Geelong star Steve Johnson defends snap kick

STEVIE J says keep on snapping, boys. And the stats back the Geelong magician.

Paul Chapman

STEVIE J says keep on snapping, boys.

The set-shot snap that Steve Johnson has made famous was called into question after teammates Jimmy Bartel and Harry Taylor failed to execute their versions in the dying moments of Sunday's two-point loss to Adelaide.

But the creative Cat says players should ignore the critics.

"As long as it's been practised, I have no doubt the goal ratio will be higher if that's what the player is most comfortable with," Johnson posted on Twitter yesterday.

"My advice, don't change because some traditionalists think it's wrong, do what you know is right and accept responsibility if you miss knowing you gave yourself the best chance of kicking a goal!"

Quick point I wanted to make about players snapping the ball! pic.twitter.com/BHV5NkwH80

— steve johnson (@Steviejohnson20) July 23, 2013

A headline in Monday's Herald Sun read "Cats can blame Stevie J factor".

Johnson wasn't having any of that.

"Can't believe the scrutiny over players choosing to snap over kicking a drop punt if on favoured side," he posted.

"Could explain in detail as to why it's the better option but will stop by saying I am certain the % is higher by opening up angle."

And he's right. Champion Data stats from the past two seasons show the success rate for players who kick a deliberate snap from a set shot 15-30m out in the left or right pocket - where Bartel and Taylor turned side on to the goal on Sunday - is seven percentage points higher than those who boot a regular drop punt.

The set-snap figures include banana kicks.

The league success rate for the pocket set snap is 64 per cent. For the master, it's 91 per cent.

Johnson also kicks them from in front, of course, and those aren't counted here.

But from either pocket, he's a gun. From the left pocket he's 100 per cent from five attempts with the set screw kick.

He's gone the traditional route just once in his career from that pocket - for no goal.

Set-snapping on his left foot from the right pocket, he's running at 75 per cent accuracy (four kicks), while it's just 50 per cent with a drop punt from the same number of kicks.

But Stevie knows all that.