If you want to perform well in kickball, and get a win for your team, the most important thing you need to know and master is the ball kicking aspect. You must know how to kick the ball properly, forcefully, but also accurately if you want to send the ball far, but also how to kick it smart if you want to bunt the ball. In this article we will be discussing all you need to know in order to kick the ball better.

1. Use A Good Ball

No matter if you are just practicing or playing seriously, be sure that the ball you use is properly inflated to its specifications. It is important for the ball to be inflated correctly in order to keep it from getting damaged (badly inflated balls will deform when you kick them, and in time might end up unusable).

 

2. Practice Posture And Positioning

You should most definitely kick the ball using your dominant foot. This will be your kick foot. The other foot will be called the plant foot.

Firstly, line up behind the ball. Take a few steps back and a bit to the side. You do not need to start running a mile away to kick the ball powerfully. 2 – 3 steps will do. These few steps that you take behind the ball will give you momentum, and add to the force of your kick.

Your shoulder line should be facing the ball as you approach it. Keep in mind that when you kick, the ball will travel in the general direction that your shoulders are facing.

 

3. Where To Actually Kick The Ball

Look at the ball the entire time and decide where you want to send it. If you want to kick the ball with a loft then you need to kick it on the bottom causing it to fly high. If you want to bend the ball you must kick it on the sides. To bend it left you will be kicking the ball hard on the right. And the opposite if you want to bend right. For any other kick aim for the center of the ball.

 

4. Plant Your Foot

Where you place your non-kicking foot will have a huge effect on your kick. You must pay attention to where you put your plant foot in order to improve the accuracy and to optimize momentum in order to generate power in your kick.

In order to get a good kick, you should aim to place the foot to the side of the ball (aligned with the ball position) .

 

5. The Kick

Swing your kicking leg forward. When you placed the plant foot beside the ball, your kicking leg should be cocked back behind you. The wider the distance between the place foot and the kick foot, the more powerful the kick will be. Imagine that the kick foot is a gold club, and that you are swinging it to kick the ball.

When you kick the ball you must, at all cost, lock your ankle. Aim to kick it with the top of your foot, on your laces in order to generate the most amount of power. (Never kick the ball with your toes. Toe kicking not only makes it impossible to have any accuracy, but it can also result in injury, especially if you are not wearing proper kickball shoes).

Alternatively, if you are trying to bunt the ball, you should rather kick it with the lateral / inner side of your foot, and do it softly. It would be more like trying to pass the ball to someone (like a soccer pass) rather than a full blown kick as described above.

Again, where you kick the ball will determine where your bunt will go.

 

6. Understanding Lean Effect

One thing you need to notice, is that the more you lean back at the moment of your kick, the higher in the air the ball will go. On the other hand, if you keep your body vertical when you kick, this will result in a shot that travels mid hight or low.

 

How To Practice Your Kicks

Like any other sport, knowing how you are supposed to do something is not merely enough. Actually doing it, is the only way to get results.

So, yes practice makes perfect, but getting together with friends that can play ball is not always an option. At times you will have to do it by yourself.

So how can you practice your power kicks without having to retrieve the ball yourself every time you kick it?

 

You only need two things: a ball and a Solo Practice Training Aid for kicking. Now you can practice your kicks anywhere. No need to be on the kickball field or outdoors in the park. You can do it even in your own back yard. And if you are going to take this seriously, be sure to wear your kickball cleats during practice as well, so you get used to them when you kick the ball. You can check out a good selection of kicking shoes in the equipment section, here.

 

 

Now you are set to go and practice ball kicking as much as you want. The next time you are on the kickball or soccer field, your ball kicking skills will be greatly improved and you will have a bigger contribution to your team’s success.