When learning how to kick a Soccer ball your age range is of no concern because anyone that seems physically active can kick a soccer ball. But something amazing happens; your mind appears to make a sudden move when you try to kick a soccer ball.
There are diverse ways to kicking a soccer ball, either you’re trying to shoot for power, or you’re trying to make a curve with the ball. There are also different parts of the foot you can use to kick a soccer ball that is within your foot range. In this article, we will discuss a step by step guide to making a single kick count in your soccer practice.
Methods of Passing a Ball
Learn How to Lock Your Ankle:
You need to lock your ankle to ensure that your foot isn’t weak when it makes contact with the ball. If you have a weak foot, then the ball would make a poor move. While making a perfect pass, your ankle needs to be firm from the inside and the toes pointing upward. Locking your ankle ensures an accurate and great pass.
Pass the Ball with the Side of Your Foot:
To ensure you have an accurate pass the ball need to make contact with the side of your foot and not your toes. You won’t get much force from that part, but it is the most accurate way to make a perfect pass with the ball. You can use the side of your foot to point the ball in the right direction.
Make a Ground Pass.
Making short passes on the ground, you only need to point the ball and drive through with your foot close to the ball. You shouldn’t raise your foot too far from the ground. Make sure not to move your leg pass the right trajectory you’re aiming.
Make a Long Pass in the Air.
You need to extend and follow through your foot completely in the air to make this kind of pass. Make sure you kick the soccer ball into the air while making this kind of pass. Unlike the ground pass, you need to slightly lift your leg off the ground a little bit high to make an accurate pass.
Methods of Shooting a Ball
Take a few steps back:
If you’re a football lover or you even play a lot of soccer games. You would notice that when a player is about to take a penalty kick, free kick or a corner kick, the players takes some steps back before he goes for a great shot. Taking 17-foot steps away (4.8m) from the ball might not give you a power kick of the ball. All you need to do is just a few steps to the back.
Lock Your Ankle:
Your foot needs to control how the ball moves. If you’re trying to achieve a spin while you kick the ball, you need to lock your ankle so that you don’t get a weak shot and you’re aiming in the right direction.
Shoot the Ball With Your Foot or Your Laces:
In pass the ball method you have to use the side of your foot to make an accurate pass. Unlike the passes method, you can shoot the ball with your toe only if you’re wearing cleats or soccer shoes. But toe-kicking is not always the right method to use for shooting a ball. You can always use your foot lace to get an accurate shot. You need to keep your foot stable and focused on figuring the right position to send the ball. Accuracy is the best thing you need when shooting a ball.
Positioning your Second foot and Drive through Your Kick:
Your second foot is that foot that helps your stand with the ball. Now, the ball is pointed to the direction you’re aiming. To make a perfect shoot, you need to bend your foot such that your toe faces the ground. Remember to focus on the ball and not to hit too hard to make your accurate shot. The power used to send the ball might swipe both your legs off the ground. Make sure your planter foot (second foot) has enough strength to hold you down so that you don’t get swept off. Make sure you lean back as you follow through with the ball.
Volley:
Volley means shooting a ball while it is still in the air. However, when shooting a soccer ball in the air, make sure your ankle is locked, and you are in a balanced position. You are not too far from the landing point of the ball. Follow through the ball as you make you’re a strong kick.
Tips to Ensure a Longer, Stronger and Faster Kick:
- Relax your entire body including your head, legs, neck, shaking out every tension and feel light. The only part of your body you that seems to feel the tension is your ankle.
- Permit your knee to come first before your foot. Your knee coming first will form a V-Shape within the period you’re about to take that shot.
- Kick with the top of your toe while aiming for the ball from an angle. The largest bone (metatarsal) in your foot is the best for striking a ball, which is above the big toe.
- If you can watch your feet make the right contact with the ball, then you’re aiming at a good direction. While doing this, your entire body needs to be light and bent into position and go for the shoot.
On a final note, reading through this article, you would have learned the basics on how to make accurate passes and shots. Watch a lot of games and pay close attention to the position a player takes when kicking a soccer ball.