This is the last principle, but probably the most critical. It is tough to get the "shoe laces" or the "sweet spot" right if your head is not down and watching the ball. The concept is similar to that of hitting a golf ball or a baseball. If you don't watch the ball, it is difficult to hit it properly. When in your stance, preparing to kick, focus on the "sweet spot" of the football (about 1/3 of the way from the ground). Your eyes should not leave this spot until well after the ball has left your foot. I recommend spending some time working on these fundamentals before moving on to the intermediate level.

It is important that you have these techniques down before attempting to "take steps" i.e. three steps back and two to the side.  When practicing, just stand behind the ball at a distance that feels comfortable. You shouldn't be any farther than five yards back or four to the side. Any point within that distance, that feels comfortable, is a good place to start, for now. From there, just work on making good solid contact. Whether the kick goes in or not is not important at this point.

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