Hey, it’s Raj from 3CB Performance.
Footballing legend, five time Balon d’Or winner, and current Juventus superstar Cristiano
Ronaldo has been a prolific free-kick taker over the course of his sparkling career with
53 free kick goals to his name, frequently using a “knuckleball” technique - a term
taken from baseball.
In this video, I’ll explain Cristiano’s free kick technique via the lens of biomechanics
and sports science.
Cristiano has a distinctive setup where he’ll measure out 4-5 steps from his eventual plant
leg near the ball - the angle tends to be flatter the farther right the free-kick is
but also depends on the specific technique he wants to use, he’ll spread out his legs
into a V position, take some deep breaths while pulling up on his shorts, take a look
at the goal for a final check on placement, and then focus back on the ball as he begins
his run-up.
His routine is certainly unique in terms of the mannerisms but not in terms of purpose:
A repeatable, consistent routine creates a rhythm and flow that optimizes focus and movements
by eliminating internal distractions (thinking about mechanics, anxiety, trepidation, etc)
and external distractions (crowd noise, player chatter, etc). Routines are used across many
sports - for example, before a free throw in basketball - and are scientifically known
as “neuromuscular priming” “movement/motor priming”.
Cristiano typically has a four step run-up and this consistency also contributes to creating
a rhythm. The first two steps - a right and then left - are relatively mundane but then
things get very interesting. On the third step, he takes a slightly shorter stride,
lands on the forefoot (ball of the foot) with his knee in extension (straight) - this is
called a “vault step” - and then rocks over it.
The vaulting accomplishes numerous things: Cristiano’s knee extension and increasing
ankle plantarflexion as he rocks over, tensions the knee flexors
and ankle dorsiflexors like
pulling a spring apart. When his leg swings behind him, the knee flexors recoil - known
as “elastic recoil” - to generate a higher knee flexion force. As he then swings the
leg forward, his ankle dorsiflexors automatically recoil to bring his ankle into the striking
position, one less variable to worry about on the strike.
Further, the shorter stride and vaulting effect - which lifts his body slightly higher -
creates a longer fourth step with his momentum traveling forwards AND *this is key* downwards
to powerfully and firmly plant his left foot by the ball, increasing balance and stability
(look at the muscle activation along his entire left leg) while creating a longer arc for
his swing leg to generate more power on the strike.
Cristiano’s torso is relatively quiet. He flexes forward as a counterbalance when his
legs swing through.
The strike is the key to Cristiano’s knuckleball effect. The goal is to strike the ball with
as little spin as possible
to allow the natural asymmetrical airflow surrounding the ball
as it travels through the air to generate any movement. The inconsistent nature of the
airflow as the ball lifts and travels is what makes the ball’s flightpath so difficult
to predict.
To create minimal spin while generating some lift and increasing power, Cristiano’s aim
is to hit the ball dead center and slightly underneath with the solid instep of his right foot.
His follow-through is quick and controlled to limit contact time and transfer power to
the ball without imparting spin.
The combination of pace on the ball and erratic movement makes it extremely difficult for
keepers to react in time to a well hit knuckleball, sometimes completely wrong-footed.
Cristiano knows teams and keepers have to always be weary of his knuckleball and he’ll
take advantage by mixing in more conventional techniques, such as side spin instep free-kicks
and going under the wall.
If you can keep the wall and keeper guessing, you’re at a significant advantage.
Although Cristiano’s free-kick goals and knuckleball technique has become one of his
signature moves, he’s struggled mightily to score from free kicks since 2014, netting
only nine goals on 174 attempts. In my next video, I’ll breakdown potential reasons
why and possible solutions.
That’s a wrap for this video. Thanks for watching. My goal is to provide you with in-depth,
evidence based, narrative free analysis and you can always find me on IG and Twitter @3CBPerformance.
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all social media for the latest updates. 3CB out.