Heading a Soccer Ball in 4 steps

First, you must be aware of that when heading a soccer ball the most important thing is to head the ball with the upper part of your forehead. It is very important to head the ball with this part of your head because it is comprised of skin and thick bone. It will not either hurt as heading the ball with other parts of your head. Don’t allow the ball to hit you, instead you must take charge and head the ball with power and determination.

Heading a soccer ball in four steps

1. Simply arch your back as the ball approach to you, having your chin inward. Make sure that your neck firm and legs are bent

2. Try to spread your feet apart. Make sure they are wider than your shoulder width

3. Don’t close your eyes when heading the ball. If you do so, you will not be able to see where the ball is and you can hurt yourself. You must also decide what part of the ball you want to head before the ball reach you. If you hit the ball below its equator it will rise, while striking the upper part of it will produce a downward header.

4. The force you use to head the ball should not come from your neck muscles; instead you must bend backward your upper body and propel your head forward to create enough power

Tips
• If you need to make a jump before heading the ball try to do it at the higher point of your jump

• Heading a ball while jumping is difficult and you will need a lot of practice to learn this technique properly

• When heading the ball for a goal it is best to direct the ball down. This will make it harder to grip for your opponents goalkeeper

• If you need to clear the ball from your own penalty box try to head the ball up and out

Be aware of injury risk in soccer heading and don’t rush. Try not to perform some dangerous heading methods (diving for example) directly. Instead, focus on doing right and you will be a great header player sooner than you think. Good Luck