The "Out-of-Your-Feet" Touch: How to Kick Faster and Harder

Have you ever tried to kick a soccer ball when it is stuck right under your toes?

It is very hard. Your body gets all bunched up. You cannot get any power on your shot or your pass. Usually, you have to take a weird, clumsy step backward just to find room to swing your leg. By the time you do that, a defender runs up and steals the ball from you.

To kick a ball well, you need room to swing your leg. Your leg is like a pendulum or a golf club. It needs space to swing forward. That means the ball cannot be stuck under your nose. It needs to be a little bit in front of you.

The best players in the world do not stop the ball dead when they receive a pass. Instead, they use a "setup touch." We also call this playing the ball "out of your feet."

What is an Out-of-Your-Feet Touch?

An out-of-your-feet touch is a very small pass to yourself.

When a teammate passes the ball to you, do not try to stop it completely. If you stop the ball dead, you are stuck. You have to take an extra step just to get ready to kick it.

Instead, use your first touch to push the ball gently in front of you.

How far should you push it? A good rule of thumb is one big step.

If you push the ball too short, you will still be bunched up. If you push it too far, a defender will run in and take it. You want the ball to end up exactly one big step away from you. This gives you the perfect amount of space to step forward and swing your kicking leg with lots of power.

How to Do It Right

To make this touch work every time, you need to remember three simple rules:

• Angle your touch: Do not push the ball straight toward the defender in front of you. Push the ball to the left or the right at an angle. This moves you away from the defender and makes them guess which way you are going.
• Be a pillow, not a brick: If your foot is stiff like a brick, the ball will bounce too far away. Keep your foot soft like a pillow. Let the ball hit the inside of your foot and bounce off just a little bit.
• Keep your eyes up: Once you push the ball out of your feet, you do not need to stare at it anymore. You know exactly where it is going. Now you can look up to see the open space, find a teammate, or look at the goal.

How to Practice by Yourself

You can practice this skill at home. All you need is a soccer ball and a wall.

Stand about five steps away from the wall. Kick the ball gently against the wall. As the ball rolls back to you, do not stop it. Use the inside of your foot to push the ball one step to the side and slightly forward.

As soon as you make that touch, take your step and kick the ball back against the wall.

Try to get into a steady beat. Touch, then kick. Touch, then kick.

At first, go slowly. Do not worry about kicking the ball hard. Just focus on making that first touch go exactly one big step away from your body. Once you can do it slowly, try to do it faster.

When you stop trapping the ball dead under your body, you become a much faster soccer player. You do not have to waste time taking extra steps. You can pass, shoot, or dribble right away.

Next time you are at practice, tell yourself: "Out of my feet." Give yourself that one big step of space, and watch how much easier the game becomes.