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Forum Newbie
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Last Login: 25/08/2011 21:06:44
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I have a player on my club who swears this, although I see evidence to the contrary. He takes conversions and penalty kicks, refusing a tee, instead drop kicks. Is this even possible? When you drop the ball and it bounces, isn't that just one (well... two) more thing (s) that can go wrong and adds to the chance the ball is misdirected?
After the last match, I ask the ref if he's ever seen a player choose to take conversions with a drop kick instead of place kick. He says, while the player is listening, "yeah, lots of players are better drop-kickers." Now the player is even more obstinate. Other guys on the club are supporting him on this.
At the top or near top levels, have there been several players who kicked at goal with drop kicks? I've never noticed this before. Of course, at the lowest levels in social matches I've seen players not want to bother with a tee or bother making a divot in the ground, so they drop-kick. And in 7s obv.
All I can think to do is convince him to go through a kicking contest vs himself, using both techniques and keep score.
I said, "nobody in the world is a better drop-kicker at goal than place-kicker." After thinking about it, maybe I went too far. If all someone did was practice drop kicks and never place kicks, they could be better at drop goals.
Please vote, is this possible, considering equal practice at both?
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Forum Newbie
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Last Login: 25/06/2010 03:52:36
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| I haven't seen a player refuse to place kick, prefering to drop kick a goal, but I do know the first thing my boys do when they arrive at training is grab a ball a start drop kicking or punting to each other - much to my dismay at times (I'd rather they were practising their ball handling skills). Obviously they don't all have kicking tees, and a drop kick is quicker and more fun for them than a place kick. Perhaps with more players drop kicking more often than place kicking, many more of them get more proficient at drop kicks (hope that make sense)  . Also it's a valuable skill to have within a team, take the Springboks ability to drop kick goals from just about anywhere on the field for example. Having a couple of good drop kickers in a team can make the difference between winning and losing. Maybe if this player is that good he should take more drop kicks from general play rather than just penalties and conversions.
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Supreme Being
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Last Login: 29/01/2012 16:10:53
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I'd say if his rate of success is reasonable, then why discourage it? But, I'd also say if you want to be THE goal kicker in the team, why not work on the place kick as well to be a more rounded player?
Trying to play devil's advocate for you ... considering situations where I'd absolutely (regardless of my ability to do both, probably more consistent off a tee) chose the tee ...
... if there's long grass, or mud, or an uneven surface - I'd much rather a tee. My best drop kicks are made on a firm surface with short grass.
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Forum Newbie
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Last Login: 09/11/2009 04:42:45
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| Personally I do kick better off a drop goal than a place kick. I tend to slice allot of place kicks, but I also don't practice place kicks at all because I never have a clue where I put my tee. The team kicker probably shouldn't be a guy who won't place kick. But you can't really knock him if he is consistent.
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Junior Member
Group: Forum Members
Last Login: 23/11/2009 19:41:58
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| Sounds to me like you have a vendetta against drop kicks. If he likes them and is good at them then whats the problem? It's kinda like taking a lineout instead of a scrum for an opposition crooked throw. Its not conventional but if your better at one than the other, or more confident (which is sometimes better than being good). But if he does miss a lot of kicks, you might want to get him to have that kick off with himself.
Tana Umaga: "I'd like to thank my parents, especially my mum and my dad."
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