7 Successful Ways to Strike a Soccer Ball
Not all big swings need to strike fear on the field.
The wonderful thing about footy is there are always more skills to refine, tactics to explore, tricks to invent, and opponents to leave standing! And, with that in mind, our Inspiration Series is here to spark your imagination and inspire you to try something different in your next game…
To kick things off, we’re focusing on the art of ball-striking with seven different techniques that will bewitch even the best of goalkeepers!
The Knuckleball
Arguably first perfected by Brazilian free-kick specialist Juninho Pernambucano, Portuguese icon Cristiano Ronaldo brought this technique to the mainstream. The idea is to kick the ball so it flies through the air with little to no spin at all… which is easier said than done! Check out this video for some outrageous mid-air movement
The Skimmer
You may need a little help from your playing surface for this one! Skidding a half-volley across the field is a thing of beauty… and even better if you can let one of these fly at goal, as the chances of a keeper collecting cleanly are almost non-existent. Your field doesn’t need to be as wet as in the following example, but you get the picture!
The Swerve
The jury’s out on the ideal method to make the ball swerve, and some would argue that playing with a slightly flat ball is your best bet. What is not in doubt is that - if you perfect the art - your team-mates will love you (while the Goalkeepers Union will not!). This 41-meter missile from Hakan Calhanoglu for Hamburg is a fine example and remains to this day the longest shot ever scored in the German Bundesliga.
The Swerve Volley
Although this can be pulled out by outfielders as well, here’s one for NYC Footy’s legion of goalkeepers. Slicing hard across the ball can add ridiculous pace and fade to your delivery. The only problem for the intended recipient is that reading the flight of the ball can be a nightmare!
The Dip
The ability to perfectly time acrobatic volleys is gifted to a select few… but it’s fair to say that keeping your eye on the ball and dialing down the power will help you master them. Still one of the greatest goals of all-time, Marco Van Basten’s strike at the 1988 European Championships is Exhibit A when talk turns to the best dipping volleys in history.
The Whip
Plenty of players can ping a ball over a defensive wall… but few can whip it with enough velocity to leave keepers stranded. Most free-kicks these days follow this archetype, and the fact not many go in is a testament to how difficult this technique is to perfect. When they go in, though, they are LOVELY!
The Toe Punt
Often derided as a basic skill, there is a time and place for an outrageous toe poke! With very little back lift, a toe punt can generate surprising power…and if you add in an element of surprise, you are on to a winner! Brazilian wizard Ronaldinho was one of the greats in this regard.