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Before shooting, glance up at the field in front of you. Focus as much as possible on where you want the ball to go. Note where the other players are, including the defenders, goalie, and your teammates. Use this information to adjust your shot or pass when a teammate has a better shot opportunity. You may notice some professional players shooting without looking up. Through in-game experience, they develop a sense of their positioning on the field. This most often happens close to the goal, since looking up delays the shot a little. Look back down at the ball and keep looking at it until you kick it. Doing this leads to stronger, more accurate shots. Keep the strides you take the same length they would be while running. Avoid stretching forward too far or taking a series of short steps, since this throws off your balance. When kicking a still ball, stand only far enough back that you can reach the ball in 3 or 4 steps. Where you place this foot determines where the ball will travel. Place it beside the ball, about shoulder width away from your other foot. A good, medium distance should feel comfortable to you. Keep your toes pointed straight ahead to the goal. Placing your foot further away from the ball helps when you need to lift the ball more, such as when kicking over a wall of defenders. The further you can bring your leg back, the more power you’ll generate. Bend your leg at the knee and keep your toes pointed downwards. In the perfect kicking position, your leg looks like it’s in the shape of a “V.” Stretch your legs often to increase your flexibility. This is also called locking your ankle. Your foot should still be pointed downwards, straight and firm. Your ankle shouldn’t wiggle at all as you kick the ball. Any movement weakens your shot. Staying in a neutral position gives you maximum control over the ball’s flight. Leaning a little, if it feels natural to you, is fine, but don’t try to lean more. Instead, focus on turning to face the goal. If the ball often flies over the net, you may be leaning back too much. If it stays lower than you’d like, you may be leaning forward too much. Pick out the spot where your foot will strike the ball. Most of the time, this is the part of the ball closest to you. Kicking it in the center gives you control over your shot while also generating lots of power.  To raise your shot in the air more, kick the ball a little lower than center. To bend the ball, kick left or right of center. Kicking on the left causes the ball to curve to the right. Kicking on the right side causes it to arc to the left. Bring your foot forward. Hit the ball with the top part of your foot to generate powerful but accurate shots. This is the kind of shot you’ll need on most occasions. To bend your shot more, strike the ball with the side of your toes. As you approach the ball, turn your foot to the side. Hit the ball with the inside edge of your foot. Your shot won’t be as strong, but the increase in accuracy is good for shots near the goal or when the defense doesn’t give you a lot of space. After striking the ball, don’t stop moving. Bring your kicking leg through at a medium height. Step through and plant your leg on the ground. A bad follow-through causes your shot to fall short of the target or fly wildly off-course. To make the ball go higher, lift your leg into the air more during the follow-through.
Look up before kicking the ball. Keep your eye on the ball. Run towards the ball with even strides. Plant your non-kicking foot next to the ball. Bring your kicking leg back as far as possible. Hold your ankle in place. Stand straight as you kick. Target the middle of the ball. Strike the ball with the laces of your shoe for a more powerful shot. Kick the ball with the side of your foot for a more accurate shot. Follow through with your kicking leg.