How to Kick a Soccer Ball: A Guide

How to Kick a Soccer Ball: A Guide

How to Kick a Soccer Ball: A Guide

Want to put more distance and power into your soccer shot? This guide on how to kick a soccer ball will teach you all of the basics!

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It's no secret that playing soccer provides a whole host of physical and even mental health benefits to young children.

However, if you want your son or daughter to follow in the footsteps of the greatest soccer stars in the world, they need to learn how to kick a soccer ball first.

Developing the right technique from an early age is an essential part of any sport--and incredibly important when it comes to preventing injury. But kicking a soccer ball isn't as easy as players like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo make it look.

But, just like your child, they had to start somewhere!

Whether you want to get your child excited about youth soccer tryouts, then you need to keep on reading this post.

In it, we'll tell you everything you need to know about how to kick a soccer ball far.

1. Set Things Up

The very first step in learning how to kick a soccer ball? It's all about your initial approach.

When you're running towards the ball, or if you're about to take a free kick, you want to set yourself up so that your stronger foot is in a position to strike the ball.

If you're left-footed, then move your body slightly to the right. This will help you to avoid kicking the soccer ball in its center, which actually creates less force than a ball that's struck on its side.

If you're dribbling and preparing to take a big kick, then try to position the ball in front of your big toe on your dominant foot. This will help you to shoot or even to pass with much more power.

As you run, focus on shortening the length in between your strides if you want to learn how to kick a soccer ball with power. The shorter your strides are, the better amount of control your dominant foot will have when it makes that final contact with the ball.

If you really want an extra push, then you can even do a tiny forward leap on your final stride to create power as you dribble down the field.

Before you kick, make sure that the foot you're not planning on kicking the ball with is planted firmly and fully on the ground next to the ball. This set up will help to ensure that your body ever so slightly hovers over the soccer ball itself, giving you more accuracy and control.

Keep that foot that's planted on the ground pointed forward, in the direction of where you want to take your soccer shot.

2. Getting The Right Amount of Power

When you're learning how to kick a soccer ball far, you might be surprised to find out that there is actually such a thing as using too much power.

If you focus only on hammering the ball down the field as far as you can, you won't have the kind of control that you need to make a shot or connect the pass to the other player.

First, keep your body relaxed (this is why you see so many players on television jumping up and down or shaking their bodies before an epic free or corner kick.)

Extend your overall swing in relation to the distance that you need the ball to travel. If you need the ball to make it halfway down the field, then you should take a seriously long swing. For a short distance, however, only lift your leg a few inches off the ground behind you as you prepare to kick.

As you connect with the ball, focus on pointing your toes towards the ground. This helps you to hit the ball with the "sweet spot" of your foot. It also helps to keep your ankle from swinging around.

The "sweet spot" of your foot is a few centimeters below the laces of your cleats. In a sense, it's where your feet and toes meet. Avoid kicking the soccer ball with your toes as this can lead to serious pain and injury (not to mention a bad shot.)

3. Focus on the Follow Through

The final step of kicking a soccer ball is all about the follow through.

Make sure that you continue to lift your leg after you've taken your kick, and that the raised leg is pointed in the direction where you want the ball to go. Focus on creating an "arc" with your leg.

Then, place your kicking foot firmly and fully on the ground in front of you. This will help you to keep your balance and better prepare to swing back into action.

Always make it a point to run after your shot. After all, even if it doesn't go in, you still may have created the perfect set-up for a follow-up shot.

Don't miss out on an opportunity to score.

Learning How to Kick a Soccer Ball Takes Practice

We hope that this post has taught you a few of the most important steps of learning how to kick a soccer ball.

Of course, remember that practice makes perfect!

Try-outs for this season are just around the corner--so there's no time like the present for your child to start seriously practicing their soccer skills.

Interested in learning more about what sets F.C Express apart from the competition? Want to get to know the coaches your child may be working with?

If so, then we invite you to spend some time on our website. Not only will you be able to get up-to-date tryout information, you'll also understand why we're the right fit for your child.

We can't wait to see you cheering them on at their first game.