Kicking success may all be in the arms

Scientists suggest that Johnny Wilkinson’s kicking triumphs may come down to what he does with his arms.

And it is not just his trademark preparation stance that does the trick.
 
According to research published in the journal Sports Biomechanics, University of Bath scientists have studied the kicking techniques of professional and semi-professional rugby players to see which technique is most successful.
 
They found that players who swing their non-kicking-side arm across their chest as they make contact with the ball are the most accurate kickers, particularly over longer distances. Such movements are very obvious in the kicking technique of Wilkinson and Scotland’s Chris Patterson.
 
The researchers believe that the momentum caused by this movement helps kickers control the amount of rotation in their bodies so that when they kick the ball their body is facing the target for longer.
 
Also, the movement of the arm helps counteract the movement of the leg, allowing the kicker to stay more upright, increasing their margin of error and improving their accuracy. 

What a coach should do

“If a coach is working with an inaccurate kicker who does not make use of their non-kicking-side arm, our findings could well help them improve their game,” said Dr Grant Trewartha from the University of Bath.
 
“In taking a kick, players try to have their torso facing the target at the point of impact with the ball. Swinging their non-kicking-side arm helps players to maintain this position for longer – allowing them to develop a ‘J’ shaped kicking action, rather than backwards ‘C’ shaped one.
 
“When you examine their action from the front, it is clear that this action also helps counteract the swing of the leg, enabling the players to remain more upright at ball contact. This should increase their error of margin, and increase their overall accuracy.
 
“It is interesting that the technique that came out on top in our analysis is a close match with the Rugby World Cup’s most successful kickers so far,” Dr Trewartha added.
 

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