Technique Analysis

Lachlan Russell

Successful Technique

WHAT MAKES A SUCCESSFUL TECHNIQUE- Well Guided Ball Drop- Good head position - Well balanced - Full leg extension on follow through- Pointed toe - Smooth movements

Technique Comparison

Ball Drop

When comparing my ball drop to the ball drop of an elite player in Lindsay Gilbee, the main area of improvement that I am able to see is in the actual ball drop, as well as the position of my head over the ball. This is because of the angle of which the ball leaves my hand being 142.7°, whilst the angle of which Lindsay drops the ball is only 126.6° , and because of this the ball falls from Lindsay’s hand straight on to his foot, without much chance of being effected, giving him greater accuracy. Lindsay’s head position is also much closer to the ball, allowing him to guide the ball down on to his boot straighter.

Kicking Step

When comparing my kicking step to that of Lindsay Gilbee, I am also able to recognise some areas of improvement that will make my kick more successful. The main differences between the two kicks are once again Lindsay's head position over that ball, as well as how upright he is. These are both indicated through the angle of my front knee, as it is bent at 154.4°, whilst Lindsay’s front knee is near straight at 167.8°, allowing for his head and eyes to be over the ball. This once again gives Lindsay more control and accuracy over his kick, as well as allows him to kick the ball lower and with more power.

Point of Contact

When comparing my point of contact to Lindsay Gilbee’s, there are once again some differences and also some similarities between the two. The similarities that are noticeable are the fact the ball makes contact with the boot at an angle of around 60°, and also the flexion in the right knee, as they are both approximately 140°. This allow for both Lindsay and I to get a similar amount of backspin in the footy. The two main differences however are once again my head position over the ball, as it is much further away from the ball then Lindsay’s, and also where my foot makes contact with the ball, as Lindsay makes contact nearly directly under the midline of his body, whilst my leg it much further away from my body when contact is made. This allows for Lindsay to once again get greater accuracy and also kick the ball lower and with more force.

Semi Follow Through

When comparing the semi follow through phase the main difference that is noticeable is once again the head positioning over the ball. Lindsay’s head positioning over the ball is by far batter, as he is more upright and has his head more inline with the kicking leg, which is indicated through the angle of his back leg being 148.5°, which is far straighter than mine at 135°. Because of the extra straightness in Lindsay's back leg it prevents him from leaning back and keeps his head closer to the ball, giving him more control. The other main difference that is noticeable is s how straight the kicking leg is, as Lindsay’s leg is more than 10° straighter. This extra extension allows for him to get more power and distance on the kick.

Full Follow Through

Finally, when comparing the full follow throughs there are also differences and similarities between the two. The similarities include the angle in which our left foot meats the ground as both are around 50°, and the angle of flexion in left knees, as there is only a small more difference. The differenced between the kicks however are once again the head positioning over the ball, as Lindsay's eyes are still looking down in the direction of ground, whereas my eyes are looking up at where I had kicked the ball, therefor giving him more control. The angle of our right leg is also different as his knee bends at nearly 130°, whereas my only bends at just over 100°. This extra knee extension once again gives him more distance and power through the kick.

Angle of Back

Angle of Back comparison

From looking at the images which compare the angle of both Lindsay and I’s back, it is clear how much more control Lindsay has over the ball drop and kick. This is because throughout the kick Lindsay is almost upright, whereas I am leaning back significantly, meaning that my head is further from the ball, giving my less control over the ball drop and kick. It also means that Lindsay is more balanced and stable when kicking, and can kick the ball lower and with more force.

Centre of Gravity

Centre of Gravity Comparison

From comparing the images which identified the centre of gravity of Lindsay and I during our kicks, it is clear that even though Lindsay is more stable and balanced, I am also balanced and stable. This is because Lindsay’s centre of gravity is well within his base of support keeping him stable and balanced through his entire kick, whereas my centre of gravity is still with in my base of support, however it is not as central within the base. This is because I am leaning back more and am less compact when kicking.

Velocity, Force and Acceleration

Velocity and acceleration of the leg are very important when kicking a football, as along with levers and force, they help to created power and distance behind the kick. The velocity of my leg when kicking is 5.833m per second, with my acceleration then being equal to 19.44m/s². This then calculated my force to be equal to 272 newton of force a my leg weighs approximately 14kg. The velocity of Lindsay's leg when kicking is 3.125m per second, with his acceleration then being equal to 7.8125m/s², and the force of his leg being equal to 144 newtons as his leg weighs approximately 20kg. This therefore means that that I have a higher amount of force on my kick, however this is because I am kicking over a must larger distance in the video.

Levers

When kicking a football, the kicking leg acts as a third class lever as the pivot point is at the end of the lever and the force is between the pivot point and the resistance. Levers are very important when kicking a football as they add to the distance and power of the kick. This is because a longer lever increases the force applied to the ball. As Lindsay is significantly taller than me his leg is longer, giving him greater force and distance when kicking for maximum distance..

Force

When kicking a football force is very importance at it allows for the kicker to kick the ball over a longer distance and also with greater force. This is important as it prevents condition such as wind from effecting the ball when it is in flight, giving the kicker greater accuracy.

In a football kick isotonic force is used as the kick involves force through movement. Sequential force summation is also used as the kick involves a number of movements in a sequence, with the larger muscle groups being used first and the smaller muscle groups being used last to give maximum power.