Bend or "Curve" a Soccer Ball
Curving a ball takes a lot of practice to master. This article explains how to curve a soccer ball.
Steps
- Be realistic. Curving a soccer ball is actually a lot harder to do than you might think. This will require plenty of ongoing practice, preferably with friends or other team players.
- Place the ball on the ground on the right side of 18-yard line for righties and on the left side for lefties.
- Take about two to three steps back and two to the side (the side where you want the ball to go).
- Look at the point of the ball where you want to hit the ball. If you want it to swerve to the right, kick the ball on the left side and vice versa for swerving it to the left. It is much easier to start out with curving the ball to the left.
- Take a running start. Aim for a bottom-right panel on the ball. Place your planting foot (left foot if you kick with right, and vice versa) at a 45 degree angle towards the ball. Take your footwear off and look at your foot. Feel the inside of your shooting foot. Feel just below the end of your big toe bone. Now move another {{safesubst:#invoke:convert|convert}} towards your ankle. This is where you should make contact with the ball. When you actually kick, your kicking foot should wrapped around to the left side of your body (for righties).
- Hit the ball with the inside of your foot. When smacking the ball with the inside of the foot, be sure to follow through with your foot.
- Make sure to swing your hips.
- Keep your ankle locked and keep your body over the ball. Step 7.
- When kicking the ball, kick as though you slightly roll it just along the outside of your kicking foot's toe-to-ball of feet.
Tips
- Practice as much as you can.
- Lean back to shoot it high. Lean forward to shoot it low.
- Aim to spin the ball as much as possible by dragging the foot across it- strike the opposite side of the ball to the direction you want it to travel in.
- If the ball is being struck "dead" (for example during a free kick) then it can sometimes be advantageous position the valve (used to inflate the ball) carefully. Despite it's minimal weight, placing the ball with the valve on one side of the ball can affect it's flight. This is particularly effective with the newer, more modern balls coming into play which are extremely light and prone to move unexpectedly in the air.
- Imagine a red cross wrapped around the ball with it facing the goal--backwards, left and right, and across. Run toward the ball at a 45 degree angle. Kick the ball at the point of the cross facing backwards from the goal and make the ball leave your foot when your foot is on the point of the cross that is pointing right (it's on the right side of the ball). If you're right footed, opposite for left-footers.
Warnings
- Be sure the ball will curve before you strike it or it will end up somewhere unwanted (such as going out).
Things You'll Need
- Soccer ball
- Cleats (lightweight cleats are recommended)
- Shin guards
- Soccer socks
