How to Kick a Soccer Ball Correctly

Click here to learn the most effective technique to kick the ball correctly.

So you've decided to play soccer, or perhaps you have been enlisted as a coach of your local youth soccer league? A good place to start is learning how to kick the ball correctly to avoid injury, and start your soccer program off on the right foot.

Some experts suggest starting barefooted, and sitting on the floor. Keeping your knees inside your arms, kick the soccer ball slightly, as if you were executing a punt in American football. Keep the ball no more than two feet above your foot. With toes pointed, and your ankles locked, strike the ball with the laces part of your foot. If the ball goes straight up without spinning, you are doing it correctly. Keep in mind that if you have just a bit of topspin, this is also a good sign. Perform this exercise over and over until you are comfortable doing it.

Once you have mastered the single kick, it's time to double up. Once you kick the ball up once, try to kick it again while still maintaining control. Everyone has seen soccer players on TV kicking the ball off their knees or feet for minutes at a time without losing control, and this is the goal of this exercise.

So, you've mastered kicking the ball while sitting. Now it's time to stand up and repeat the same exercises. But instead of kicking the ball only a few feet, try to kick it 7-8 feet into the air. You will still be trying to avoid spin on the ball. The goal here is control and not power, as that comes later. This is called juggling, as you try to keep control of the ball with just your feet without letting the ball hit the ground. Once you can juggle the ball, pass it around to a teammate, or allow the ball to hit the ground, and then regain control of the ball again, you are on your way to a successful soccer experience!

This is a long-term ongoing program that takes time and patience. Most professional soccer players still spend time practicing how to kick the ball correctly, so you should not neglect this important aspect of the game.

Click here to learn the most effective technique to kick the ball correctly.