How to Shoot a Soccer Ball High: Here’s the Right Way!

By Luís Miguel
Updated on

You’ll totally agree:

Shooting a soccer ball high is a HARD skill to develop.

But… is it?

It can become so much easier if you learn some simple tips…

…that will make your shoots higher, harder and on target!

In today’s post, I’ll be sharing what those tips are and exactly how to shoot a soccer ball high and far.

How to Kick a Soccer Ball High

One of the coolest things I remember seeing when I was a kid growing in my love of the game of soccer was an older, stronger kid or adult that could kick the ball high into the corner of the net and with a lot of power.

It always got me excited! And, obviously, wondering… how to shoot a soccer ball high…

I still see kids marvel at it today. What we don’t see, though, is all of the hard work and the technique that is needed to help achieve that.

(Now, we’re not talking exactly about how to shoot with accuracy here (that’s a whole other article), but about putting some height and power into your shots.)

What You Shouldn’t Be Kicking With

Before we start, we first have to acknowledge and accept what part of the foot we are going to be kicking with.

If you don’t understand this, then you are pretty much going to be wasting your time and energy.

Kicking with your toe, while popular at a youth level and somewhat effective, is not the answer here.

Sure, it will go higher and harder, but it is almost impossible to control, even for professionals. On top of that, it can cause injuries.

How to Shoot a Soccer Ball High with Power

The laces are a much better option for taking a shot with power.

Even if the soccer ball stays on the ground, a shot with the laces is much likelier to ripple into the net with pace and precision.

The laces are a simple explanation, as it is literally going to be the spot where your shoestrings are.

You want to strike the football with your toes down (while lifting them slighty when you follow through). This will allow you to hit it much better.

A variation:

Some players, especially those are older and/or advanced in their development, use their in-sole. This is the hard part of the inside of your foot.

This area allows you to curve the ball a little better, but it can be a solid strike, at the same time, to make the soccer ball fly into the corner of the net with a lot of power, if done right!

What NOT to Do to Get Power for Your Shots

A lot of young players make the common mistake of backing up and running a longer distance to get a better kick on the football.

I’ve even seen (*gulp*) people charge up before kicking.
While funny, it’s completely useless.

In fact, the further a player runs up to the ball, the less power they will have.

The longest run I would ever suggest is about seven paces.

The fewest is probably two or three if you want power, unless you are super strong or advanced.

So… what do you do then?

The Unknown Technique to Get the Ball Into the Air

Here’s one that older players that already send the soccer ball in the air DO NOT need to read.

But, nevertheless, one very often imperceptible technique to make the ball get into the air is to lean back.

While it is harder to follow through — which is always an important part of putting power into a shot — this allows the player to lift the football off the ground without making their actual kicking motion into something unnatural.

You never want to see someone scoop the ball, though — meaning: do not lean back too much! (A “scoop” is a chip. It’s useful for other things, but not in this instance.)

Instead, you want them to hit the football with their foot and drive through it whether they are using their laces or leaning back.

How to Shoot a Soccer Ball with Height

Here’s a good video (with some key points you need to pay attention to) that perfectly illustrates the techniques I referred above.

How to Shoot a Soccer Ball High Through Repeated Practice

It may sound like an old cliché but…

Practice makes perfect.

There was a girl I played with in my youth that absolutely could not kick the ball off the ground at all. And this went on until she was at least 12.

She ended up being one of the very best players in high school, because she had the fundamentals down.

Sometimes, you just have to let your body catch up.

You have to work hard everyday to master some skills and soccer is one of them. The more time you practice, the stronger you will get.

Drill 1: Pratice, Practice, Practice

Something you can do everyday is to go outside and shoot the soccer ball for power.

You don’t want to do this too much daily, so you should cap your shots at 20 each day.

  1. Pick a spot where you feel comfortable shooting from that you can reach the net.
  2. Try to kick each one high and as hard as you can, but don’t overextend your leg and don’t lock it.
  3. Each day or so, move back a step or two.

You will see a difference, no matter how small, over time.

You just have to give it a go every single day in order to improve bit by bit and you cannot give up just when things get tougher.

When you are done, start working on shooting for placement again and you will notice that those shots will also start to get harder.

How to Get Stronger and Kick Higher

It’s hard to say your child needs to workout.
That’s not what I’m saying at all, although it is a fact that it helps.

A more active person, who is on their feet more often, is generally going to be stronger and kick higher.

If you are really serious about getting better, plyometrics (jump training exercises) are great as they help expand the muscle fibers in the legs and make you more explosive. This converts to stronger and higher shots.

Calf raises are also an easy and great exercise to do.

Conclusion

Kicking the ball hard and high is not an easy skill. It is, many times, a true disservice to watch a professional or an older player play as it can make people feel disappointed thinking they are doing something wrong.

On the other hand, it can also be a learning experience for all.

Watch those players and see how they approach the situation.

While there are different ways to go about it, you will notice that most players take the same approach to doing it.

This is important in that it tells us that consistency and hard work in practice is the only way forward to being able to accomplish your goal of shooting the ball hard and high (and on target) in your path to becoming an overall better soccer player!

Guy wearing an SL Benfica jersey holding soccer ball over his head

Article by:

Luís Miguel

As a true soccer enthusiast, I’m Soccermodo’s team captain. My job is to make sure the site’s content is top-notch so that you, our reader, can focus solely on improving your game and reach new heights.