View Full Version : How Beckham bends the ball
SoccerScout
20 Dec 2002, 05:14 PM
From this weeks NY TImes Magazine
(This is just the first paragraph , read the whole thing at the link)
Kick That Defies Gravity, The
By JEFF Z. KLEIN
Soccer has been described as ''the beautiful game,'' a sport that requires flights of magical improvisational genius. Take, for example, free kicks, and the planet's best player at making them, David Beckham of England. Beckham has mastered the art of inducing the ball, from a standing start, to soar over a wall of defenders standing 10 yards away and then seemingly contradict the laws of nature by veering downward at the last second so that it drops beneath the crossbar. It is called bending a free kick, and until recently it was assumed that such mysterious skill could be neither deciphered nor taught.
But this year an international team of researchers managed to solve the mystery of how Beckham bends it .......
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/15/magazine/15KICK.html
Northside Rovers
20 Dec 2002, 05:26 PM
Its called top spin.
Easy to say - tough to do.
SoccerScout
20 Dec 2002, 06:25 PM
>>Its called top spin.>>
Acutaully if you read the article you will see you are wrong.
Scotty
20 Dec 2002, 06:50 PM
Bending the ball has always been easy for Beckham, mainly because of his years of scientific studies and a profound knowledge of physics.
deejay
20 Dec 2002, 07:28 PM
Fer crying out loud it's the easyiest thing in the world to teach.
It's been called the three-toed kick as long as I can remember it. All you need to know are the fact that you have to look up before kicking, look down at the ball and kick off center. After that you practice, practice, practice until your brain knows how far off center you have to kick given what you saw when looking up.
pololo
20 Dec 2002, 11:29 PM
Originally posted by SoccerScout
From this weeks NY TImes Magazine
(This is just the first paragraph , read the whole thing at the link)
Kick That Defies Gravity, The
By JEFF Z. KLEIN
Soccer has been described as ''the beautiful game,'' a sport that requires flights of magical improvisational genius. Take, for example, free kicks, and the planet's best player at making them, David Beckham of England. Beckham has mastered the art of inducing the ball, from a standing start, to soar over a wall of defenders standing 10 yards away and then seemingly contradict the laws of nature by veering downward at the last second so that it drops beneath the crossbar. It is called bending a free kick, and until recently it was assumed that such mysterious skill could be neither deciphered nor taught.
But this year an international team of researchers managed to solve the mystery of how Beckham bends it .......
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/12/15/magazine/15KICK.html
Thats some funny shi't
Boro_lad
22 Dec 2002, 12:45 AM
bending the ball is n easily taught skill....just hit the ball at a sertain point with the correct body position....
usscouse
22 Dec 2002, 09:17 PM
Originally posted by Boro_lad
bending the ball is n easily taught skill....just hit the ball at a sertain point with the correct body position.... You’re right, it's really easy to do and to teach. What’s hard is to place the ball consistently where you want it to go and that takes hours and hours of practice.
He keeps his toes high as he kicks upward and through and generates top and side spin, much like a tennis stroke.
Wolves_67
22 Dec 2002, 09:24 PM
Originally posted by Boro_lad
just hit the ball at a sertain point with the correct body position....
I heard that he and Posh had a big fight over that.
I don't think it's any of our business.
mpruitt
22 Dec 2002, 09:44 PM
thats a cool article. but what's the Times going to do next, an article on the mysteries of the curve ball. The incrediable thing about Beckham is that he does sort of what Ted Williams did in baseball. In a kind of less cerebrial way. Williams actually found out for himself the best way and exact percentage upswing needed to best hit a baseball. What's amazing about the both of them is that they're both able to actually do it, respectively.
USNats229
23 Dec 2002, 12:59 AM
Its all science, but of course david beckham knows nothing about that...
The Double
23 Dec 2002, 11:36 AM
Originally posted by Scotty
Bending the ball has always been easy for Beckham, mainly because of his years of scientific studies and a profound knowledge of physics.
Classic.
Naco
25 Dec 2002, 09:36 AM
My synopsis of how Beckham bends it: Lucky b*stard.
Sean
Turk from Pigs Eye
25 Dec 2002, 10:11 AM
That's a nice article, but I don't think it really teaches anybody how he actually does it. You could learn more by just asking him. You need to know the off-foot placement, where on your shoe to strike it, the leg motion, etc.
8 revolutions per second is a lot of spin, by the way.
Heywood Jablohmi
25 Dec 2002, 02:16 PM
Originally posted by Scotty
Bending the ball has always been easy for Beckham, mainly because of his years of scientific studies and a profound knowledge of physics.
Hehe. Awesome.
Slash/ED
05 Jan 2003, 08:09 PM
You'd swear Beckham was the only player who could hit a free kick in the world, imo he's not even the best let alone the only one.
Beckhamcpt07
05 Jan 2003, 08:20 PM
When I leared to put swerve on the ball, I was able to hit the ball in all sorts of ways but over time I have lost the ability to hit the ball straight on and hit it straight with power in the air. Any suggestions, I mean sometimes it works but I seem to have a lot of trouble adjusting it? Suggestions would be appreciated?
Motterman
05 Jan 2003, 08:49 PM
Originally posted by Beckhamcpt07
When I leared to put swerve on the ball, I was able to hit the ball in all sorts of ways but over time I have lost the ability to hit the ball straight on and hit it straight with power in the air. Any suggestions, I mean sometimes it works but I seem to have a lot of trouble adjusting it? Suggestions would be appreciated?
Try to hit it like a knuckle-ball. Don't follow through quite as much as you normally would. Keep your hips straight and your knee pointed down. Concentrate on getting over the ball. Make sure your plant foot is not too far from the side of the ball when you hit it. Good luck.
goyoureddevils
07 Jan 2003, 09:49 PM
Originally posted by Ekelund4life
My synopsis of how Beckham bends it: Lucky b*stard.
Sean
Awwwwwwww, what's wrong....... don't cry because your team can't win the lottery!
actually, Derek Smethurst of the ol' Tampa Rowdies, who had a laser of a shot, taught me not to listen to most coaches on shooting (and I think he was right)..
You actually DON'T want your plant foot too close to the ball....it should be planted far enough away so that you leg is practically straight (a little knee bend) at almost 45 degree angle when striking the ball....you lean AWAY from the ball (not towards or over)....I know it seems a bit counter-intuitive, but if you think about it, you can strike a ball harder with your leg straight (at angle) vs. straight over ball/bent....you generate more power....also, if you timing/balance is right, you can hit a "worm burner" about 5 inches off the ground that will fly 20-25 yards....I saw Smethurst do this over and over again...he had one of the harder shot I've ever seen, and I've never seen someone be able to consistently keep a shot 5 inches off the ground at distance and hard like that guy
I have not played competitively in long time, so I have no idea if any coaches teach this...it is likely not easy to learn (and unlearn old habits)..good luck