WHAT IS A FOOTBALL VOLLEY? – 6 Of The Best Bicycle Kick volleys ever

Today I am discussing what a football volley is?  Then we will showing you 6 of the best ever bicycle kicks you have ever seen.

Did you see that amazing piece of football skill?  You know that football volley from that player, what’s his name, that flew straight into the top corner?  Not sure what I am talking about?  That is what a football volley can do for a player to get people talking about after a match, about what a great goal it was or how fantastic that piece of skill was. That is why the first question you may be asking is what is a Football volley? 

In soccer (Association Football) a volley is where a player meets the ball in mid-air with their foot before it has a chance to hit the ground. It can be a difficult skill to get right as it requires the player to have good eye-to-ball coordination skills

You may ask why would a player even want to attempt this skill? The easy answer is this, volleying a football when done right looks amazing, especially if the player gets themselves air-born when they connect with the ball.

Players who can learn this soccer skill and get it right can give the fans that extra special moment in a game. Jaw dropping moments that make paying their entrance fee to a match worth the money. Who can forget Gareth Bale’s wonder volley in the 2018 Champions League Final against Liverpool. Spectacular to say the least.

Can anyone learn this skill? Yes of course they can, any soccer skill can be learn’t just keep practicing it over and over until you get it right. You may try a football volley one hundred times and only get it right once, but that once could make you stand out from the crowd and be noticed, especially if it screams into the top corner and you have hit it from 25 yards outside the area.

In this article I will attempt to show you how to improve your volleying technque and give you some drills on how to get the classic soccer skill right.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How to volley a football?

The first thing you need to remember is to point the toes downwards. Then lock your ankle, this will make your foot feel tight but will give you more power when you connect the ball. After that make sure the knee is lifted up. When most players attempt to shoot or pass the ball they will keep the knee-high and move it slightly forward over the front of the foot. They will also lean slightly forward and keep their head over the ball.

This movement tends to keep the shot down and you won’t see the ball fly high and wide into the crowd but rather low and on target with the net bulging at the end of it.

The head down and foot over the ball movement should also give the pass more accuracy and control. Volleying a football will put a lot of extra spin on the ball, that is why it is so hard to control where the ball ends up.

Tips:

+ make sure your eyes remain focused on the ball at all times

+ don’t lean backwards

+ keep your head still

+ Judge where you think the ball will arrive

+ take aim and look at exactly where you want the ball to go

+ plant your non kicking foot firmly on the ground

+ then leading with the knee bring the kicking leg up and strike the ball

+ remember to follow through with the kicking leg

 

Taking a volley on

You need to be brave as a player and not worry about it going wrong because it does not really matter. As long as you are working on improving your technique then you will get it right. If your are working on improving your first touch when controlling a football then this skill will improve.

This sort of skill is usually done on instinct during a game.

What happens is you have worked hard at training so it comes to a match day game and at some point the ball will come towards you at the right height and speed. Your brain will automatically say to you this is it, try the volley. Then thanks to all your efforts on the training ground you will have the confidence to just go for it.

Quick Tip:

If you as a player decide to hit the ball immediately after it hits the ground then this skill is know as a half volley. This type of skill is used mainly by goalkeeper when they are clearing the ball away from their goal it can be used by outfield players if the need arises during a game.

The Bicycle Kick

What is a bicycle kick?

This is when a player tries and acrobatic movement in the air to strike the ball. It can also be know as an overhead kick scissors kick. The player jumps in the air and throws their body backwards, the players legs will fly upwards in the air, then the aim is to strike the ball in midair and try to control the direction of the ball. This is a tough skill to master but will get you noticed if you can get it right.

 

6 of the best ever bicycle kicks

Here are some examples of what a bicycle kick is and how it can light up any game.

 

1.Gareth Bale stunner for Real Madrid vs Liverpool in the Champions League final in 2018

 

2.Christiano Ronaldo amazing Quarter-final goal vs Juventus April 2018

 

3. Trevor Sinclair great FA cup fourth round goal for Queens Park Rangers vs Barnsley in 1997

 

4. Rivaldo vs Valencia on the final day of the 2000/2001 La liga season in the last minute

 

5. Zlatan Ibrahimovic memorable 30 yard goal vs England in a friendly in 2012

 

6. Wayne Rooney for Manchester United vs Manchester City in 2011

 

To volley or not to volley that is the question?

When the ball next comes into your path during a match and the direction of the flight of the ball feels right for you. The big question is will you take on the volley or not? Remember those tips I mentioned previously in this article and get practicing. Make sure your eyes remain on focused the ball and keep your head down when you strike the ball. Who knows you may get it right and the rest of your team are talking about it for the rest of the season.

Next time you head out of the house to watch a game of football I will have my fingers crossed for you that you can see a goal from a volley that is out of this world and that leaves you speechless and you can say I was there when ….

Please leave me a comment on this topic below

Thank you for taking the time to read and discuss this topic with me

Best Wishes

Matthew

 

 

 

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8 thoughts on “WHAT IS A FOOTBALL VOLLEY? – 6 Of The Best Bicycle Kick volleys ever

  1. I really enjoyed reading your article.  Football is not something I am very knowledgeable about but I did learn a bit during the 2010 World Cup here in SA.  It’s a fast paced and highly skilled sport which is exciting to watch.  I really enjoyed reading about what the different shots are and how to master them.  I was exceptionally sporty as a youngster so appreciate the technicalities of a great shot.  If I was a big football fan I would definitely spend time on your site, the information is well presented and I expect, very topical to someone who is an aspiring player or big fan.  

    1. hi Louise. I am so glad you found the article interesting and I improved your knowledge on Football just a little bit.

       I remember the world cup in S.A. well I as I am an ex south African living in the UK. it was awesome to see the country pull together and work well to  create an amazing world cup. 

      Thank you for the kind words and great comments.

      best wishes to you

      Matthew

  2. Great Article, brought back some good memories of some the best and most incredible bicycle kick volleys. I used to love watching Dutch forward Klass Huntelaar who use to score bicycle volleys very regularly when he first started out in the dutch league with Heerenveen and Ajax. He is definitely one to watch if you’re looking to learn how to do a volley. 

    Thanks for sharing Matt!

    J

    1. Hi J.

      Thanks for checking out the article and leaving me a comment.

      Great shout that Klass Huntelaar another fine exponent of the bicycle kick. Maybe  I should have made it a 10 best then who knows who I could have included.

      Take care and best wishes to you

      Matthew

  3. Sounds like you’ve had a lot of practice runs at Football Volley since you explain in detail exactly how and where to place the toe, ankle, knee, and head when attempting this amazing manoeuvre.

    What came to mind immediately after I read that, was that it is important to remember that the football could be travelling at high speeds.  This means that one has to have strong calf muscles to encounter that force with an equal and opposite force and even stronger to make the ball travel in the direction desired.

    Do you concur, or do you have a different theory?

    Looking forward to your reply.

    Edu

    1. Hi Edu.

      Thanks for leaving me a comment.  It was very kind of you.  You are correct it helps to have strong calf muscles and leg muscles. This can definitely bring you more power in your shots.  The Bicycle kick and volley can sometimes be just about timing and the pace at which the ball comes at you. Sometimes it just feels right to just have a go and see what happens.

      Take care. 

      Good luck to you

      Matthew

  4. These are some great tips on learning and perfecting a volley. A volley is a really impressive shot and you can really get some serious power behind it if you connect hard enough! I think a great way to build up your muscle memory and skill with volleying is to practice hitting half-volleys first. A half-volley is where the ball bounces before you volley it. They tend to be easier to hit and travel slower, but the technique is the same as when you are hitting a volley for real. What do you think?

    1. Hi Danny.

      Thank you for messaging me and leaving a comment. Yes I tend to agree starting with the half volley is slightly easier as the ball can bounce just before you hit it. This gives you slightly better control of the direction of where the ball will end up. It does give you the feel of how it would be to hit a volley for real.  If you can master a half volley then you are well on your way to hitting an airborne volley and becoming a great player as they are spectacular when they are hit cleanly.

      Very kind of you to get in touch with me.

      Take care and best wishes to you.

      Matthew

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