Are you looking to branch into the game of soccer either for fun or professionally? Or do you want to help a child master the art of kicking a football with the right technique? This article comprehensively covers with expert-provided GIFs, how to kick a soccer ball with elite-level technique.
There are three different kicking methods in football which encompasses how to correctly pass the low ball, high ball and how to shoot. Although this content is primarily centred around beginners, even the professional footballer could learn a couple of things from this write up. Let’s get on with it.
How to Kick a Soccer Ball For Beginners
Pass
To better understand this, let’s look at the most basic passing. When you pass the ball, you should pay attention to some important details.
First of all, no matter when the ball is passed, there must be a certain measured distance between the ball and the foot, this way the kicked ball is more powerful.
The second is the supporting foot. If the right foot kicks the ball, the left foot should be almost parallel to the ball, because this will better maintain the balance of the body.
Follow the visual figures below to better understand how to master this basic kicking technique.
Figure 1-The supporting foot is on the ball side
If you can’t maintain a good balance, you will be forced to incline backwards when the ball is kicked, which is a poor kicking posture
Figure 2-Demonstration of poor kicking posture
To maintain a good balance, place the left foot parallel to the side of the ball, and then use the inside of the foot to complete the pass.
Figure 3-Hit the ball on the inside of the foot
When hitting the ball, use the part of the foot highlighted in the clip below to kick the middle of the ball. If the kick position is too low, the ball will be kicked upwards, which will cause difficulty for the receiver.
Figure 4-Bow hitting the ball
Now combine all of the aforementioned four steps and swing the calf to hit the middle of the ball firmly and powerfully.
At this point, we want to emphasize that many footballers tend to possess insufficient kicking strength due to an inaccurate swing of the calf. This is one mistake you should avoid. The clip below fully explains to swing your calf accurately to generate enough power.
Figure 5-Swinging the calf
If the the right part of the ball is hit with the right method, the kicked ball will move forward on the ground and the teammates will have better control. So if the pass is good, the ball will go straight to the teammate.
Another important point in passing is the direction of the supporting foot. If you want to pass forward, the toes of your supporting foot should point forward, as this is your line of sight.
This is a point often overlooked when practicing. The correct placement of the supporting feet not only allows you to pass the ball more accurately, but also helps you maintain your body balance.
Figure 6-Support feet pointing
We can take a look at the following example. If we want to pass the ball straight ahead with our supporting foot pointing to the side of the body, it is obvious that the body will be very awkward. This makes it easier for the opponent to detect your intention and dispossessed you.
This kind of mistake is especially easy for kids and beginners to make. Remember that the kicking foot should always be at a 90-degree angle to the supporting foot, and the supporting foot should point in the direction you want to pass.
Figure 7-Demonstration of support foot error
How to Kick a Soccer Ball for Beginners: Overhead Long Pass
The second way of kicking the ball is to hit for a long pass. This is also a skill that must be mastered in order to better understand how to kick a soccer ball. When serving goal kicks or switching play, the high ball will play a very important role.
Unlike regular passing, kicking the ball is nothing special so the preparations before kicking are exactly the same. The ball is moved away from the foot to leave enough space for the ball but more importantly, the supporting foot is slightly adjusted this time, at a distance farther away than ordinary passing.
Rather than the top, kick the bottom of the ball with the position of the shoelace of our foot.
Figure 8-Shoelaces hitting the ball
The only way to hit a long pass is to hit the lower part of the ball, which will also produce a spin. If you had kicked in the wrong position, the ball might get to its intended target, but with the amount of uncontrolled rotations it will generate, it will be difficult for your teammates to control your pass.
Figure 9-Bottom of the shot
Just as various spins are applied in table tennis to make it difficult for the opponent to receive the ball, so also try to make the ball spin downward to give your teammate the most stable pass.
Figure 10-Long pass demonstration
When kicking the ball, the body naturally leans back, which also helps to kick the ball up.
Figure 11-Demonstration of body backward
When the body is leaned back, the foot is easier to hit the bottom of the ball, which is a correct body posture for a long pass.
Figure 12-Lean back and hit the bottom of the ball
When kicking the ball, the foot will naturally sweep across the ground, which signifies that if your foot does not sweep across the ground, you are kicking in the wrong position.
However, be careful not to sweep the body horizontally too early, as this might result in sweeping the football with your toes, making it difficult to kick the ball.
Figure 13-Sweep the ground with the ball
How to Shoot a Soccer Ball for Beginners
The next step is shooting.
Many people want to make their kicks “harder” and how to shoot with power is the biggest concern of many footballers, even professionals. In the next few diagrams we will explain how to shoot a soccer ball with the right technique.
It is important to first note that different positions have different hitting powers. If you are far away and want to shoot hard, you should shoot with the front of your foot.
Figure 14-Demonstration of shooting with the back of the instep
When shooting goalwards, first let the ball move away from the body. If the space is too tight, it will be difficult to exert force. Put the ball in front of you at an angle, and place the supporting foot parallel to the ball. This is similar to passing the ball.
However, when kicking the ball, the toes should face down completely. If the foot is lifted up a little bit, it is likely to be inaccurate, therefore, this must be strictly followed.
When shooting, you must face down and hit the ball with the front of your metatarsal.
Figure 15-Toe Down Demonstration
Of course, you can also use the inside of your foot to shoot, which is more accurate, but if you want to use more power, you must use the front of your foot.
Figure 16-Use the front instep for force
The source of strength comes from swinging your legs, so swing your calves back to the hips, then hit the ball.
The greater the amplitude or swing, the greater the power. A lot of footballers tend to pay too much attention to force or want to execute their shot quickly, that they ignore the pertinence of swinging the leg. This is the most important factor behind weak shots.
Figure 17-Leg swing height
Finally, when shooting, you should kick the ball out and follow the whole body. After the kicking foot hits the ball, take a step forward and let the whole body move forward with the ball, so that you can generate more kinetic energy.
Figure 18-The body follows the trend
Figure 19-Demonstration of shooting from the instep
