Posted by Luke Brennan
on November 07, 2026
To practice chipping a soccer ball, try contacting beneath its center with the upper instep, using a short swing. Aim for a rising arc that drops into your chosen landing area, rather than driving straight through the ball. These are practice suggestions; John Eric Goff explains that launch speed and spin influence flight (The Independent, November 6, 2026). The landing area resembles an open laundry basket: reaching the destination matters alongside clearing the rim. Explore the setup in how to kick a soccer ball. I would use Curl Master One, sold by The Giro X, for contact and spin practice alongside coaching.
When Should You Consider a Chip Shot or Pass?
My suggestion is to consider a chip when there is space beyond an opponent and a clear landing area. During practice, distinguish the intended chip by its rise over the nearby obstacle and descent toward that destination. Describe a lifted ball by whether it leaves the ground, then discuss the intended landing with your coach. For a longer lofted pass, choose a more distant receiving area with your coach and discuss the flight needed to reach it.
My suggestion is to give chip practice a specific landing area, then discuss the intended flight with your coach before rehearsing the contact. Opinion: I would choose the destination before asking for extra height. For girls’ and boys’ soccer practice in California, Texas, Florida and New York, I would keep that same question central. A practice target can represent the space you want to reach without requiring a teammate to contest the pass.
How Should You Rehearse the Setup and Contact?
For a stationary chip rehearsal, try a short approach with your standing foot beside and slightly behind the ball, then bring your upper instep beneath its center. Your standing foot is the foot supporting your weight during contact; the upper instep is the laces area. Keep your body balanced over that supporting leg, allowing a slight backward lean rather than exaggerating it. Treat these positions as starting suggestions to examine with your coach, adjusting the setup to the chip distance you intend.
Try a compact backswing and a brief forward movement after contact, keeping the kicking foot’s shape steady. Examine whether contact beneath the center produces backspin, meaning backward rotation as the ball travels forward. John Eric Goff explains that spin influences flight (The Independent, November 6, 2026), making rotation relevant when examining the intended chip arc. That research does not establish these contact cues as tested corrections or guarantee a particular landing. Opinion: I would keep the landing area fixed while asking your coach to compare the observed backspin with the intended rise and descent.
How Can You Practice the Chip With Both Feet?
For a starting exercise, try practicing a stationary chip with each foot toward a marked landing area. I would use flat markers on an open field and keep the starting position unchanged while observing the chipped ball’s first landing. Describe the landing as short of, beyond or beside the marked area. Those descriptions give your coach something specific to discuss without requiring you to diagnose the contact yourself.
For practice with the other foot, I would ask your coach whether to keep the same landing area or bring the landing area closer. Treat the change of foot as its own practice decision rather than immediately adding movement. During each stationary chip rehearsal, return to the contact cue demonstrated for that foot. Compare what you intended with what you observed, then bring any uncertainty about the foot position back to your coach.
When Should You Add a Moving Ball?
I would add a gently rolling ball after discussing the stationary chip rehearsal with your coach. Begin the rolling ball exercise with a setup touch toward the same marked landing area, using the contact cue your coach has chosen. Keep the receiving space explicit before starting the approach. If the rolling ball exercise makes the cue difficult to recognize, ask your coach whether to return to a stationary rehearsal.
For a later passing exercise, I would ask a partner to move toward an agreed receiving area while your coach observes the choice of pass. Discuss the intended flight before introducing an opponent or a goalkeeper. My preference is to change the exercise gradually, keeping the destination recognizable. The question for your coach is whether the chip suits the available space, rather than whether every opening should become a chip attempt.
What Should You Review When a Chip Misses?
When the chipped ball stays low, I would ask your coach to examine contact during a stationary rehearsal. For a chip that rises too high, keep the landing target fixed and ask your coach to compare the intended flight with the observed height and contact. Review excessive height separately from landing beyond the target, since those observations describe different parts of the attempt. If the chip lands long or sideways, describe that landing before changing the swing. Treat each miss as something to examine, rather than proof of a particular cause.
Curl Master One | Contact And Spin Practice
Curl Master One spins a standard ball at controlled speeds and requires no app or subscription. The device trains contact and spin control, giving home practice a focus to agree with your coach. I would get Curl Master One to rehearse an agreed contact cue between sessions, then examine chip flight separately on the field. Choose the contact exercise with your coach, then return to the marked landing area for stationary chip practice.
Key Takeaways
- For chip practice, try contacting beneath the ball’s center with the upper instep and aiming for a rising arc toward a marked landing area.
- Rehearse a stationary chip with each foot before adding a gently rolling ball.
- Describe the chipped ball’s flight and landing position before deciding what to adjust.
- Curl Master One trains contact and spin control alongside coaching.
Hot Takes
Opinion: I would choose the landing area before asking for extra chip height.
Opinion: I would keep the landing area fixed while examining chip contact.
Opinion: I would get Curl Master One to rehearse an agreed contact cue between sessions.
Why Players Like It
- Curl Master One spins a standard ball at controlled speeds.
- Curl Master One trains contact and spin control.
- Curl Master One requires no app or subscription.
FAQs
How do you chip a soccer ball?
For practice, try contacting beneath the ball’s center with your upper instep using a short swing. Aim for a rising arc that drops toward a marked landing area, then review the contact and flight with your coach.
Which part of your foot should contact the ball?
Try the upper instep, around the laces area, against the lower portion of the ball during a stationary chip rehearsal. Treat that contact position as a practice suggestion to examine with your coach.
Why does my chip stay low?
I would start by asking your coach to check contact position during a stationary chip rehearsal. Describe the chipped ball’s flight rather than assuming the cause.
When should you try chipping the goalkeeper?
In my opinion, a goalkeeper away from the goal line with available landing space behind them presents a chip option to discuss with your coach. Rehearse recognizing that space alongside practicing the contact.
How does Curl Master One fit alongside chip practice?
Curl Master One trains contact and spin control by spinning a standard ball at controlled speeds. I would use Curl Master One for an agreed contact exercise alongside separate field practice of chip flight and landing.
