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How does spin affect the trajectory of a kicked soccer ball?
Question Date: 2013-03-05
Answer 1:

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Answer 2:

I know that some spin will give a ball a more stable/predictable trajectory, which is why you want to kick a soccer ball with the inside or outside of your foot rather than the tip of your foot. If the spin is more extreme/strong, it can affect the trajectory by modifying it. For example, you need a lot of spin to perform a shot that allows you to put a corner kick into the goal - viewed from the top; the ball has a curved trajectory in that case. I assume that it is the spin of the ball acting on the air by friction that allows this deviation from a straight line trajectory.


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