Rolling grubber kick

The rolling grubber kick is a handy kick in rugby. You use this for short kicks past defenders into the in-goal area, Predictable path, Easily grounded. TRY!

For all kicks you need the basics

You may be surprised, when you are a good kicker you handle the ball well. You put the ball in the right place to kick it.

Be sure you have the handling skills.

Then your rugby kicking basics.

When you use the rolling grubber kick

This kick is a good attacking ploy when you`re close to the opposition try-line.

You would normally carry the ball into the in-goal area and ground it for a try.

Sometimes problems arise and the ball cannot easily be carried in.

Too many defenders facing you, the ball carrier. One more pass required but your support is too far away or any number of reasons.

Instead, a fairly short rolling grubber kick is put past a defender or through a gap between defenders.

You often kick at an angle across the field if it is for other players to run on to.

The ball rolls along the ground on a fairly predictable path and can be easily grounded for a try by attacking players following the kick.

It could perhaps be used further out from the goal-line but would be difficult to pick up at pace and would probably need to be hacked on at the feet of attacking players.

How to do a rolling grubber kick

A rugby ball rolls like a round ball when rolling on the short circumference rather than end over end.

So you kick the ball to make it roll like that.

Rolling grubber kick of a rugby ball starting position Rolling grubber, start

Rolling grubber kick of a rugby ball finishing position Rolling grubber, finish

You hold the ball level. One hand above, fingertips spread along the seam, one below.

You have the ball at bent arm`s length, around waist height, then remove your lifting hand from under the ball.

This guides the ball down towards your foot maintaining the correct positioning of the ball.

Step into the kick and Thwack, give it just the right amount of boot to roll the required distance.

Your leg is slightly bent, toes pointed

You keep your knee forward, slightly over the ball to keep the ball low.

Follow through keeping your knee high and toes pointed. This is for accuracy and to be sure the ball rolls off your foot.

To practice this kick

Use two balls when you practice. You have to have a rugby ball, but the other could be a football (soccer) or say, a tennis ball.

Use any method to get your other ball 10 to 20 metres away to use as a target.

Then use a rolling grubber kick to put your rugby ball as close to the first one as you can.

It has to stop close to it. You are practicing to put the ball into the in-goal area to be grounded for a try. If the kick goes too far it will go over the dead ball line and out of play.

This gives you plenty of feedback about whether or not you are accurate and when you are measuring the distance well.

Main points