KickMap

KickMap Training Academy

Soccer training guides built around better contact

Better ball contact changes everything. These six free guides show players, parents and coaches how to strike the ball cleanly, pass and shoot with accuracy, add power, bend the ball and track progress with a phone.

Each one explains the technique, gives you five short drills you can do alone or with a partner, and ends with a 20-minute session plan.

Start the pathDownload the free app
KickMap Trainer applied to a match ball on the turf during a golden-hour training session, with a coach directing play behind it.
The KickMap Trainer on a match ball during a live session.

Suggested reading path

Start with contact. Build from there.

New to KickMap? Read in this order. Already know your weak spot? Jump straight to that guide; each one stands on its own.

  1. Player stepping toward a stationary soccer ball on a training pitch, about to strike it.
    Step 1 · Clean contact · ~10 min read

    How to Strike a Soccer Ball Cleanly: Find the Sweet Spot

    Find a foot surface and setup you can repeat, fix common mishits and build control with five short drills and a 20-minute plan.

    Read the guide →
  2. Adi Hicks demonstrating ball-striking technique to a group of teenage players.
    Step 2 · Passing · ~13 min read

    How to Pass a Soccer Ball More Accurately: First Touch & Drills

    First touch, inside-foot contact and pass weight, with five wall and gate drills and a 20-minute session.

    Read the guide →
  3. Adi Hicks in his number 23 UNH kit with a ball on a floodlit pitch.
    Step 3 · Shooting · ~14 min read

    How to Improve Soccer Shooting Accuracy: 5 Drills That Work

    Read your miss patterns, understand how contact sets direction and height, and practice five target drills.

    Read the guide →
  4. A soccer ball on a grass pitch with a player preparing contact guidance beside a goal.
    Step 4 · Power · ~10 min read

    How to Kick a Soccer Ball Harder Without Losing Accuracy

    Build a smooth instep strike, keep a useful target and add speed gradually — with five progressive drills and a 20-minute session.

    Read the guide →
  5. Player following through on a strike, with the ball's curving flight traced toward goal.
    Step 5 · Curve · ~9 min read

    How to Bend a Soccer Ball: Curve, Spin & Foot Placement

    Curl the ball with both feet: understand spin, control the starting line and practice five progressive drills.

    Read the guide →
  6. Player finishing a strike while the ball's flight path is traced toward goal.
    Step 6 · Video review · ~9 min read

    How to Analyze Your Soccer Kicks Using a Smartphone

    Set up a safe, repeatable recording, know what to look for and track your progress with the free KickMap AI app.

    Read the guide →

How to use each guide

  1. 1

    Understand

    A quick answer first, then the technique and the physics behind it.

  2. 2

    Watch

    Short KickMap tutorials show the strike from approach to finish.

  3. 3

    Try

    Five short drills, each with a cue and a way to make it easier or harder.

  4. 4

    Track

    Count your hits and record your sets with the free KickMap AI app.

  5. 5

    Next

    Each guide points to the skill that builds on it.

Who's behind the guides

Born on the Field. Built Through Engineering.

KickMap was founded by Adison “Adi” Hicks, a five-season UNH Division I soccer player and engineering student who invented the original KickMap Trainer visual contact guide.

The guides follow the same idea: physics explains what happens, and KickMap AI helps players see and understand the result.

Meet Adi →

All you need is a smartphone and a soccer ball.

Start free with the KickMap AI app. Add the optional Trainer when you want to learn the contact.

Download the free appExplore the Trainer