Show THE GREAT REA T ROP TELLS HOW TO PUT EM ii OVER ling to Walter Eckersall no nobe be be considered a first-class first agn ag ago agon n n without a. a first class kicker g back tack over football history approximately 20 o ot l IUt last five IIVO years have been won t I of or College games field goals His estimate estima to takes the punts punta which have havethe havethe the goal line Une resulting in safe safe- al kicking kickin is an art acquired only exercise of d d' practice and the exercise Rare Aro ro tas ta's as a's E Eckersall r k Many ManyU Fa U get ret et out and in In one game ame boot boott Bl t Lover over o tho the bar and between the over ever er having practiced the fore tore But at the same amo time they Irr TV rr and try in n other games gaines ames an and anCl Successful in ne negotiating ot the thet 1 t That is because the they Id to catch the tho ball just ri right bt time and t didn tho the other times bo p p. kicking is exceedingly difficult but I-but but with practice it becomes fed d with a line lino that will hold and ande be II e kicker the ite time to iy 7 1 his attempts the tho feat is not L But there are certain ertain things e kicker must tl figure re out he must usi 5 at what is likely to happen and Those lines DeGood Good Kicker course ourSe ourie the first requisite for sue sue- kicking eking whether punting or drop to get et the muscles ot or the thee le leg orkin l working freel freely Many Man any kickers get ct out just before a game and put forth all their stron strength th thinking that this is is the best way to get limbered up I have found that this method is wron wrong The muscles are arc jerked and strained and when called upon pon later they are arc liable lible to act in a jerky manner which tends to impair tho the accuracy of the attempt Just before going oin into a game ame get et out and boot the ball gently working orkin in the tho muscles of the le leg gradually gradual After this is il done one the next care is to get et in touch with the center rush Tho The center and the kicker must work to together ether or the best of kickers will be be unable to work rj right ht The kicker is set for his trial and the pass must come right for his attempt or ho will l be compelled com corn polled to kick out of position and thereby there there- by lose his aim and nullify his effort Practice man many minutes each da day reI receiving receiving re re- re- re I ce in passes from the tho center and andl get ct his passes exactly where you yon want l them How to Pass tho the Ball The ball should be bo passed by tho center so that it comes end first io Lo the kicker This saves valuable seconds adjusting ad ad- the ball in the hands to be dropped The dropping of the ball is is the main thing A man may mav ha have vel ever everso everso everso so much power in his hs kicking le leg and yet et not be able to kick goals Usually this is because the ball has not been dropped to the ground round After the ball is received it should be poised for J an n instant t with l the stem in a para paral 1 l lel id l line with the goal posts thus giving ivIng n direction Just before dropping the ball is given a slight downward twist according to the distance to be l Kicked If theo the tho goal o l posts are aro close to the tho kicker the ball must be raised hi higher her in the air than when they are farther away The closer the posts the more perpendicular the tho ball should be when it strikes the ground round This is something the kicker must gauge auge e for himself When the ball is dropped great care should be exercised It must be done gently and there must be no force which mi might ht twist it sideways and out of line lino If there is the kick is liable to go goo off at an angle The lacing should always bo be on the opposite side from which h the ball is kicked for the tho rawhide presents too uneven en a surface for good results When the ball is drooped the foot should be brou brought ht back tho the kicker rising ris na- na ing on cia the toes of his other foot to betten better bet ter ten balance himself and get more force Toe Tee Must Land at Right Bight Instant Then comes another important de tail Tile The ball must be bo kicked just as its apex ape touches the ground If the toe too strikes the ball before it touches the ground it is not a dr drop p kick and the ball will shoot along the ground round and not rise If the kick on on the other hand is too slow and the ball has risen on the bound bound the tho impetus is likely to send it straight up in the air and nothing is gained The toe too should hit bit the ball just justat at the instant the ball hits the ground Then if the ball be truly dropped the effect is the same as kickin a goal oal from placement It takes much practice and an accurate accurate ae rate judgment of time and distance to gain Etain this end but once judged correctly it comes instinctively thereafter I have explained the kick up to the time the ball hits the ground and have explained wh why it should be struck b by the toe at atthe atthe atthe the same time that it hits the ground Now something about another essential point The shoe shoo worn by bv tho the kicker should have a stiff toe It t should fit the foot snugly l for if it is too long the leather loather is hablo to eurl and give ivo ve and the kick is apt to go o wron wrong But But the stiff rounded surface of tho the shoe adds to the tie accuracy of the attempt Many Things to Consider When the ball hits bits the ground round the kicker should h have ve his too toe underneath the side nearest him and the foot should be bo pointing directly at the goal posts That also gives the direction to the kick for if kicked at an an angle le the ball will rise at an angle When the kicking foot is brou brought ht forward it must be done with an easy swing I do not mean that there should be little hUle force behind tho the kick That is necessary if tho the ball is is to carr carry an any distance What That I mean by gentle is that the sweep of the leg lej should be free and arid even cven and without that sudden jerk which is liable to ruin ruin an any kick The weight should be bo shifted from the toe the of left foot to the heel although although al al- al though the foot is fiat flat on the ground round The Tho knee of tho the kicking foot is slightly bent when tho the ball is struck but with wit the onward sweep of the le leg tho the knee knocks and thus gives ives the ball further impetus After the baU has been kicked the tho knee is locked and ana ana the foot is in the same sarno position as it was when the ball was kicked Sonic Some kickers strai straighten the foot so 60 as to make line from knee to toe but it is in doit doing this that they sometimes shift the original tion tiou Of course in in drop kicking there are many thiu things 8 to be bo considered The direction di of the wind may compel the kicker to allow for it in in a try from a distance and if strong will enter into consideration even en for a short kick Then too the condition of the ground must be taken into consideration The kicker must see that ho be hohas has a comparatively c level lovel spot on which to dr drop p the ball If it is bumpy bump the ball is liable liable- to bound badly and thus destroy the effect of perfect dropping |