The most common reason for trying to make a ball bend or curve is to get the ball around an opponent and toward an intended target. Times when you might try to bend a ball include shooting around a wall or playing a through ball behind a defense and away from the keeper.

The key to getting a ball to bend is to put spin on the ball with enough velocity as to make it move. I am sure there is an explanation from physics that would explain this but that is simply all you need to know. If you want the ball to be bent using your right foot and toward your left, plant your left foot a couple of inches closer to the ball than you normally would (instead of 6-8 inches from the ball, plant your foot 4-6 inches from the ball). By doing this, you will make contact with the ball an inch or two from the center of the ball (away from the side of the ball closest to you). By striking the ball in this area, it will generate sidespin on the ball. If the ball is struck with enough velocity, this spin will cause the ball to begin to bend.

The harder the ball is struck, the more the ball will spin. The more the ball spins, the more the ball will bend. If you make contact a little bit further from the center of the ball, it will spin more and thus bend more.

If you want to make a ball bend toward your right with your right foot, you would want to step further away from the ball with your left foot and use the outside of your right foot. By doing this, you can generate enough spin and power on the ball to make the ball bend toward your right.

The other way you can make a ball bend is to have the ball bend down. This is usually done to shoot a ball over a wall but not over the goal. The way this is done is to place your plant foot the standard 6-8 inches from the ball but an inch or two in front of where you normally would. Your intention is to make contact with the ball slightly above the center of the ball. By doing this, you can generate enough topspin to cause the ball to dip down shortly after the ball is struck.

In each of the above-mentioned cases, it is important to hit the ball in the proper spot and with a great deal of power in order to generate the spin needed to make the ball dip. Keep your eye on the ball the entire time and realize that the technique and location of the strike is more important then anything else.

I would prefer that players not work on bending balls until they are quite proficient with hitting a straight ball. However, you should realize that the ability to hit a bending ball is a terrific skill that can result in a goal or a great scoring opportunity.