How Wilkinson's kicking coach is helping Donald hit the greens again

Mentor behind Jonny's Rugby World Cup win has now transformed the golfer's game

By James Corrigan at St Andrews

Thursday, 15 July 2010

It is time for the English to conquer the world again, they say, time for the young golfers of Albion to stand up and redress an Open void which now stands at 18 years. But where to go for the inspiration?

To Sir Nick Faldo perhaps, the last countryman to lift the Claret Jug? Justin Rose and Ian Poulter certainly see the value of his experience, regularly dining with the six-times major winner to pick up tasty titbits. However, our Nick never has been to everyone's taste.

Well, how about looking further afield, out of the country club gates and on to the pitches of England's last great sporting glory? How about to Jonny Wilkinson and that boot which conquered the world? How about applying his disciplined regime to a pursuit which requires the mental side to back up the physical side more than any other? Luke Donald is doing just that and here this week he and the coach who gave Wilko his radar, Dave Alred, have been hard at it on the practice green. The similarities are obvious. Repeated kicks at the uprights; repeated strokes at the hole. The connection was waiting to happen.

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Kicking Camp @ Taunton RFC with Dr Dave Alred

Alred Yapp Kicking Coaching bring you a great opportunity to receive world class kicking coaching.

Tony Yapp will join Dave in delivering this unique opportunity. With the season around the corner this is a great chance to sharpen your skills and improve your understanding of kicking principles.

Sunday 22nd August 2010 @ Taunton RFC
U10's at 9.00am (1hour 30min session) 36 places £45 per player
10-14yrs 11.00am (1hour 30min session) 28 places £55 per player
14-20yrs 1.00pm (2hour session) 16 places £100 per player


Contact Tony for more information: 
alredyapp@hotmail.co.uk 07975794429


Click here to download and print booking form.

Dave Alred helps golfer Luke Donald

This year Dave Alred has done some work with golfer Luke Donald.

Donald writes in his official diary, " Just before Hawaii, I got together in Florida with my coach Pat Goss and another guy called Dave Alred, who is a performance coach. We worked on lots of different ways to simulate tournament conditions." Dave has the ability to apply his principles for performing under pressure into many different contexts. I have my 'Open App' on my iPhone and will be following him closely this year. SA

http://golf.mizunoeurope.com/tour/luke_donald_s_diary.php?article=2010_03_11

Wilko prefers the Alred way

Wilkinson pays kicking guru Alred out of his own pocket
"Jonny Wilkinson booked himself a private goalkicking lesson at Twickenham on Thursday and paid for it out of his own pocket.
As a further sign of his refusal to leave anything to chance, England's matchwinning fly half arranged a two-hour session at his own expense with one of the three specialist coaches the RFU dismissed after their protracted inquest into last season's failed Six Nations' campaign.

Dave Alred, England's World Cup kicking coach whose work with Wilkinson used to be part of his full-time job with the RFU over a six-year period, has been retained by the player since losing his job at the end of last season."

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/article-434966/Wikinson-pays-kicking-guru-Alred-pocket.html#ixzz0tSbe5woa

Contact Us

If you have any questions or would like any more information please contact us.

Tel: 07975794429

Email: alredyapp@hotmail.co.uk

Practice makes perfect when it comes to kicking for Chiefs ace

EXETER Chiefs fly-half Danny Gray says he has noticed an improvement already from the extra kicking sessions he has undertaken.

New backs coach Ali Hepher has been doing some work with the squad on kicking techniques this summer.

And Gray has taken on extra training with Stu Alred in a bid to get some extra tips ahead of the new campaign.

Former Exeter player Alred has gone into business with Chiefs legend Tony Yapp to help players with their kicking.

The son of former England kicking guru Dave, Alred has had a few sessions with Gray at Sandy Park.

Ex-Bristol ace Gray said it was handy to have someone come in and look at what he is doing right and wrong.

"Stu (Alred) knows his dad's processes so well, I've had four sessions with him and I've really seen improvements from that.

"You can hit a plateau as a kicker and you don't really know what you're doing wrong and what you're doing right. Having someone come in and really explain the details to you is really good."

Gray ended last season on the treatment table as he picked up a knee injury.

Ex-Chiefs Yapp and Alred kick off coaching careers

IN these days of professionalism, rugby players have to have an eye on what to do with their life when they finish playing.

For two former Exeter Chiefs players that will involve running their own kicking coaching business.

Tony Yapp and Stuart Alred met when the latter joined the Chiefs while studying at the University of Exeter.

They spent many an hour training together at the County Ground and working on the finer points of kicking.

Now they are turning their attention to passing on their vast knowledge of kicking techniques to other players.

Yapp, who left the Chiefs at the end of last season after smashing the club's points-scoring record in his seven-year stint, has not retired just yet.

The 31-year-old has become player/backs coach at Launceston and is looking to carry on playing.

Alred also has his work cut out, even though he retired from the professional game a few years ago.

Recently married and with his first child born last month, the 25-year-old is also training to become a church pastor.

But both are starting to increase the amount of time they devote to Alred Yapp Kicking Coaching.

As well as their own natural talents, the duo have the expertise of one of the world's most renowned kicking coaches behind them. The fact it's Alred's father, Dave, helps a little.

The younger Alred, who also played for Launceston and Devon under-21s, said his dad had passed on the wealth of knowledge he has gleaned over the years working with England and the British & Irish Lions, among other teams.

"A couple of years ago, Tony and I decided to start up a business to offer coaching to youngsters and other players," said Alred.

Full article http://www.thisisexeter.co.uk/news/Ex-Chiefs-Yapp-Alred-kick-coaching-careers/article-1146194-detail/article.html

Ben Scott

Kicking was one of the weaker aspects of my game. Stuart turned this around. I have learnt good foundational principles and am now more powerful and more consistent. I have grown in confidence and now see kicking as a one of my strengths. Stu knows his Dad's methods inside out but is also a good communicator and kicker in his own right. I would fully recommend Stu as a kicking coach.

Ben Scott
U18 Daily Mail Cup Winner 2005
Exeter Chiefs

Dave Sims

"I am an experienced player who has played professional rugby for Gloucester, Worcester, Exeter and England over 12 years.

As I have played at a high level I have been fortunate enough to have played with some of the best kickers in the world, most of whom have benefited from Dave Alreds coaching. They cannot speak highly enough of him. It is with this knowledge that I wanted my players to benefit from the same quality of coaching.

When I realised that Tony and Stu, both experienced professional kickers were able to offer the same coaching techniques I booked several sessions straight away. The feedback from our players was very positive, they assured me that they had all benefited from it. They were impressed with the knowledge Tony and Stu showed and the methods they used were very clear. I was able to see the results in future games and due to this have booked sessions for our pre-season training schedule.

I would highly recommend Tony and Stu to any players who are seriously interested in improving their kicking game."

Dave Sims

England, Gloucester, Exeter

Andy Birkett

When Stuart Alred and Tony Yapp came to the club and took a kicking session during the season I was really impressed with the content and also how they put their message across.I have played senior rugby for 14 years and sometimes it is easy to forget that there is plenty you can still learn.I left the session thinking how my rugby could have been improved if someone had spent time teaching me kicking techniques earlier in my career.Both Stuart and Tony are friendly,approachable and knowledgable guys whose own techniques have been tested and succeeded in pressure situations and I could only recommend them as coaches from my experience.

Andy Birkett
Cornish All Blacks

Stuart Alred

Stuart is a RFU level 2 coach. His playing career has included Exeter University, Exeter Chiefs and Launceston. Stuart has represented England Universities. He set a club record at Launceston for most penalty goals in a season and being Dave’s son has given him added insight!

Stuart is now retired from playing professional rugby. He is training to be a Church Pastor as well as enjoying coaching.

Tony Yapp

Tony is a RFU level 3 coach. His playing career has included Worcester, Bedford, Randwick (Aus) Exeter, Launceston and now Taunton. Tony has represented England U21's, England ‘A’ and the Barbarians. Tony is known for his outstanding all round kicking and has found Dave’s methods invaluable adding to his distinguished career.

During his Exeter career Tony made 173 appearences scoring 1800 points. T 51 P 236 C 399 DG 13.

Dave Alred

Coaching System

Dave Alred MBE PHD is regarded by players, coaches and the media as the best in the world at his craft.

Dave has devised a coaching system which has brought him much success over the years. He was an England assistant coach for over 106 tests (1995-06) and a British Lions assistant for three tours. He was inaugurated into the UK Coaching Hall of Fame, awarded the Mussabini Medal (2003) for outstanding success on the world stage and honoured with an MBE in 2004.He completed his PhD at Loughborough University in 2005.

His reputation for coaching expertise covers both hemispheres and a range of sports at the highest level. He has worked with both individuals and clubs in English Premiership Soccer e.g. Newcastle, Middlesborough, Sunderland, Ipswich and Watford, and Gaelic Football in Ireland with both Dublin and County Omagh. In Australia he has coached the Wallabies in Rugby Union, St George, Newcastle, Parramatta, and Manly in Rugby League and recently the West Coast Eagles Australian Rules team, who won the 2006 Grand Final.

As well as coaching teams he concentrates a great deal of time on developing individual performance believing that this is the foundation of a team’s success, recently the most notable has been his work with Jonny Wilkinson, Charlie Hodgson and Ollie Barkley.

His student list includes:

• England’s Rob Andrew, Jonathan Webb, Stuart Barnes, Paul Grayson;
• British Lions Neil Jenkins, Steven Jones, Ronan O’Gara;
• Australians Matthew Burke, David Campese, Andrew Johns and Berrick Barnes.

Dave is pleased to give Stuart (his son!) and Tony access to his coaching system which had helped so many international players. Stuart and Tony are excited about sharing Dave’s system to the next generation of ambitious players.

Medical Research

Scientific evidence suggests that the Dave Alred way is the best...

Kicking the Dave Alred way = MORE POWER, MORE ACCURACY, LESS INJURY!

The result of the research into the Dave Alred Coaching System concluded there was

• a reduction in adductor muscle activity, (which decreases injury risk).
• an increase in ball speed.
• an improvement in accuracy (increase in 18.45%).

Research Findings

Research into the effects of Dave Alred’s C- Shape© and J-Shape© Kicking.

A biomechanical, functional and physiological investigation into two types of kicking of a soccer ball was completed at the Centre of Scientific and Cultural Research in Sport, School of Human and Life Sciences at Roehampton University in 2006 as part of MSc Sports Medicine by J. E. Hawkes.

These findings were produced as a result of two coaching interventions with a group of elite soccer players, who predominately exhibited a C- Shape© swing path, and who, as a result, moved towards more of a J-Shape© swing path.

The tests and coaching sessions were conducted at Loughborough University in February 2006. The specific areas were analysed:

1. muscle activity on both the kicking leg and plant legX pre and post intervention
2. ball speeds from kicks pre and post intervention
3. testing shooting accuracy pre and post intervention

Results

1. PHYSICAL ANALYSIS

Kicking Leg

• 80% of subjects showed an increase in medial quads activity which is involved in knee extension and knee stabilisation.

The amount of medial quads activity is often used as an indicator of the level of skill of the player, more skilful players have the ability to increase their rate of activity which impacts directly on producing increased foot speed.

• 60% of subjects showed a decrease in adductor (groin) activity
• 70% of subjects showed a decrease in hamstring activity

This is consistent with DA’s hypothesis that an action that is more J-Shape© is more efficient in terms of power generation and decreases both adduction and hamstring activity, which are potential sources of injury in the kicking leg.

Plant Leg

• 70% of subjects showed a decrease in adductor activity (groin)

This is consistent with DA’s hypothesis that an action that is more J-Shape© has a decrease on adduction action in the plant leg, which is a potential source of injury.

2 & 3. FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS

Power

These results are important, especially as there are decreases in muscle activity.
80% of subjects had an increase in ball speed in post intervention kicks when compared with their pre intervention (coaching sessions) kicks.
Therefore it confirms the trend will be that J shape© kicks are more powerful than C shape© kicks with less muscle activity.

Accuracy

J shape© kicks are more accurate than C shape© kicks as demonstrated by the following kick distributions during the accuracy study.

C shape© distribution on target
6 8 14 22 13 6 10

J shape© distribution on target
2 1 19 26 16 10 4

Of the 79 shots recorded, the total number of shots hitting the target and one deviation either side were: Pre intervention 62.03%; Post intervention 78.48%. This shows an increase in accuracy of 18.45%.

Summary

When players develop their kicking technique from a predominately C-Shape© swing path to more of a J-Shape© swing path there is a reduction in adductor, quads and hamstring activity which decreases the likelihood of injury. There is an increase in speed and accuracy is improved (increase in 18.45%).