How to Punt a Football: The Drop Punt

[@BrandonjSlippingAway]

In Australia that kick is called a 'drop punt' 99% of the time. It's the main type of kick used in Australian football, because it's fast and accurate on the boot, and also after connection.

[@jacksokol5489]

I used this punt this past season in short field situations. It worked out great for me, I finished with 6 balls inside the 20 and 0 touchbacks

[@ThePuntFactory]

Jack Sokol atta boy great job!no touchbacks is huge!

[@peterhoz]

12:30 Ifyou watch an Australian do it, they hold the ball until as close aspossible to the moment of kicking. By reducing the drop, they guide the ball ad release just before the moment of impact. This hugely increases accuracy as the ball is in the air (before the impact with the foot) for a minimal time and distance thus reducing the effect of wind, movement, and general difference between expected and actual trajectory. This means that the ball hits the foot where you want it to, and doesn't come off on the wrong angle (ie a shank kick). Watch how an AFL (Australian Football League) player kicks a ball.

[@ThePuntFactory]

Peter - I understand that it’s a different style and form. However they are doing it for various distances, trajectories and speeds. And sometimes while on the move. Punters here need to hit it very often 35-45 yards with decent hangtime while in the pocket with a rush. It’s a similar punt yet not really when you look at how it’s used. Both get the job done

[@skipskripac]

Love the interaction with Jamie. Go Browns! I'm enjoying the videos man keep it up.

[@ThePuntFactory]

Randy thank you boss!!

[@jaydiaz423]

Awesome vid man , hope your son feels better

[@ThePuntFactory]

Jay Diaz thanks man he is!

[@loveandnapalm]

Dan Sepulveda has a special place in Steelers fans hearts. Like you said, he was a linebacker and still played like it on coverage (theres the famous old viral video of him just spearing the shit out of a returner in college) and had a cannon for a leg. Dude would bomb it down the field and then go find someone to hit, so obviously that's going to score brownie points with a historically blue collar fan base like Pittsburgh. Unfortunately he blew his knee out (maybe twice?) and was never quite the same... I think the steelers eventually bought him out or quietly cut him after it became apparent he was never going to be the same player again. Now we went and drafted Pressley Harvin who has a similar kind of appeal and I think will quickly become a fan favorite in the Burgh.

[@ThePuntFactory]

No doubt. I agree! Sepulveda was a LB I believe!

[@rensaprissa1117]

Once again another great video!!!

[@ThePuntFactory]

RenSaprissa thank you brother!!

[@RatherWhats]

Thanks for the video but what do you mean by "plus field"? 7:23

[@ThePuntFactory]

Hey brother of course! Plus field means anytime the ball crosses the 50. So if your team crosses midfield and you’re on, for example, the opponents 43 yard line. That is in the “plus field!”

[@RatherWhats]

@@ThePuntFactory thanks! 💪

[@douglask7611]

Is the point of the ball straight down the foot, or slightly angled to the inside or outside?

[@ThePuntFactory]

It is slightly tilted away from the foot. Not necessarily left or right but slightly angled away so ball can hit on top of the foot!

[@jaydiaz423]

Hey coach is there any sort of recovery methods that kickers/punters should do?

[@ThePuntFactory]

Jay Diaz I should do a video on that!

[@jaydiaz423]

@@ThePuntFactory Even better!!

[@samueladams5503]

6 Coopers Pale Ale does the trick

[@longstops1430]

Australians who play Australian Rules (not rugby), call it a drop punt. Australian Rules players hold it on the side and guide it down. They generally have less time in play to get their hands into the positions shown in this video, plus the Aussie Rules ball is larger than the American football.

[@ThePuntFactory]

Agree

[@NavjotSingh-rb9qp]

So I’ve been practicing for a few months, and I feel like I can’t maximize the power I put in the punt due to extremely tight hamstrings and quads. Any specific stretch’s that I can do?

[@ThePuntFactory]

Navjot Singh dynamic work to warm up. Butt kicks, high knees. Do a lot of foam rolling on IT bands and quads and hamstrings. Then just try some sort of athlete yoga for 10-15 mins every day or every other day

[@jeffbooth2194]

Navjot Singh Aussie kick or Drop Punt as we call it here in Australia is used more for flat and getting the ball to a space as quickly as we can. We teach kids to hold the ball withmiddle finger down the side seams. Allows to drop the ball vertically more consistently. Kicking power drop ball closer to your body swing your leg with a bit of a bent knee and as you kick it snap the knee through the ball. Drop ball closer to your body. This will max the back spin on the ball. Watch how to kick AFL videos. As I’m new to NFL why don’t punters use what we call a banana kick or check side kick. The ball spins like a helicopter, allowing the ball to bend in the air. You could start the ball mid field and bend it to the corners or the kicker can run towards the sidelines the ball can go in the air out of bounds but curves back into play. Also can you explain why the punt returners don’t touch or stop the ball after it lands and allow it to keep rolling back towards the goal line? Thanks

[@ThePuntFactory]

@@jeffbooth2194 when the returner touches the ball it’s live so if it is bouncing is following weird and he touches it the punt team can get the ball. Many nfl punters do now hit banana balls etc such as Hekker, Fox etc

[@mickey..c]

Oh and it's used in Australian rules because it's a way more accurate than a torpedo or a (barrel) punt as used most of the time in the NFL

[@ThePuntFactory]

Michael Christian I wouldn’t say it’s way more accurate, a top nfl punter can hit a spiraled ball pretty darn accurate especially with wind / weather etc but yea the drop punt is very accurate as well!

[@bennygallagher9482]

Best way to learn and develop this skill, is to find an Aussie and have a kick with them. Aussies will know what that means and will kick using a drop punt every time.

[@ThePuntFactory]

The kick has evolved. It’s roots are in AFL and forever will be however not everyone can find an Aussie to train with! I wish guys could do that though to know how to control / execute the punt better

[@mickey..c]

It's a Drop Punt mate used in Australian rules football

[@ThePuntFactory]

Michael Christian that’s where it’s origins are from yea!

[@mickey..c]

@@ThePuntFactory Hey mate thanks for the reply but I meant it more of an accurate kick in Australian rules where you kick the ball 80 % of the game

[@floydster23]

@@ThePuntFactory They also use a side grip on the ball, not a top or bottom grip.

[@jackrichards8213]

Hate to break it to ya ur holding it wrong,fourth finger on the side stitching of the ball, all love from down under tho🇦🇺

[@ThePuntFactory]

Jack Richards all good man. That’s how I have held it for years and remember up here we just want it to go high, far and spin backwards!! We don’t have to do it on the run mate! Cheers

[@brettwood8109]

The ball drop is so bloody high! more chance of coming off the side of the boot. Aussie here sorry mate

[@ThePuntFactory]

It’s a different drop because it’s a different punt! It’s linear and used for a pooch purpose. All good brother!!

[@ghome270]

@10:33 Absolutely the wrong way to kick a Drop Punt. Watch a real aussie kick a ball and you will see how it's done

[@ThePuntFactory]

Different technique same result. I’ll ask Jake he’s in New England 👌🏻

[@brendanh8193]

It is a different way to the Aussies. The main difference is the placement of the thumb - Aussies keep it on the top of the ball and place the ball into a state of dynamic balance as they guide the ball to their foot. The advantage of this is time. You can adjust the grip on the ball in less than a quarter of a second because the thumb has far less distance to travel. So they can get the kick off quicker, which sometimes can be the difference between getting tackled or not (or bracing for a roughing or not). The disadvantage is that dynamic balance is a tough skill to learn. And therefore it can be less consistent. Aussies have been doing it all their lives, so they simply have a 10 000 hour advantage.

[@lukebursle6139]

Nobody in australia calls it whatever he said. Flip flop? We don’t even call thongs flip flops! It’s a drop punt.

[@ThePuntFactory]

You’re right. It is a drop punt. This was recorded several years ago. Give it a rest. The ball spins backward and is controllable lol

[@BZMN35]

The "drop punt" in Australian football is pretty much always taught with your hands on top of the ball. I don't know if the shape of the American football lends itself to the two suggestions here or......you are just not doing it right!

[@ThePuntFactory]

It’s probably the first because 2 pro bowl punters hold it this way;)

[@simoncross7728]

Why would you not use Australian punters when showing how to use this punt? Those over hand and under hand techniques are a disgrace, the idea of having your hand on the ball is guiding it onto your foot. Not to mention the ball drop, the closer you are able to guide the ball the more accurate the kick will be. Watch Dickson, watch Wishnowski, actual punters who grew up learning it first hand. The technique, nor grip, needs to be modified because of the ball, I learnt that first hand when I punted in HS in Texas (yes Im Aussie born and breed) gripping a US ball is easier because it is lighter.

[@ThePuntFactory]

One of the first punters to use the kick in college football was Daniel Sepuleda. 2x Ray Guy winner and NFL punter. All of these young men have the same goal in mind, to hit a ball that they know they can control in a specific situation. I’m not quite sure that calling a grip which is used by 25+ punters in the NFL is a disgrace but maybe I’ll do a video on the different grips so as not to offend you!

[@simoncross7728]

@@ThePuntFactory in regards to the grip I was referring specifically to using it when performing a drop punt. You guys are only scratching the surface with how to kick a football. Sepulade may have been the first in US college, but thousands of Aussie's have been kick footballs decades before he tried it. If you tried to hold a football like that down here you'd get laughed off the field. I'm sorry, I know I'm being a bit harsh here and in context you are talking specifically about US football.. but if you call it an Aussie punt, get an Aussie to show you 😉

[@ThePuntFactory]

@@simoncross7728 what I’m saying is that there are plenty of ways to make the same punt happen. The origins may come from there but if I called this video “how to hit an end over end punt” would that be fine? Also i think you saying “scratching the surface” of how to kick a football, that’s pretty untrue. Many aussies struggle at first with consistent, traditional spirals with good hang time and location. Doesn’t mean they can’t adapt and learn. Yet we here have been doing that for decades. The agreement should be that there are two different styles of punting. While you guys may grow up doing it I would argue we here have done pretty well with how we kick it. Different game. Different style. Different ball. Different purpose in what we want the ball to do in our youth. All good brother 👍🏻

[@simoncross7728]

@@ThePuntFactory there are many ways to perform a drop punt, but there is a "best practice", if you watch Aussie Punters or AFL players you will see this consistently. Your ball is suited to the "torpedo" as we call it, the bladder is fat in the middle. Which why US Punters specialise in one type of kick, for one purpose. Since our game is more open and free flowing players find themselves in different situations when kicking the ball, which is why we developed kicks such as the check side, banana and kicking at full pace to name a few. Yes, different game, but still scratching the surface.

[@ThePuntFactory]

@@simoncross7728 or equally as relevant in regards to what the different games call for? Either way it’s a great ball to hit and people have done it many different ways looking for the same result.