When shooting with a soccer football, do you really hit the ball with laces, or do you aim for the ‘bone’ of the foot or the ‘knuckle’ of the big toe?

Question

I see a lot of people saying you need to hit the ball with the ‘laces’ of football boots, however is this correct? Don’t you need to hit the ball with the bone of the foot? What about the knuckle of the big toe? don’t you get more power if you do this?

Ty

In: Other

Answer 1

You might get more power – though a professional who has been practicing for years can probably entirely negate this benefit with technique – but you entirely lose accuracy. By hitting with the laces, the ball is cushioned on the top of your foot and you can direct it more easily.

Answer 2

It depends on the type of shot. You can use the laces, the inside of the foot and the outside of the foot.

The inside will bend the ball one way, the outside will bend it the other and striking with the laces through the centre of the ball will usually provide the most power.