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Ameres, Kylie

Curatolo, Kayla

Vitale, Jordan

English

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Mechanics of Ball StrikingKylie Ameres, Kayla Curatolo & Jordan VitaleEXSI 335, KinesiologyIntroductionPlanting PhaseInitial Contact PhaseFollow-Through PhaseLanding PhaseIn the initial contact phase, the athlete’s kicking leg swings through to makecontact with the ball. According to Katis et al. (2013), a player kicking a soccer ballshould have the ankle joint dorsi-flexed when contact is made with the ball tocreate optimum conditions for an improved foot to ball collision, leading to ahigher trajectory of the ball. The significance of the dorsiflexor movement is toprovide stability and allow the knee to remain flexed. According to Lees et al.(2010), the support leg begins to extend just before ball contact. This stabilizesthe action as the muscles slowly contract around the support leg knee andenables these muscles to generate their highest forces. According to Robertson &Mosher (1985), the knee flexors act in order to prevent hyperextension andpossible damage to the knee. If hyperextension were to occur, it is possible thatthe ligaments in the knee could become stretched or damaged. These ligamentscould include those of the unhappy triad. According to Barber (1992), theunhappy triad consists of the damaging of the ACL, MCL, and meniscus. The ACLinjury is a common injury found in female soccer players and can occur when theathlete is planting or cutting, placing further emphasis on the importance of theknee flexors during planting. In order to decrease the risk of injury, it is pertinentto enhance the muscles surrounding the knee, such as the vastus medialisoblique (VMO). The VMO can be strengthened by performing basic front squats,as well as progressing to jump squats.ConclusionBarber, F. (1992). What is the terrible triad? The Journal of Arthroscopic & Related Surgery, 8:1. Doi.org/10.1016/0749-8063(92)90130-4Katis, A., Giannadakis, E., Kannas, T., Amiridis., I., Kellis, E., & Lees, A. (2013). Mechanisms that influence accuracy of the soccer kick. Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, 23:1. Doi.org/10.1016/j.jelekin.2012.08.020Lees, A., Asai, T., Andersen, T., Nunome, H., & Sterzing, T. (2010). The biomechanics of kicking in soccer: A review. Journal of Sports Sciences, 28:8. Doi.org/10.1080/02640414.2010.481305Robertson, D. & Mosher, R. (1985). Work and power of the leg muscles in soccer kicking. International Society of Biomechanics, Biomechanics IX-B. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Douglas_Robertson6/publication/235438565_Work_and_power_of_the_leg_muscles_in_soccer_kicking/links/09e41511afbd93610a000000/Work-and-power-of-the-leg-muscles-in-soccer-kicking.pdfFrounfelter, G. (n.d.). Triple extension: The key to athletic power. NSCA Performance Training Journal, 8:1. http://myweb.facstaff.wwu.edu/chalmers/pdfs/triple%20extension%20-%20the%20key%20to%20athletic%20power.pdfThe planting phase of striking a soccer ball is when the support leg is set next tothe ball with the the heal striking the ground first and the toe facing the directionin which the ball is desired to go. According to Lees et al. (2010), during theplanting phase when striking a soccer ball, the support leg knee is flexed andremains flexed throughout the duration of the kick. As shown above, the hip ishyperextended resulting in an eccentric motion. This eccentric hip extension inthe kicking leg creates a greater concentric hip flexion as the leg is swung forwardto kick the ball. Apart from the legs, the arms also play a substantial role inaspects of perfecting this technique, such as balance, coordination, and direction(Lees et al., 2010). The non-kicking side arm is abducted and horizontallyextended before contact is made with the ball. The horizontal elevation of thearms are frequently attributed to the maintenance of balance. The arms play acritical role in balance because kicking a soccer ball at maximum force requiresthe athlete to remain stable on one leg while in motion for a short duration oftime (Lees et al., 2010). It was noticed in this phase that the athlete did not havethe planting foot directly next to the ball, therefore causing her to slightly reach.If her foot was closer to the ball, she could have performed a more driven andpowerful kick. In order to create a more powerful force when kicking a ball, thehip flexor muscles, as well as the quadricep muscles should be strengthenedthrough various exercises. These exercises can include single leg hurdle hops,single leg squats, and lunges. These exercises can be performed to strengthen thequadriceps and hip flexors to enhance planting and absorbing the shock thatcomes with planting.According to Lees et al. (2010), kicking is the defining action of soccer. Whilestriking a soccer ball at maximum force, flexion and extension can be observed inthe hips, knees, arms, and ankles (Lees et al., 2010). The main phases that wereidentified when striking a soccer ball are planting phase (Figure 1), initial contactphase (Figure 2), follow-through phase (Figure 3), and landing phase (Figure 4).According to Robertson & Mosher (1985), throughout these phases, there arevarious eccentric and concentric contractions of the knee extensors, hip flexors,and hip extensors. A concentric contraction is when the muscles shorten, orbecome compact, and an eccentric contraction is when the muscles lengthen, orstretch. This movement primarily occurs in the sagittal plane, however as the ballis struck, there is some movement within the transverse plane. The core plays avital role in the stabilization throughout the kicking phases. Proximal stiffness,being the core, enhances distal mobility of the kicking leg. Triple-extension is alsoa key component of the kicking motion, which can be seen during the follow-through phase.Both legs during this phase are extended, however the support leg displays tripleextension as the ankle of the planting foot extends before leaving the ground. Asthe planting foot leaves the ground, the athlete exhibits a “hop” off of that foot,and in turn lands on the kicking foot. Soccer players are always told is that inorder to obtain the most power on the ball, it is essential to land on the kickingfoot as a part of the follow-through motion. Athletes can improve in this phaseby performing split squats to strengthen their hamstrings and glutes while all onone leg.The landing phase of striking a ball consists of the athlete concluding thestriking motion on the kicking leg. This phase occurs after the “hop” that takesplace in between the follow-through phase and the landing phase. Accordingto Lees et al. (2010), the flexion of the knee in the kicking leg continues forlonger than necessary to absorb the impact of landing and is the overall causeof the slowing forward motion after the kick is completed. Once again, theflexion of the knee is important in order to prevent hypertension and possibleinjury. Due to the landing on one leg, it is critical that the core is engaged andintact, and also that the arms are out to stabilize the body upon landing. Toimprove the landing phase, exercises such as single leg RDL’s can be performedto strengthen the hamstrings and glutes of the planted leg, as well asstrengthen the knees and ankles.In conclusion, the mechanics of kicking a soccer ball rely heavily on the technique of how the athlete plants, as well as other elements like the core, balance, and concentric and eccentric contractions. In the sequence displayed, the overall motion was performed well, however during the landing phase, the athlete is shown slightly off-balanced to the right. To improve this, it is recommended that the athlete performs the displayed exercises that were mentioned throughout each phase. These exercises would enhance stability in both the planting and landing phases.ReferencesFigure 1Figure 2Figure 3Figure 4In the follow-through phase, the athlete has already struck the ball and the planting foot is preparing to leave the ground. According to Frounfelter (n.d.), triple extension, which is the explosive extension of the knee, hip, and ankle, is considered the key to athletic power and explosiveness.

Mechanics of Ball Striking

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Mechanics of Ball Striking

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