A good onside kick must fly 10 to 12 yards, hang high in the air, and land near the numbers on the field. After that, there’s not much more a kicker can do.
Or at least that’s how UCLA kicker Jeff Locke approaches it.
I learned this and a bit more about the art behind the onside kick Wednesday evening at the UCLA football practice, where the Bruins prepared for their game against No. 13 Oregon Saturday at the Rose Bowl. The Bruins tried two onside kicks in their 2008 matchup against the Ducks, but recovered neither.
I have no idea if the onside kick will be a factor this time, but, in speaking with Locke, kicker Kai Forbath and special teams coach Frank Gansz Jr., it was clear that UCLA believes special teams battles will be crucial in Saturday’s game. Gansz Jr. has two big demands.
First, he wants his team to win the field position battle. That will require good kickoffs and good punts from Locke, and solid tackling from the kickoff and punt coverage teams. UCLA has won the field position battle in three of its first four games, in large part due to Locke. The redshirt freshman has averaged 44.6 yards per punt and 66.8 yards per kickoff.
Second, Gansz Jr. wants his team to be perfect on field goals and extra points. He has the right man for that job in Forbath, who has made 12 of his 13 field goal attempts this season and is generally considered one of the best field goal kickers in college football.
Gansz Jr. also said that any decision about onside kicks belongs to coach Rick Neuheisel.
In last season’s game at Oregon, the Bruins gambled when they tried their first onside kick in the third quarter. Forbath booted it well, and UCLA linebacker John Hale recovered, but officials called an offsides penalty on the Bruins, and Oregon gained the ball back. After the game Neuheisel said that the call was a “calculated risk.”
The Bruins tried a second onside kick while down seven points in the fourth quarter. Forbath’s kick again sailed high into air, but this time the Bruins failed to recover.
I found it interesting to learn that Locke and Forbath do not practice onside kicks very often, because the kick requires a painful swing of the leg.
To execute what is called a “pro-style” onside kick, a kicker places his plant foot well ahead of the ball and swings powerfully downward. The goal is for the ball to strike the ground forcefully and bounce high into the air.
Despite the risk of injury, kickers understand the importance of the onside kick and admire those who have mastered it. Forbath said that he was impressed with Green Bay Packers kicker Mason Crosby’s two onside kicks against the Minnesota Vikings on Monday night. Locke told me that Arizona Cardinals kicker Neil Rackers is the best onside kicker he has ever seen.
Locke also said that NFL scouts scrutinize a college kicker’s ability to execute the onside kick.
“They want to see you do everything,” Locke said.
Still, both kickers are primarily focused on their other kicking duties ““ the ones they know they will have to fulfill on Saturday.
For Locke that means more consistency in his punts and kickoffs. In order to ensure consistency, he tries to repeat an exact routine before each and every one of his kicks. Establishing that rhythm is “the biggest thing,” he said.
Forbath, who has handled only the field goal duties this season, is trying to avoid any more misses like the one he suffered Sept. 14 at Tennessee.
“This game is just huge for us,” Forbath said.
It is often said that there are parallels between kicking a football and hitting a golf ball. Locke and Forbath both golf, and they often discuss their position in golf terminology.
Locke said there are even similarities in the balance and eye contact required in swinging a golf club and striking a football.
There is also a sort of fraternity among kickers. Forbath said he knows most of the kickers in the Pac-10 and that a lot of them help out at former Bruin Chris Sailer’s kicking camps.
Speaking to Locke and Forbath after practice, I did get the feeling that both are eager for Saturday’s game, which is UCLA’s first chance this season to beat a ranked team.
That will please Gansz Jr., who is a clear perfectionist. He believes his unit has made a difference for UCLA this year, and he keeps reminding the players to take care of the little things.
“They are a perfect example of guys who have a significant impact on your team,” he said.
E-mail Allen at sallen@media.ucla.edu.