A soccer ball spinning on Curl Master One.
on November 07, 2026

How to Kick a Soccer Ball Higher

To kick a soccer ball higher, try contacting below the ball’s center with your instep while moving your kicking foot upward through contact. Begin with a stationary ball and a controlled swing toward a chosen landing area, treating the contact cue as a suggestion to check with your coach. The practice suggestions below give you a fixed destination against which to examine the ball’s flight. For the wider setup, explore how to kick a soccer ball. The Giro X’s Curl Master One belongs alongside coaching for separate contact practice.

  • Where Should Your Foot Contact the Ball for Height?
  • How Should You Set Your Plant Foot and Body?
  • Is a Higher Kick the Same as a Chip or a Longer Pass?
  • What Can You Try When the Flight Misses Your Target?
  • How Does Curl Master One Fit Between Coaching Sessions?

Where Should Your Foot Contact the Ball for Height?

Try contact below the ball’s center with your instep, the upper area of your foot around the laces. Treat below center contact as a practice suggestion, rather than a proven correction for every player. Before striking, try identifying the lower contact area on the stationary ball and rehearsing your foot position slowly beside the ball. For a longer lofted kick, I would begin by asking a coach to demonstrate the intended laces position before attempting a full swing.

Keep the landing area visible when exploring contact below the ball’s center. A ball that rises and drops before the target gives you a different observation from a ball that stays low and travels through the target. In my opinion, useful height deserves more attention than spectacular height. I would describe the starting direction and landing point to a coach before deciding whether to change the attempted contact or swing speed. The landing area gives the conversation a specific reference.

How Should You Set Your Plant Foot and Body?

For a starting setup, try placing your plant foot, the foot you stand on, beside the ball with room for the kicking motion your coach demonstrates. Ask your coach whether a slightly farther back plant position suits the lofted kick you want to practice. Try a comfortable approach while keeping the landing target visible. In my opinion, examining the intended contact with your coach deserves priority over concentrating on a backward lean.

Try rehearsing the approach and plant position without striking, then attempt a stationary kick from the same starting spot. During the rehearsal, examine whether your kicking foot has room to approach below the ball’s center. For the follow through, try allowing the kicking leg to continue after contact instead of aiming for a particular finishing height. My suggestion is to examine plant position separately from swing speed, keeping a specific adjustment available to discuss with your coach.

Is a Higher Kick the Same as a Chip or a Longer Pass?

For chip practice, try a nearby landing target; for a longer lofted pass, choose a farther landing target. Choosing the destination gives the coach a clear picture of the kick you want to attempt. Height describes how far the ball rises, while horizontal distance describes how far the ball travels across the field. The distinction helps describe a flight, but does not explain why a particular kick falls short. I would keep the landing area fixed while exploring a manageable height, rather than moving the destination after each strike. For lofted kick practice, try describing both the rise and the landing point instead of judging success only by the highest point.

What Can You Try When the Flight Misses Your Target?

If the soccer ball stays low, try returning to a stationary setup and examining where you attempted contact. I would reduce swing speed for the rehearsal and ask a coach to check the intended foot position before another kick. Treat below center contact and a slower rehearsal as practice suggestions to discuss with your coach. When describing a low kick to your coach, name the landing target and attempted striking surface rather than assuming that more power is the answer.

For a kick that rises steeply and falls short, try keeping the landing area fixed while attempting a lower flight. Ask a coach to examine whether your contact suits the intended pass. When you feel ready to explore a moving ball, try a gently rolling ball toward the same destination and practice separately with each foot. For families involved in girls’ and boys’ soccer across California, Texas, Florida and New York, I would bring the same practical question to coaching: which contact cue should the player rehearse for the chosen landing target?

How Does Curl Master One Fit Between Coaching Sessions?

Curl Master One offers contact and spin control practice alongside coaching, while lofted kick practice examines a freely traveling ball. Curl Master One spins a standard ball at controlled speeds and requires no app or subscription. I would give Curl Master One a defined purpose between sessions by concentrating on a contact cue agreed with a coach. The product’s contact practice does not establish how high a separate field kick will travel, so I would assess lofted flight during field practice.

A soccer ball spinning on Curl Master One.
A soccer ball spinning on Curl Master One.

Curl Master One by The Giro X. Spins a standard ball at controlled speeds for contact and spin control practice. No app or subscription.

Opinion: I would get Curl Master One and use home contact practice to rehearse the foot position discussed with my coach. The controlled spinning ball gives my recommendation a specific basis, while the separate landing target keeps lofted kick practice directed toward the intended pass. Bring an agreed contact cue to Curl Master One practice, then use a fixed landing area when attempting higher kicks on the field. At your next coaching session, describe the attempted contact and where the ball landed.

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Key Takeaways

  • Try below center instep contact as a practice suggestion for a higher soccer kick, and ask your coach to check the foot position.
  • Choose a landing area before judging the height of a lofted kick.
  • Consider stationary practice before exploring a gently rolling ball, practicing separately with each foot.
  • Keep Curl Master One contact practice distinct from assessing lofted kick height on the field.

Hot Takes

Opinion: I would prioritize useful height toward a landing target over the highest possible kick.

Opinion: I would examine the intended contact with a coach before concentrating on a backward lean.

Opinion: I would get Curl Master One and use home contact practice to rehearse the foot position discussed with my coach.

Why Players Like It

  • A fixed landing area provides a reference for describing a lofted kick.
  • Curl Master One spins a standard ball at controlled speeds.
  • Curl Master One requires no app or subscription.

FAQs

Where Should I Hit a Soccer Ball to Make It Go Higher?

Try contacting below the ball’s center with your instep while moving your foot upward through contact. Treat the technique as a practice suggestion and ask your coach to check the intended foot position.

Should I Lean Backward to Kick a Soccer Ball Higher?

In my opinion, I would prioritize examining the intended contact with your coach before concentrating on a backward lean. Ask your coach how your plant position and body position suit the lofted kick you want to attempt.

Why Does My High Kick Fall Short?

Height and distance describe different parts of the flight, but that distinction alone does not explain why your kick falls short. I would keep the landing target fixed, try less height and ask a coach to examine the attempted contact.

How Should I Progress Beyond a Stationary Ball?

Try a gently rolling ball toward the same landing area when you feel ready to explore moving ball contact. Treat the progression as a practice suggestion, practice separately with each foot and discuss the contact cue with your coach.

How Can Curl Master One Fit Into Lofted Kick Practice?

Curl Master One provides contact and spin control practice alongside coaching. I would use an agreed contact cue during Curl Master One practice, then assess lofted kick height and landing position separately on the field.