How to Kick a Soccer Ball Farther Like Ederson
Distance comes from clean contact and fast legs, not from swinging harder. To kick a soccer ball farther like Ederson, you plant beside the ball, strike through the bottom third with your laces, lean back slightly to lift it, and whip your leg through with a long follow-through. Ederson launches goal kicks 70 yards and more because his technique is efficient and his legs are explosive. Here is how to add real distance to your long balls and goal kicks.
What makes a soccer kick travel farther?
Distance is a mix of two things: how fast your foot is moving at contact, and how cleanly you strike the ball. Start with an angled approach of four to six steps so you can build momentum into the ball rather than reaching for it. Your plant foot lands a few inches to the side of the ball, with your toes pointing where you want the ball to go. A good plant gives your swinging leg a stable base to fire from.
For a long ball you want loft and power together. Contact the bottom third of the ball with your laces, lean your upper body back just slightly so the ball rises, and swing through with a fast, relaxed leg. The biggest distance killer is a short, tense swing. Let your leg accelerate through the ball and finish with a long follow-through, landing on your kicking foot so all of your momentum carries the ball forward and up.
How should you strike the ball for distance?
The longest kickers all hit the same checkpoints. Run through this table when your long balls are falling short.
| Body part | What to do | Common mistake |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | Angled run-up of four to six steps | Standing flat-footed over the ball |
| Plant foot | Beside the ball, toes at target | Planting ahead of or behind the ball |
| Contact point | Laces on the bottom third of the ball | Striking the middle, ball stays low |
| Upper body | Slight lean back to lift the ball | Leaning forward and smothering loft |
| Striking leg | Fast, relaxed whip through the ball | Short, tense, muscled swing |
| Follow-through | Long finish, land on kicking foot | Stopping the leg at contact |
What training adds distance off the field?
Technique gives you clean contact, but leg speed and power give you yards. The farthest kickers have strong glutes, hamstrings and hip flexors, plus a core that links the lower and upper body into one fast motion. Explosive hips are the engine, and you can train them. Resisted band work is one of the most efficient ways to build that drive, because looping a band around your legs makes your hips and quads fire harder through the kicking pattern than they would unloaded.
P.R.O. Bands Resistance Training Bands
Loop them around your legs to overload hip drive and leg speed, the two engines behind every long ball.
Which drills build a longer kick?
Work through these two to three times a week. Chase clean contact first, then add distance once the strike feels solid.
Long ball questions players ask
Why do my long balls stay low?
You are contacting the middle of the ball and leaning forward. Get under it by striking the bottom third and leaning back just slightly at contact.
Do I need to be big to kick it far?
No. Leg speed and clean contact matter far more than size. Plenty of smaller players out-kick bigger ones with better technique and faster legs.
Should I use my laces or the inside of my foot?
Laces for distance. The inside of the foot is for accurate short passing, while the laces give you the power and loft a long ball needs.
How long until I see more distance?
With clean technique and two to three leg-strength sessions a week, most players add noticeable distance in 4 to 6 weeks.
Add Yards to Your Long Ball
Train the hips and legs that launch every kick, then watch your distance climb.
Tags: Soccer, Long Ball, Ederson, Goal Kicks, Resistance Bands, Kicking Power
