What does Ben Dixon actually do?
Moderators: Saintsational Administrators, Saintsational Moderators
- Enrico_Misso
- Saintsational Legend
- Posts: 11662
- Joined: Tue 13 Jun 2006 12:11am
- Location: Moorabbin Chapter of The Royal Society of Hagiographers
- Has thanked: 315 times
- Been thanked: 720 times
What does Ben Dixon actually do?
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?
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?
The rest of Australia can wander mask-free, socialise, eat out, no curfews, no zoning, no police rings of steel, no illogical inconsistent rules.
They can even WATCH LIVE FOOTY!
They can even WATCH LIVE FOOTY!
-
- Saintsational Legend
- Posts: 11322
- Joined: Thu 11 Mar 2004 12:57am
- Location: South of Heaven
- Has thanked: 1312 times
- Been thanked: 447 times
Re: What does Ben Dixon actually do?
He may as well have gone fishing. On what advice did we even hire him? Did he "work wonders" with another team before?
Curb your enthusiasm - you’re a St.Kilda supporter!!
![Image](https://i.imgur.com/LkJcQq3.jpg?2)
![Image](https://i.imgur.com/LkJcQq3.jpg?2)
-
- Saintsational Legend
- Posts: 11551
- Joined: Sun 11 Sep 2011 2:26pm
- Has thanked: 3522 times
- Been thanked: 2464 times
Re: What does Ben Dixon actually do?
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
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
-
- Club Player
- Posts: 681
- Joined: Tue 07 Feb 2012 1:03pm
- Has thanked: 1 time
- Been thanked: 4 times
-
- SS Life Member
- Posts: 2508
- Joined: Tue 14 Jun 2005 9:11pm
- Location: Behind the goal, South Road end
- Has thanked: 32 times
- Been thanked: 38 times
Re: What does Ben Dixon actually do?
Scollop wrote: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
- Club Player
- Posts: 187
- Joined: Wed 14 Sep 2011 7:37pm
- Location: Melbourne
- Has thanked: 16 times
- Been thanked: 89 times
Re: What does Ben Dixon actually do?
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
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
- Saintsational Legend
- Posts: 30089
- Joined: Mon 15 Mar 2004 11:07am
- Location: Melbourne
- Has thanked: 711 times
- Been thanked: 1233 times
Re: What does Ben Dixon actually do?
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.
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.
Flying the World in comfort thanks to FF Points....
-
- Saintsational Legend
- Posts: 18579
- Joined: Thu 11 Mar 2004 1:36am
- Has thanked: 1905 times
- Been thanked: 841 times
Re: What does Ben Dixon actually do?
I can talk about golf - full swing and the short game - but I reckon the same principles hold true.Scollop wrote: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.
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
![Laughing :lol:](./images/smilies/icon_lol.gif)
-
- Saintsational Legend
- Posts: 25303
- Joined: Tue 01 Feb 2005 4:25pm
- Location: Trump Tower
- Has thanked: 142 times
- Been thanked: 284 times
Re: What does Ben Dixon actually do?
Dixon has buggered off to Nigeria with some other money he has scammed from other unsuspecting people.
i am Melbourne Skies - sometimes Blue Skies, Grey Skies, even Partly Cloudy Skies.
-
- SS Hall of Fame
- Posts: 2203
- Joined: Wed 19 Aug 2009 10:32pm
- Location: Del Mar, California
- Has thanked: 34 times
- Been thanked: 237 times
Re: What does Ben Dixon actually do?
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.
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
- SS Hall of Fame
- Posts: 2467
- Joined: Mon 18 Aug 2014 2:07pm
- Has thanked: 86 times
- Been thanked: 256 times
Re: What does Ben Dixon actually do?
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.
Our kicking problems are between the ears.
- saintsRrising
- Saintsational Legend
- Posts: 30089
- Joined: Mon 15 Mar 2004 11:07am
- Location: Melbourne
- Has thanked: 711 times
- Been thanked: 1233 times
Re: What does Ben Dixon actually do?
Yep, but that is exactly why one has coaches.Linton Lodger wrote:
Our kicking problems are between the ears.
Flying the World in comfort thanks to FF Points....
-
- SS Life Member
- Posts: 3856
- Joined: Fri 16 Sep 2011 2:41pm
- Has thanked: 419 times
- Been thanked: 237 times
Re: What does Ben Dixon actually do?
I think we'd be better trading in Dixon for a team of psychologists.saintsRrising wrote:Yep, but that is exactly why one has coaches.Linton Lodger wrote:
Our kicking problems are between the ears.
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.
Always loyal
-
- Saintsational Legend
- Posts: 4895
- Joined: Tue 13 Jun 2017 1:16pm
- Has thanked: 1410 times
- Been thanked: 1429 times
Re: What does Ben Dixon actually do?
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).