Mastering the Pre-Kick Field Goal Routine for Success

The stadium lights feel brighter. The roar of the crowd fades into a dull hum, and 80,000 pairs of eyes are suddenly on you. The game is on the line. This is the moment that separates good kickers from great ones. What’s the difference? It’s not just leg strength or physical talent. It’s the unwavering trust in a meticulously built, pressure-proof routine.

At The Kicking System, we know that the most important part of any kick happens before your foot ever touches the ball. It’s the mental and physical process that clears your mind, blocks out the noise, and allows your training to take over. This is your pre-kick routine, and it’s the key to becoming truly “clutch.”

Why Routine is Your Ultimate Weapon Against Pressure

Under pressure, the human brain is wired to overthink. Your heart rate increases, adrenaline floods your system, and the fear of failure can creep in, causing you to second-guess the technique you’ve practiced thousands of times.

A pre-kick routine is a psychological anchor. It is a sequence of familiar, repeatable actions that tells your brain, “I’ve been here before. I know what to do.” By focusing on a simple, controllable process, you eliminate the mental bandwidth for doubt to exist. You aren’t thinking about the score, the crowd, or the consequences; you are only focused on Step 1, then Step 2, then Step 3.

Building Your Physical Checklist: The Foundation of Consistency

Your physical routine should be identical every single time, whether it’s a PAT in the first quarter or a 50-yarder to win the championship. It should be simple, efficient, and comfortable.

1. Find Your Spot: Walk to the spot of the hold. Pick a specific blade of grass or a spot on the turf. This is your point of focus.
2. Take Your Steps: Pace out your steps back and over. This must be exact. Three steps back, two steps over. Or two and a half and two. Whatever it is for you, make it precise and non-negotiable. This ensures your angle and approach are the same every time.
3. The Deep Breath: As you settle into your starting position, take one deep, deliberate breath. Inhale calm, exhale pressure. This simple action slows your heart rate and brings your focus back to the present moment.
4. The Visual Cue: Give your holder a clear, simple signal that you are ready. This could be a nod of the head or raising a hand. This is the final physical checkpoint before you begin your approach.

Mastering the Mental Checklist: Winning the Kick in Your Mind

This is where clutch kickers are made. While your body is going through its physical checklist, your mind should be running its own parallel program.

1. Positive Self-Talk: As you walk onto the field, control your inner monologue. Replace “Don’t miss this” with “I’ve made this kick a thousand times.” Use a simple, powerful mantra. “Smooth and through,” or “Trust your line.”
2. Visualization: See the Success: This is the most critical mental skill. As you line up behind the ball, close your eyes for a brief moment and see the entire kick succeeding.
   • Visualize your foot making clean contact with the sweet spot of the ball.
   • Visualize the ball flying on the exact line you’ve chosen.
   • Visualize the ball splitting the uprights, high and true. This isn’t just daydreaming; it’s a mental rehearsal. You are programming your mind and body for success by showing them the desired outcome before the action begins.
3. Narrow Your Focus: In the final moment before your approach, your focus should shrink until the only thing in the world is the ball. The stadium, the rush, the goalposts—they all fade away. Your entire universe becomes you and that 12-inch leather target.

A Note From Our Coach: Putting Theory into Practice

These aren’t just theories from a textbook; they are battle-tested principles that I’ve built my career on. During my time playing arena football—one of the most high-pressure, fast-paced environments you can imagine—the mental game was everything. I worked extensively with a sports psychologist to move beyond just physical repetition and truly master the mental side of kicking.

Visualization became my most powerful tool. Before every kick, I would run a high-definition movie in my mind. I didn’t just think about the kick going through; I felt the clean contact on my foot, heard the unique thud of a perfectly struck ball, and saw it tumble end-over-end exactly on my chosen line. This practice was non-negotiable, and it built a deep-seated belief that I had already succeeded before I even took my first step.

Throughout my career, I relied on a variety of focus concepts. Sometimes it was a simple mantra, and other times it was the “shrinking focus” technique described above. The specific tool mattered less than the commitment to the process. By having a mental toolbox to draw from, I was prepared to handle any situation the game threw at me. This is the level of preparation that turns talent into clutch performance.

Putting It All Together: Practice the Process, Trust the Result

Your pre-kick routine cannot be something you only think about on game day. It must be practiced relentlessly. Every single kick you take in practice—from warm-ups to cool-downs—should begin with your full physical and mental routine.

By doing this, you are building an unbreakable habit. You are creating a state of automaticity, so when the pressure is at its peak, you don’t have to think about what to do. You just do it. Your body and mind will default to their training, and your routine will carry you through the moment.

Trust the process you’ve built, and the results will follow.