgod0EMBqA
http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/mmsalih/scanho8.jpg

[BornInDroopSt'54]

http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/mmsalih/scanho8.jpg

He is up there in the sky where he always was.

[KT31]

He is up there in the sky where he always was.

Having heard a few things about EJ, I'm not to sure that is where he ended up.;)

[Twodogs]

Well, all players have things they need to work on. But I think it's too late for him to change his drop style. Guess I have to put up with it.

It's never too late to learn. I still learn things about kicking a footy that suprise me and I am 51.

I could take Grant for five minutes and make him a better set shot. I've seen Grant take a lot of set shots at training conscientiously practising all the mistakes he makes on game day. I have never seen him once recieve tuition.