Cristiano Ronaldo's Freekick update

Since the last time I described the Portuguese's particular free-kick style there has been much more to draw upon. Statistically speaking, this blog obtains a third part of its visits via Google, leaving to another third of that same third to Cristiano's matters. So I decided to update this particularly popular entry due to the fact that more input has arrived. This video is relatively new (23 December) so ignore the spam and enjoy:





The UEFA Training Ground is an amusing site in which one can actually see keepie-uppie expert Paul 'Woody' Wood making some concise explanations on different tricks made by world class players. Among them is our dear trick of the day, the so-called "Ronnie Rocket". There is no actual link to embed the video but I can give you this one - which will serve more than enough for our didactic purposes - (if the link is broken you can easily find it under the title at Training Ground then UEFA Champions League Skills, the Ronaldo Rocket).

One of the new aspects that Wood takes into consideration is the aspect of the valve. Being the hardest part of any ball, the little sealed hole must be stricken with much more force than a 'normal' freekick. The knee, as well as the heel must have a "short backlift" apart from the great recoil that the force of the strike can have. However, within my experience trying the kick in many attempts, it must be highlighted that not just accuracy is important but beyond that strength. We take for granted that whoever is shooting has already some experience in freekicks or at least, with basic knowledge of football practice.

Another new addition is the fact that the striker must face where he intends to put the ball, since the particular effect the kick has i not due to any type of swerve, but thanks to the air and the material of the football. Following inspections made me believe that there could be some type of injury in the standing knee but it all remains doubtless. The only question that beyond Wood explanations and my own practice on the subject I can actually make is the one of the moment of striking: it has to be sudden but with the contact enough to make the ball move in its own way.

At the end it appears that Tina Wulf masters the technique. Again the two major points in this close look are the technique of the hit through the laces and the lightness of the ball, along with the current of air streams and external factors that make the ball move unpredictably.

Cristiano Ronaldo's Free kick style

Regarding Cristiano's goal there has been a very interesting topic which has attracted me in previous season. If you may remember the semifinal against France in the Germany, he did made the same type of free kick, and whenever possible he always do it. In a strange hype, he looks at the ball and searches for the point that has a leak of air. After finding it he puts it carefully on the ground and locate it exactly where he id going to hit. He steps four steps from the ball, parallel to the posts. The runs toward the ball and kick it with the part of the foot that contains the beginning of the metatarsal bones. Not with the tip of the boot. He raises his foot and immediately draw it back from the ball, making a very different move when a 'normal free kick' is taken. This achieves that the ball travels at a continuous speed but... it remains without any effect due to the foot was removed in the exact moment the ball is supposed to be given the 'normal sideway effect'. So the wind or any other air current moves the ball in any direction making it even more difficult to the keeper to save. It is the second most difficult type of shot I ever tried, only doing it twice a t a practice. It consist in a very delicate balance of striking the ball in the right place. Position of both the body and ball are required to do this so its very difficult. Her an example on why Coupet was mocking Barthez by mimicking of a 'swaying ball':