You want to start kicking, or maybe you already are, but you want to know what type of kicking equipment to use. We draw from our 13+ years of major Division-1 and NFL experience. Together, we have used every piece of kicking equipment you can think of. Throughout this article, we will tell you our favorite pieces of field goal kicking equipment that we have used.
Football Kicking Shoes
The first piece of kicking equipment you need is a good pair of kicking shoes. Generally kickers will use soccer shoes as their preferred choice of kicking cleat. One reason is that a majority of kickers come from a soccer background, and the other reason is that they do not have a toe cleat. Most, if not all, traditional American football cleats have a cleat at the very tip of the shoe (toe cleat) that can get in the way as your foot gently swipes the ground. For this reason and many others we will share with you our favorite shoes.
I personally like a thin kicking shoe so I can feel contact on the ball. Mentally, I feel that I have more control with a thinner material on my kicking shoe. A great, thin material kicking shoe is the Nike Mercurial Vapor. Vapors do not come cheap, at a price tag typically $150+. If you still want a thin kicking shoe at a more economical price, I recommend the Nike Talaria. The Talaria is essentially the same shoe as the Vapor but at half the price.
My colleague, on the other hand, feels more comfortable with a traditional kicking shoe with a little more cushion. His preference is the Adidas Copa coming in just under $100. It all comes down to preference, so pick what is best for you.
Field Goal Kicking Tee
The next piece of kicking equipment you need is a field goal kicking equipment. There are not many kicking tees to pick from except for the size of the tee. Field goal tees come in 2″ and 1″ sizes.
Generally you want to start with the 2″ tee, work your way down to the 1″, and eventually kick field goals off the ground. I personally used a 2″ tee until I was a junior in high school then kicked off a 1″ tee for the remainder of high school.
Field Goal Kicking Holder
Field goal kicking holders can be on of the cheapest pieces of football kicking equipment. The easiest thing to do is go to your local hardware store and pick up some PVC pipe and elbow joints to make your own holder. Building your own kicking holder will set you back less than $5, while buying one online generally costs about $30 + shipping. Even NFL kickers use PVC kicking holders.
Be Comfortable
Do not use specific kicking equipment just because other people do. Kicking is all about comfort, so use what works best for you.
