How to learn to kick with the ball of the foot?

[gronis]

I cant pull my toes back far enough To safely kick with the ball of the foot. What can I do to improve this?

[Spartacus Maximus]

In general most people have poor blood circulation to their toes and poor dexterity. This is because of the usual way feet move. We don't usually use our toes for anything other than walking. That is why they must be trained to gain a new range of movement.

The best exercise is to practise curling your toes up and down. Do this every single day in bare feet a many times and as often as you can. You can also practise walking around on the balls of your feet or pushing your self up on them and standing like that for as long as possible.

The main reason you cannot pull your toes back far enough is that the connections controlling your toes are weak. Only solution is daily practise for at least a year. You should be able to do it eventually, unless you have some sort of physical anomaly or medical problem.

[ps1]

It takes alot of practice. I used to stretch this by planting my toes on the ground and kicking into the ground. Over time, I was able to get it.

[bushido_man96]

Both good suggestions, and I can't add anything to it. Practice kicking a concrete wall, very lightly, and getting the toes into position. It should be a slow kick that let's you see how to form your foot to make proper contact.

[DWx]

Great advice so far. Only thing I would add is choose the correct angle for your kick. Until you can pull your toes back all the way, kick targets at a 45° to you and not straight in front or directly to the side. This makes it easier to impact with the ball of the foot and not the toes.