Whether dribbling, passing or shooting the ball, football players must think on their feet.  On the field, they keep the ball moving and aim to put it past the goalie into the net. To accomplish this simple thing, players also play a complex thinking game. The ball needs to be moved by foot and must arrive at the right person’s feet without letting any other fast-moving feet intervene. All parts of the foot can be used during the game.  Whether for controlling the ball or kicking it from various angles, Football is truly an “Inside-Outside-Top-Heel-Bottom-of–the-Foot Game”

Of all the football skills, kicking the ball powerfully is apparently the most difficult. It can be an offensive shot on goal or a defensive clearance. It entails a big windup and a big follow through.

Key Pointers for a Kick

Relax.  Allow your entire body to go limp. Shake it out. Let your head, neck legs and every part of your body relax.  The only part of your body that will have tension is your ankle.

Large last stride / loading.  Make your last stride a long “forward hopping” load. Your heel should come close to your behind.  Allow your knee to come through first.  This is known as “storing the load”. Your lower leg will form a V shape. Keep that V shape as long as possible and at the last minute let it extent in a WHIPPING motion through the ball.

Kick with the big toe knuckle.  Approach the ball from a slight angle. The largest bone in your foot is the first metatarsal which is just above the big toe knuckle. This translates into FORCE or energy at impact.

“Break the pane”.   Pretend that the ball is sitting in front of a large pane of glass. You want to break the pane with your body, not just your leg or foot. This means that your forward momentum should continue through the shot. This will also cause you to land on your SHOOTING foot, not your plant foot.

Watch your foot contact the ball.  If you can see your foot strike the ball you are kicking properly. Doing this also keeps your body in a slightly “bent over” position.  Straightening up will kill some of the power release. (1)

Go to – http://www.toronto2015.org/schedule

Resources: 

http://www.toronto2015.org/football-soccer

http://www.socceru.com/kicking_soccer_ball_with_power.htm (1)

http://www.soccer-training-methods.com/kicking-a-soccer-ball.html

http://www.soccer-training-info.com/soccer_strategy_tactics.asp

Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.   1 Corinthians 9:25 (NIV)

TRAINING – COMPETITION – PODIUM