How to Bend a Soccer Ball with the Outside of your Foot

Today we are learning how to bend a ball with the outside of your foot. 

Bending the ball with the outside of your foot is a technique that can be used for passing, crossing and shooting. I love the outside of the foot technique! There are many different techniques for using the outside of your foot. In this Online Soccer Academy training video we are going to learn how to cross and pass with the outside of your foot. This can work for shooting too but this technique I'm going to show you is not usually used for outside of the foot shooting with power. I will have a different video for that one day. 

Equipment Needed: Ball, 4 cones and a trashcan. 

Key Points:

1. Stand about 5 steps straight behind the ball.
2. Place your plant foot an inch or two behind the ball and to the side.
3. Lock your ankle and position it so the outside of your foot is exposed. Angle it so your big toe is almost pointing up to the sky. 
4. Hit the lower outside part of the ball with the outside of your foot; close to the base of your toes. 
5. Follow through high, lean back and curl your foot to cause the ball to have that upward, downward motion. 

Things to Note:

If you follow through high that helps the ball get in the air, over the defenders and then dip down. If you follow through low the ball will still have curve on it, it just won't go high. Both styles will work, it just all depends on the situation. Sometimes the situation calls for you curving it low and sometimes it needs to be high. 

Remember too that your ball may not curve much in the air but if the ball has good outside spin on it from your technique when it hits the ground it will curve a lot on the ground. An example being you play the ball over the top to your teammate running down the wing, the ball looks like it is going straight towards the goalie, but when it hits the ground, the ball curves away from going straight at the goalie and right into the path of your winger running on to it. That's what you call a great pass!

Exercise Player Can Do: 

Start off taking a few light swings without the ball to practice your outside of the foot technique. When you are ready practice hitting dead balls. Set up your ball about 30 yards away from your target. Your target is your four cones you made into a box. Cross the ball into the box using the outside of your foot. Then repeat. Do this for 5-10 minutes. 

If you are feeling really confident set up a trash can and try to hit it using the outside of your foot!

What Player Could Be Doing Wrong: 

If you are hitting your plant foot or not feeling comfortable then make sure you don't have your plant foot to close to the ball. Remember your plan foot is an inch or two behind the ball and to the side. You need room for your kicking foot to kick the ball.

If your ball is not getting height then you are striking the wrong part of the ball. Hit the lower outside part of the ball and follow through high. If you hit it in the middle or top part of the ball that will decrease your chance the ball will have height on it. 

Bonus Tip!

Once you believe your technique is sharp then practice bending the ball with the outside of your foot from a dribble and hit your target. So dribble a few steps, get your head up, then cross the ball to your target with the outside of your foot. This will make it more game like. 

This Video Covers:
How to Bend a Soccer Ball - How to Curve a Soccer Ball - Soccer Passing Drills - Soccer Passing - Soccer Pass - Soccer Drills for Passing - Soccer Video Passing Drills - Passing Drills for Soccer - Passing Soccer Drills - Passing in Soccer - Kicking a Soccer Ball Technique