• Hamstrings are also activated in the supporting limb throughout the swinging stages until foot comes into contact with the ball to allow stabilization and balance.

• [5] Support (stance) leg [edit] Just prior to the swing phase, the athlete should land on the supporting leg with the knee slightly flexed so as to absorb some of the impact
  and thereby stabilize the body for more effective motion of the kicking leg.

• Placing the support leg further behind the ball will produce a greater upward direction whereas placing the support leg closer to the ball will produce greater forward propulsion.

• Movement analysis [edit] Six distinct stages are involved in the kick: the approach angle, the plant foot force, the swing limb loading, the swinging phase, ball contact,
  and the follow through.

• The gastrocnemius exhibited greatest muscle activity in the kicking leg during all stages of the motion, although it exhibited greatest muscle activity in the supporting limb
  in the swinging limb loading and the swinging limb stages (Stages 3 and 4, respectively), when the leg is cocked back and accelerates forward towards the ball.

• [8] The most effective way to transfer speed to the ball is to hit the ball at its center point with the upper portion of the foot, keeping the ankle firm.

• During the swing stage prior to contact of the ball in stage 5, there is greater activation of the rectus femoris and the vastus medialis that may contribute to final knee
  extension speed.

• Starting in stage 3, the kicking limb moves posterior of the positioned body, which is possible with hip extension.

• A greater “swing phase” or foot speed will produce more power relying in force and speed, and the position of the “planted” foot and hip at impact will produce greater accuracy
  in the direction of the kick.

• The second stage is the plant foot force, which involves situating the supporting foot at a distance lateral from the ball prior to kicking.

• The third stage is the swing limb loading that requires the preparation of the hip flexors and knee extensors to load or eccentrically stretch for forward movement in order
  for the swinging limb to strike the ball.

• [9] Forward motion is initiated by rotating the pelvis around the supporting leg and by bring the thigh of the kicking leg forwards while the knee continues to flex.

• [5] The athlete’s vision should be focused directly at the ball through the entirety of the kicking action in order to increase accuracy.

• [3] Athletes with stronger and more accurate kicks and tend to put less energy into the approach (the steps taken before the kick) and more energy into the backswing and forward
  swing movements of the kick than do less skilled athletes.

• The side lunge improves balance by putting the body weight on the planted leg while trying to prevent falling back or forward.

• [15] These are some exercises for each muscle involved in a free kick that will improve balance, force and speed.

• Technique Approach [edit] There are two main aspects of the kicking action to consider when developing the skills for an effective kick in football: power (velocity of the
  ball) and accuracy (trajectory of the ball).

• [9] When the kicking foot comes into contact with the ball, hip goes into flexion, abduction, and external rotation with knee at a slight constant flexion.

• [10] Once the kicking limb is near contact with the ball, the supporting knee initiates extension to stabilize the action.

• As the kicking limb begins forward movement in stage 4, quadriceps, hip flexor muscles (iliopsoas), knee extensor muscles including the rectus femoris creates concentric activity
  to produce a fast forward velocity toward the ball by extending the knee and flexing the hip.

• [7] Other important body positioning to be aware of is to bend the upper body slightly forward over the ball.

• [10] Throughout each stage of the kick, the supporting limb knee is at a constant flexion.

• For a football kick the upper body is not very active, but keeping a balance between the upper and lower body will reduce the torques created by forces of other segments.

• [11] Targeted exercises for each muscle involved in a free kick A football kick is the basic element of a game of association football.

• In addition, cariocas is an exercise in which the person moves laterally while facing forward by internally rotating the hip and stepping over with the leg contralateral to
  the direction of the movement.

• In addition, Nordic hamstring curls are important to reduce the development of muscle imbalance and prevent injuries because the hamstring muscles are often neglected and
  injured during an explosive movement such as the soccer kick.

• [3] Therefore, less focus should be placed on the approach and more focus placed on developing effective kicking mechanics.

• The various lower body muscles that are required for this motion are also analyzed.

 

Works Cited

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Photo credit: https://www.flickr.com/photos/sidm/5024965767/’]