Kicking your soccer ball. Articles | Soccer

By: Tine Hidalgo

If you really want to learn to kick a soccer ball, you need to determined, persistent and patient. And of course, you need practice. To get yourself started, you will need a soccer ball, cleats and large clear area so that you can practice. Now let's quickly take a look at some tips to start off.

1. Kicking with your toe should be strictly avoided. It may seriously injure your toe and you'd surely loose the control over the ball.
2. To avoid slipping and tripping over the ground, try using soccer cleats.
3. The ball should only be sufficiently pumped, over pumping would only make it difficult to kick.
4. You can give additional lift to the ball by leaning over it while kicking. Also make sure that the ball is under your foot.
5. If you want to kick the ball far off, do not stand directly over it. Instead while lifting your foot slightly.  Make it go higher by leaning back just a bit.

The above tips will certainly give your kicks more strength. Now we shall take a look at how to kick a soccer ball CORRECTLY. Following the below easy steps should definitely help.

Step 1: Your equipment is the most important, a soccer ball (real one!) and soccer shoes. Playing without soccer shoes is not recommended and playing barefoot should be strictly avoided.

Step 2: Now while kicking, take a few steps backward and a step to the side (to the right if kicking with your right foot and vice versa).  This way you can kick the ball with excess power.

Step 3:  Run towards the ball, using your foot which you are not using for the kicks to direct the ball by placing it about six inches from the ball ground level in the direction that you aim to kick it.

Step 4:  Always bring your leg back and then push it forward, with your toe pointing towards the ground. Your foot should strike the ball at the point where your shoe laces are.

Step 5:  Having your body lean forward in order to push your weight ahead of the body makes the soccer kick more powerful.

Follow these basic steps of soccer and you might just turn out to be a soccer star some day.