How to increase kicking power in soccer? Useful tips and exercises

A strong and well-placed shot is a very useful skill that can save the team in a difficult situation. With a powerful move, you can hit the goal from a long distance without going close to the penalty box. But it is also important to remember that power alone is not enough for a goal. You need to learn how to combine power and technique.

Today you will learn how to systematically develop all the necessary qualities for a tight kick from Vasily Mavrin, soccer coach and midfielder of the Titan team.

professional soccer player and coach

“Increasing your kicking power in soccer can significantly increase your effectiveness on the field and make you more dangerous for your opponents. Let’s take a look at a few important aspects that will help you achieve a powerful kick.”

What do I need for an accurate and powerful kick?

In brief, it’s important to work on your technique. First of all, familiarize yourself with the basics, work on proper footwork and balance, and finally develop the power and accuracy of the punch itself.

Vasily Mavrin: “Technique is the basis for increasing the power of your kick in soccer. It ensures an efficient transfer of power from you to the ball. Below we will talk about the key aspects of kicking technique.”

Let’s start with the correct stance: your kicking leg should be close to the ball, and your supporting leg should be facing out and keeping your balance. In this case, the non-working leg is just as important as the one you’re hitting the ball with, it’s very important. Also make sure that your hip joint and ankle are in line before you hit the ball.

Tense the kicking leg during the kick, and the ankle should never be loose. If you want to hit a straight, powerful shot, hit in the center of the ball or slightly below. You should not hit the ball with the center of your foot, but rather with the front part of your foot, the part near the toe. Use the inside or outside of the foot depending on the type of shot you want to hit. Remember, the inside is for hitting for accuracy, the outside is for power shots. And be sure to look at the ball to hit exactly where you want it to hit. You need to look at the goal and around you before you hit it, so that you can correctly assess the situation and choose the right moment.

Do not lean back too much, so that the ball does not fly “in the milk”. And after the kick, keep moving your leg and body to increase the power of the kick. It sounds strange, but it really works like this. And when the ball is already flying in the right direction, do not stand still. Soccer is about constant movement. Ideally, you should be thinking several steps ahead. So immediately after the kick, keep moving, open up or run to get the ball.

Vasily Mavrin: “Practice regularly, working on these aspects of your kicking technique. It may take time at first because you need to get used to the correct movements. With practice, your technique will improve and the power of your punches will increase. Technique is a key factor in achieving powerful kicks in soccer.”

What exercises should I do to make my kicks stronger?

Technique and footwork are obviously important, but you can’t kick powerfully at goal if you don’t have enough strength. That’s why it’s so important to develop strength, perform exercises and thereby pump your muscles.

Front squats

Front squats are by no means an alternative to regular squats, it is incorrect to consider them only as a replacement. Among the obvious advantages are the increased load on the abs, the ability to squat much lower than with a barbell behind your back, and less pressure on the spinal column.

Leg press

A great mass-forming exercise. It is very important to adjust the chair correctly and do the press in full amplitude. Also remember that by placing your feet on the platform you can change the load and switch it to individual muscles.

Lunges

Lunges are one of the most versatile movements. Such exercises for leg muscles can be done both in the gym and at home. Moreover, there are many varieties of lunges (forward, backward, in place, curtsy, with a step to the side), which fully change the nature of the load.

Groups of exercises for the cortical muscles:

• different types of planks (straight, lateral) and their modifications;
• exercises for pumping the abs: twists, leg or trunk lifts;
• hyperextensions on the floor or on a special machine;
• gluteal bridges and their variations;
• push-ups from the floor and their variations.

Development of flexibility

Flexibility allows a soccer player to perform long strides, expanding his range of motion and reducing the time required to cover the distance. This allows the player to develop greater speed and overtake opponents on the field. In addition, this athletic performance helps to improve the coordination of movements, which is likely to help in a situation where you need to make several quick and calibrated actions surrounded by opponents.

Soccer exercises

We have talked about the physical preparation of the body, but the most important aspect remained untouched – soccer. We will also talk a little about the workout of leg muscles, because it is mainly from their power and depends on the strength of the blow.

Square

Everyone’s favorite exercise is the game of square. It’s simple: four or more players stand on the perimeter of a limited area and give each other passes. At the same time, one or more people inside the square must intercept the ball or take it away. The player who took the ball away takes the place of the one who lost it.

Holding the ball

The same soccer game, but without the goal kicking, the very purpose of this exercise is to build team bonding and improve ball possession and passing skills. One team has possession – the other team takes it away. If the opposing team has the ball, the other team has to take it away.

Leg muscle development

• Strength training: To increase leg strength, include exercises such as squats, pull-ups, and deadlifts in your workout. These will help develop the muscles in your thighs, glutes, and calves.

• Explosive exercises: add to your training program exercises aimed at developing explosive leg strength, such as long and high jumps, jumping up with a barbell, jump rope.

Vasily Mavrin: “Don’t forget to practice regularly and train shots on goal. The more often you apply the learned techniques, the stronger and more accurate your kicks become. You can include hitting a heavy ball in your training, this will make it much easier to hit a regular ball at games and training sessions.”

Speed and coordination

Train your leg speed with running exercises. Run sprints for short distances, this will help improve your top speed. Ideal distances are 20 and 30 meters. They are short, but you have to give it your best. Do not forget about the work of the hands while running, they should not dangle, but actively work along the body.

Do not forget about such a projectile as a coordination ladder. Training with it, you will not only improve balance and coordination, but also become faster and more agile. The essence of exercises in the coordination ladder is to step over the rungs in turn. But speed in this case is not the most important thing, watch the technique, it is most important.

Exercises for coordination and reaction

And finally we will tell you about a few more exercises that will help you to act competently on the soccer field and in time to make striking blows on the opponent’s goal.

Moving around the square

Technique

• Starting position – put your feet slightly wider than shoulder width and bend the body forward, hands should be on the floor.
• Take your left foot and right hand off the floor and turn your body to the right.
• Turn face up, place your right hand behind your back and your left foot on the floor.
• Then repeat the same movements to the other side. Raise your left arm and right leg, turn the body to the left and come to the starting position

“Skater” from a lunge

Technique

• Put one leg back and do a lunge, then bring the back leg forward in a sharp movement.
• Lunge again and then make a jump to the side with the supporting leg.
• After that, immediately start repeating the exercise from the beginning.

The further you jump to the side, the better. And don’t forget the arm work.

Chameleon

Execution technique

• Starting position: squat down, put your hands on the floor.
• Move your hands forward on the floor until you come to a supine position.
• From the supine position, step forward with your right foot, step forward with your left hand and perform a push-up.
• Then forcefully push yourself up and take another step, but with your left leg, with your right hand, and lower yourself into a push-up.
• Try to do the exercise so that your chest touches the floor with each step, and put the bent leg closer to the pelvis.

Watch a great interview with Vasily Mavrin about why he became a vegetarian in our video.