Kicking Technique: Approach, Plant and Follow-Through

By 4Football Staff · October 30, 2026 · 10 min read

A step-by-step look at how a placekicker kicks: alignment, approach, plant foot, contact point, follow-through, and the common faults that send a ball wide.

A field goal attempt is over in about the time it takes to read this sentence. The ball is snapped, a holder catches it and sets it down, and a kicker swings his leg through it. Nothing about it looks complicated from the stands. But kickers spend years refining a motion that has to be repeated exactly, under pressure, with a rush of defenders coming and a game sometimes riding on the result.

This guide is about the mechanics of that swing: where the kicker lines up, how he approaches the ball, where his plant foot goes, what part of his foot meets what part of the ball, and what he does afterward. It also covers kickoffs, the faults that send kicks off line, and how kickers practice. For the wider picture of the job, including the mental side and the role in a game, see our profile of the kicker and the craft of placekicking.

As with any technique, there is no single official method. Kicking coaches and kickers disagree about the number of steps, the angle of approach and many other details. What follows describes the widely shared fundamentals and the choices that vary.

The straight-on and the soccer style

Placekicking in the modern game is almost entirely soccer style: the kicker approaches the ball at an angle and strikes it with the instep, much as a soccer player does. The older style was straight-on, in which the kicker ran directly at the ball and struck it with the toe. How the change happened is told in the history of kicking.

Soccer style is the standard for a few mechanical reasons. The angled approach lets the hips rotate into the kick. The instep is a wider, flatter striking surface than the toe, which is easier to control. And the body ends up in a position that allows a natural, whipping leg swing. The rest of this article describes soccer-style kicking.

Step one: the setup

A good kick begins before the kicker takes a single step.

Finding the spot

The holder kneels at a distance from the line of scrimmage and sets the ball on the ground, usually with the laces facing away from the kicker so that the foot does not strike them. The kicker watches the spot, which is the place on the ground where the ball will rest, and aligns his run to it.

Kickers commonly measure their starting position from that spot. A typical approach, which many kickers use in some variation, is to take a set number of steps backward and a set number to one side, then pause. A right-footed kicker moves to the side opposite his kicking leg, to create the angle. The number of steps is a personal matter, and a kicker may adjust it for wind, field condition or distance.

Eyes on the target

Before the snap, the kicker looks at the goalposts to pick a line, often choosing a spot beyond the uprights, like a point in the stands, to aim at. Then he looks at the spot where the ball will be, and keeps his eyes there for the rest of the kick. Kickers describe this as a routine: look at the target, look at the spot, go.

Consistency

The routine is deliberately the same every time. The same steps, the same pause, the same breath. A kicker who changes his routine under pressure is introducing a variable he has not practiced. Coaches often say the routine is a way to keep the mind quiet.

Step two: the approach

The approach is the run-up. It builds speed and rhythm, and sets the body at the right angle and distance from the ball.

• The first step is often a small, controlled step to start the motion, followed by a longer, accelerating one. Different kickers use different counts. What stays constant is that each step is the same length every time.
• The angle is set so the kicker is not running straight at the ball. The right angle varies from person to person, and kickers refine it in practice.
• The rhythm builds from slow to fast. A common cue is a smooth gather, not a charge. A kicker who rushes his steps tends to lose balance at the end of the approach.
• The last step is the longest, a stride that plants the non-kicking foot beside the ball.

Teams time the entire operation: snap, hold and kick. The whole sequence is over in well under two seconds, and the kicker's approach is calibrated to meet the ball just as the holder sets it down. A kicker who starts too early arrives before the ball is settled, while one who starts late risks having the kick blocked.

Step three: the plant foot

The plant foot is the foot that does not kick. It lands next to the ball and carries the kicker's weight as the other leg swings through.

Where it goes

For a right-footed kicker, the plant foot is the left. Coaches generally ask for it to land alongside the ball, a few inches to the side, with the toe pointing toward the target. How far back or forward of the ball it lands changes the ball's flight: coaches often say a plant foot too far ahead tends to bring the kicker's foot down into the turf, while one too far behind tends to leave him reaching for the ball. Where exactly it should land is individual, and kickers find their own spot. Many coaches use the ball's middle as a reference point.

Why it matters so much

If a kicker had to pick one thing that predicts the quality of the kick, many kickers and coaches would name the plant foot. It sets the position of the hips, the angle of the leg swing and the point where the foot meets the ball. If the plant foot is a few inches off, everything after it shifts. Coaches ask kickers to look at the mark their plant foot made in the turf during practice, to see whether it lands in the same place every time.

Balance

The plant is firm and controlled. The kicker's head is down, his shoulders are steady, and his weight transfers from the approach into the plant. He does not hop or slide on the foot. A stable plant means a stable swing.

Step four: the swing and contact

The swing is the whipping motion that sends the ball. It travels from the hip to the knee to the foot, so that each joint accelerates the next.

The sequence

1. The kicking leg draws back during the last step of the approach, with the knee bent.
2. The hip rotates forward, pulling the thigh toward the ball.
3. The knee extends quickly and the lower leg snaps through, like a whip, while the thigh slows.
4. The foot meets the ball at the bottom of the swing, with the ankle locked.

The lock matters. A loose ankle absorbs energy and sends the ball in unpredictable directions. Kickers talk about having a "firm foot" as the leg whips through.

The contact point

The contact point has two parts: where on the ball, and where on the foot.

• On the foot: the instep, the top and inside of the foot near the base of the big toe, where it is wide and flat.
• On the ball: the lower part of the ball, below its middle, which sends it up. Hit lower and the ball goes higher with less distance; hit nearer the middle and the ball goes lower and often farther. The right spot depends on the distance and what must be cleared.

The ball's shape matters too. A football is not round, and kickers learn how the ball behaves when struck at different points. A good kicker learns where his foot meets the leather, and makes that contact every time.

Head and eyes

The head stays down over the ball, eyes on the spot where contact happens, until after the ball is gone. A kicker who lifts his head to watch the kick often pulls his shoulders up, and the kick goes off line. This is among the most common faults, and one of the first things a kicking coach corrects.

Step five: the follow-through

Contact is only the middle of the kick. What happens afterward shows what happened before.

• The leg continues along the line to the target, swinging high. A truncated follow-through often means the kicker slowed down before contact.
• The body stays balanced, with the kicker landing on or near his plant foot and his shoulders square to the target.
• The kicking foot points toward where the ball was sent. Coaches watch the direction of the foot at the end of the swing as a sign of the kick's line.
• The head comes up only after the ball has left the foot.

Kickers often finish upright, facing the target, with the kicking leg extended in front. A kicker who falls away to the side or stumbles forward is showing a balance problem somewhere in the sequence.

Kickoffs

Kickoffs use the same basic principles with changes for the situation. The ball sits on a tee, not a holder's hand, and the kicker runs a longer approach to generate power. The goal is typically height and distance, though coaches sometimes call for a kick placed to a specific part of the field. The details of what the kickoff must do and where players line up depend on the level and the year, and they have changed repeatedly in recent seasons. Our guide to kickoff rules and how they have changed explains how.

Why kicks go wrong

When a kick misses, coaches look for the fault in the sequence. The most common ones are:

Directional faults have names that vary. Misses that go straight but wide are often called pushes or pulls, and ones that curve are called hooks or slices, but the terms differ by region and coach, so don't worry about the vocabulary. The real value is in diagnosing the cause: coaches film kickers from behind and from the side to see the approach and plant.

Conditions and levels

Wind, rain, cold and surface all affect a kick. A strong crosswind pushes the ball, and kickers adjust their aim, picking a spot outside the uprights on the side the wind is blowing from. Cold air makes the ball harder and the kick shorter, in the view of many kickers. Wet turf can make the plant foot slip, which is why kickers choose cleats carefully.

The level of play changes the target. Goalposts are wider at the high school level than in college and the NFL, and the hash marks sit in different places at each level, which changes the angle of a kick from the middle of the field. A high school kicker has more room to work with, while a pro kicker is expected to be more precise. The rules for what is a good kick and what happens on a miss also differ, as covered in our guide to field goal rules.

How kickers practice

Kickers practice differently from other players. They kick far fewer balls than a quarterback throws, because the leg has limits, and coaches manage the number of kicks in a session. A typical session includes warm-up stretching, short kicks to find the rhythm, kicks from several distances and angles, and some kicks under simulated pressure. Many also work on strength and flexibility, as part of off-season training for kickers and punters.

Because the swing is so fast, video is a key tool. Filming the approach, plant and follow-through lets the kicker see the details the eye cannot catch. The best also keep notes on what works in different conditions.

If you want to see a kicker's craft, watch the plant foot and the follow-through on the next field goal, not the ball in the air. The leaders page shows who is kicking most, and the scores page lists the games. If you want to try it yourself, our Play section is a start, and always warm up first.

The short version

• Modern placekicking is soccer style: an angled approach and a strike with the instep.
• A repeatable routine, with the same steps and the same pause, is the base of a reliable kick.
• The plant foot lands beside the ball, pointing at the target, and decides where the rest of the kick goes.
• The leg swings hip, then knee, then foot, with a locked ankle at contact.
• The head stays down through contact, and the follow-through carries along the line to the target.
• Kickoffs use the same principles with a tee and a longer run; wind, surface and the level of play change what a good kick is.
• Faults usually trace back to the plant foot, the contact point or a rushed approach.