Instep Kick - Power Shot

     

UNDERSTANDING YOUR FEET

  

SIX KICKING AREAS OF THE FEET:

  

   1. THE INSIDE OF THE FOOT  Bigfoot

      - Most accurate

      - Largest surface area

      - Not the most powerful

  

   2. THE INSTEP (Laces) 

      - The top side where your big toe (knucle) joins your foot 

      - Used for chipping (leaning back) or a power shot (leaning forward)

  

    3. THE OUTSIDE OF THE FOOT

      - Excellent for push passing on the run

      - Also used for slicing/swerving power shots

  

   4. SOUL

     - Used for receiving (trap) or dribbling (e,g, pullback or soul roll)Foot

 

   5. TOES

    - Used for poking the ball during a scoring opportunity or defending 1v1

 

   6. HEEL

     - Great for a well disquised back pass

 

 

UNDERSTANDING THE LEG SWING FOR AN INSTEP KICK:

 

1. Sit on the ground.

  • Lift your kicking leg and point your foot towards the ground. Kick1
  • Really feel the stretch on the top of your foot.
  • Make a fist with your toes.

2. Stand up with knees slightly bent (you may wish to use a wall or a chair to help you balance).

  • Lift your kicking leg and really point your foot towards the ground.
  • Keep your head forward over your knee.
  • Take your thigh back and swing it forward. Your leg swings straight to the target and not across your body.
  • Knee is bent and lifted. 
  • Repeat several times with both legs.

When your foot comes through, brush the grass with the tip of your big toe. This is the point where your leg has maximum acceleration. This is where you want to contact the ball for the most power. Keep your toes pointed at the ground so the ball is kicked with the instep of the foot - not your toes (critical).

 

Now You're Ready for Prime Time

 

The instep kick (start to finish) is made up of 4 components.

  1. Approach
  2. Foot Placement
  3. Contact
  4. Follow Through

Approach Ronaldo_GameWinner_original_original

  • Come at the ball from an slight angle.
  • Hips face target. If you swing around the ball, it’s hard to make good contact with the ball.
  • Big stride (not step) next to the ball.  This is a very key component of generating power.  You might think of the kicking motion as "hop" (plant foot) and a "skip" (kicking foot). 
  • Hips and momentum going toward the target. 

Foot Placement

  • Plant foot even with the ball with enough space between the ball and plant foot to allow for a
    "comfortable" strike.     If your foot is way behind the ball you will end up kicking it with your toes.
  • If the ball is rolling forward, step ahead of the ball so your plant foot is next to the ball by the time the shooting leg swings through.  However, if the ball is rolling toward you, plant your foot early and behind the ball. 
  • Just like making a push pass, the plant foot should be pointed at your intended shooting target.

 Contact("when the rubber meets the road") 

  • Look at the ball.
  • Keep your ankle locked and toes pointed down (make a fist with your toes).
  • Strike the center of the ball with your laces (specifically - the eyelets of your shoe running from your big toe up toward your ankle). 

Follow Through Instep kick follow through

  • Keep the toes of your kicking foot pointed down as long as possible.
  • Throw your kicking foot at the target - not across your body.  Good players get the sensation of throwing their entire body at the target - like a rag doll being shot out of a cannon.
  • Low follow through - insures the shot will stay down. 
  • Strike, land, and just keep going without slowing down. This is important for two reasons: 1) You will get more power in your shot because your full body weight is powering through the ball. 2) You are following your kick to support your teammates or on your way to pick up your own rebound. 

 Summary

The instep kick is a very special kick that takes a lot of repetition and practice to learn.Mia finger Mia1 Don’t be overwhelmed. During the season, I will be taking lots of photos or videos of each player making an instep kick.  The pics will be posted in an album entitled "In Step Kick - Mia and You (right margin) or the video clips will appear in Coach Houseman's Video Corner (right margin).  By breaking down the kick, you can practice one aspect at a time. You can also recognize both good and bad technique for self examination. Afer a lot of practice, the basic leg swing with momentum will feel more natural and less awkward. Eventually it will all come together and you will have that great feeling when you send the ball sailing through the air!

Video Clip

Here's an excellent video of Christie Rampone demonstrating the instep kick (click the link below).

Instep Kick

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