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Kickers and bare feet.

Started by TulsaHawg, September 30, 2005, 03:36:26 pm

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TulsaHawg

September 30, 2005, 03:36:26 pm
Several years ago it was not uncommon to see kickers, particullarly punters, kicking the ball with a bare foot. I haven't seen anyone do it in a long time.

It really never made sense to me why someone could kick a ball  better without a shoe.

Anyone know that reason they did it?

Speaking of kicking.

Our special teams did a good job last in Tuscaloosa. Jacob put the ball inside Bama's 5 yard line twice, and otherwise punted decently. Balseiro performed well, and the special teams performed well overall. 

There was some criticism of them earlier in the season.  There seems to have been good progress.

PennHOG

September 30, 2005, 03:40:58 pm #1
Quote from: TulsaHawg on September 30, 2005, 03:36:26 pm
Several years ago it was not uncommon to see kickers, particullarly punters, kicking the ball with a bare foot. I haven't seen anyone do it in a long time.

It really never made sense to me why someone could kick a ball better without a shoe.

Anyone know that reason they did it?

Speaking of kicking.

Our special teams did a good job last in Tuscaloosa. Jacob put the ball inside Bama's 5 yard line twice, and otherwise punted decently. Balseiro performed well, and the special teams performed well overall.

There was some criticism of them earlier in the season. There seems to have been good progress.

You know I was just thinking about those shoeless kickers just a few days ago and wondering why we never see them anymore.
When I die, I want to go peacefully in my sleep just like my grandfather, and not like the screaming passengers in his car!
 

GorillaJMonsoon

September 30, 2005, 03:51:51 pm #2
All the good punts didnt mean doodie when we don't cover their receiver at all and let them score to put the game away.

TulsaHawg

September 30, 2005, 04:06:02 pm #3
Quote from: GorillaJMonsoon on September 30, 2005, 03:51:51 pm
All the good punts didnt mean doodie when we don't cover their receiver at all and let them score to put the game away.

The Special Teams got blasted a 3 or 4 weeks ago, it doesn't hurt to give them their props when they play well, even though we lost. It's not Skinner's job to cover the ends.

madhawg2020

September 30, 2005, 04:08:46 pm #4
Tony Franklin could really boom a ball back then. Was trying to remember who else besides him kicked that way. I was thinking there was at least one more in the SWC.

GorillaJMonsoon

September 30, 2005, 04:10:56 pm #5
Tulsa,

You are right.  Special Teams did show up to play and the guys did a god job of covering punts inside the 10.  Its just frustrating when all that effort is wasted in other phases of the game.

TulsaHawg

September 30, 2005, 04:15:00 pm #6
Quote from: GorillaJMonsoon on September 30, 2005, 04:10:56 pm
Tulsa,

You are right. Special Teams did show up to play and the guys did a god job of covering punts inside the 10. Its just frustrating when all that effort is wasted in other phases of the game.

I agree Gorilla.  My wife looked at me in the 3rd Quarter of the Bama game and said, " I am just so sick of this!"  She was even about to cry. 

It is frustrating.

GorillaJMonsoon

September 30, 2005, 04:16:32 pm #7
Tulsa,

The fourth quarter must have done her in. 

MCPeePants

September 30, 2005, 04:39:18 pm #8
In 2002, Jeff Wilkins of the Rams decided to begin kicking barefoot. He claimed he didn't like the way his cleats dug into the ground during his kicks. In his first few games of kicking barefoot, he went 3 for 7 on field goals, including one missed game-winner, before putting his shoe back on at the polite urging of Mike Martz. I think he may still kickoff barefoot some though. Also, Cowboys kicker Jose Cortez was a barefoot kicker when he played in the XFL.

Some of the barefoot kickers claimed they did it to gain accuracy at the expense of a little distance. Others made the claim that they could actually kick the ball further barefoot than they could with a shoe because the shoe absorbed some of the force of the kick. 

A lot of kickers still wear kicking shoes that are several sizes too small for their feet. They claim that having their foot all jammed up in there provides their foot with a sledgehammer-like effect when it meets the ball.   

GorillaJMonsoon

September 30, 2005, 05:00:38 pm #9 Last Edit: October 01, 2005, 09:09:50 am by GorillaJMonsoon
I think the "too small shoe theory" makes sense.  Every time I've tried punting barefoot Ive just about exploded the big vein on the top of my foot. 

Elrod

October 01, 2005, 01:44:14 am #10
Quote from: ScottFaldon on September 30, 2005, 05:01:15 pm
Some of those kicking shoes are nothing more than ballet slippers.

Right after college, when a bunch of us were playing flag football on a junior high field, I kicked a 30-yard FG barefoot when we were messing around. Hurt like a mutha. I put my soccer cleats back on after that.

Let's see.........A 30-yard FG on a junior high field would be equal to .....what on a senior high field???LOL
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