What does Ben Dixon actually do?

[Enrico_Misso]

Our much vaunted elite goal kicking coach head hunted last summer to lift us from being the most inaccurate side in the competition.

Many people thought it would be impossible but tHe result of his efforts is that we are actually significantly worse than last years low water mark.

Has anyone seen this genious at work during training sessions?
I am wondering what radical innovative cutting technology advanced techniques Ben is employing to achieve his spectacular results?

[Sainternist]

He may as well have gone fishing. On what advice did we even hire him? Did he "work wonders" with another team before?

[Ape_Man]

I think he kicked a goal once, right through the middle.

[Scollop]

Earns good money

Next question...What is the key to kicking straight?

Answer: Kick to a target.

Remember when the Demons had a guy in the stands with a big banner and it represented a target with a bullseye?
Was it Melbourne or Hawthorn? Not sure, but anyhow, this guy would position himself behind the goal and he'd work out the perfect angle and he'd line up dead smack in the middle of the goals on that direct angle that the goalkicker had to come in on, and he'd stand there and give the goal kicker a target to kick to.

That is the key. You are not kicking between 2 big sticks. You are not kicking for 'goals'. You are kicking and aiming for a target. Sometimes it might help if one of our players stands behind the goal umpire and lifts up his arms. It's what I used to do in junior footy for my son's team. I'd stand behind the goals, behind the fence, with my arms up in the air as if the kids had to kick it straight to me as if it were kick to kick.

If what we are doing is not working then change it up. Simple. Get one the players to stand up with their arms in the air like a knob/dick and try and help the guy kicking for goals just change their mentality. You are not trying to score a six pointer, you are just hitting up your team mate. Kick it straight into their arms and the result will take care of itself.

This is one of the few threads I've posted on where I haven't mentioned we should sack Richo. I think we should definitely sack Ben Dixon

[oh when the]

Didn't I read he changed the kicking style of 22 players!!!

[Superboot]

Earns good money

Next question...What is the key to kicking straight?

Answer: Kick to a target.

Remember when the Demons had a guy in the stands with a big banner and it represented a target with a bullseye?
Was it Melbourne or Hawthorn? Not sure, but anyhow, this guy would position himself behind the goal and he'd work out the perfect angle and he'd line up dead smack in the middle of the goals on that direct angle that the goalkicker had to come in on, and he'd stand there and give the goal kicker a target to kick to.

That is the key. You are not kicking between 2 big sticks. You are not kicking for 'goals'. You are kicking and aiming for a target. Sometimes it might help if one of our players stands behind the goal umpire and lifts up his arms. It's what I used to do in junior footy for my son's team. I'd stand behind the goals, behind the fence, with my arms up in the air as if the kids had to kick it straight to me as if it were kick to kick.

If what we are doing is not working then change it up. Simple. Get one the players to stand up with their arms in the air like a knob/dick and try and help the guy kicking for goals just change their mentality. You are not trying to score a six pointer, you are just hitting up your team mate. Kick it straight into their arms and the result will take care of itself.

This is one of the few threads I've posted on where I haven't mentioned we should sack Richo. I think we should definitely sack Ben Dixon

Would work well if we had players who could kick to a team mate

[spiral3]

it's so bad it's laughable
Gresham incredibly poor in front of goal

I heard a former player on SEN talking about goal kicking. He referenced three keys to goal kicking, according to Jason Dunstall (who kicked a couple)
1. Run where you want the ball to go - straight at the goal
2. Have relaxed arms
3. Guide the ball onto your boot, don't drop it

Pretty sure Plugger ticked every one of these boxes

Watch Gresham's first attempt in the video on this page - approach to goal is towards right - kick goes right (is he even aiming at the goals when he lines up??)
surely he can be coached to run in a straight line and do it with confidence under game pressure???
is his kicking so lacking in penetration that he feels like he has to run an arc to kick from 35m
http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-05-06/w ... head-richo

[saintsRrising]

Unfortunately all the St Kilda players seem to have no set goal-kicking routine.

There seems to be no deliberate approach that they are taking let alone any consistency in how they take a shot.

Ben Long is one of the rare exceptions, as he run straight in and has a good deliberate action.

The rest all seem to run in arcs, or if straight randomly face somewhere except straight at the middle of the bigsticks!

The players look way too casual and just seem to bang at the ball when they kick.

Membrey once a dead eye has the yips.

Gresham whether licking at goal, or passing the ball, always seems to try and do too much with the end result being that he now wastes the football way too off.

Bottom line is the players clearly at present lack confidence and are mentally broken.

[bigcarl]

What is the key to kicking straight?

Answer: Kick to a target..

That is the key. You are not kicking between 2 big sticks. You are not kicking for 'goals'. You are kicking and aiming for a target.

I can talk about golf - full swing and the short game - but I reckon the same principles hold true.

It is a combination of things and, you are right, taking dead aim at the smallest possible target is the most important of them.

You want to be so focused on the target that you are not thinking about the mechanics of the motion at all.

However - and this would be more so for set shots (snaps are down to instinct) - your set up MUST be right. And your pre-shot routine. It’s a chain thing and takes only one broken link to balls it up.

Then it’s mainly down to trust. You’ve done everything you could, you’re focused on the target and you pull the trigger.

Then you start cursing another three putt

[saintspremiers]

Dixon has buggered off to Nigeria with some other money he has scammed from other unsuspecting people.

[Toy Saint]

Golf Pro's or coaches mostly teach from the same book, specifically almost all of them recognize and teach a similar technique.

Putting, which has similarities to set shots for goal has some very basic and fundamental techniques.

Once learning the techniques the player needs to practice those techniques over and over again. At first from close range, then gradually from longer range. Practice until it becomes second nature like every successful golf champion.

A professional AFL footballer should be doing the same type of thing. First, learn the technique, then practice from 25 meters, over and over again until they score 10 out of 10 shots from all angles 45 degrees and less. Then step out to 30m and eventually up to 50m.

[Linton Lodger]

No point in blaming Dixon he isn't the issue. Perhaps the fact that he's there makes kicking for goal an issue that plays on the player's minds, but you can't blame Dixon. They are doing it repetitively in training and guess what? They're not missing in training.

Our kicking problems are between the ears.

[saintsRrising]

Our kicking problems are between the ears.

Yep, but that is exactly why one has coaches.

[SemperFidelis]

Our kicking problems are between the ears.

Yep, but that is exactly why one has coaches.

I think we'd be better trading in Dixon for a team of psychologists.

I heard (or saw) one champion goalkicker interviewed last week (buggered if I can remember who, might have been Dunstall0, but what he said stuck with me. When he went through a period of the yips on set shots, he went to see a sports psych, who identified that every time he went to kick a goal, he was focussing on the importance of kicking it, and how disastrous it would be if he missed it.

The psych taught him to focus on asking himself, every single time, "what is my goal kicking routine?". And then executing it.

Pretty basic stuff.

[Yorkeys]

Key is composure. Hickey, Armo and Long looked competent. Dunstan is composed but mechanically awkward from a set shot. Next draft do the composure and can tackle and take a bump tests. Also ask the prospect to eat raw meat (tartare of course).