Keep your eye on the ball. Choose which foot to receive the ball with (this may depend on the location of the defender). Receive the ball with one foot with the toe pointed up (ankle locked). Don’t stop the ball. Instead, prepare it for the next action: shot, dribble, pass or to play away from pressure.

Receiving the ball in the air is a skill that involves six major phases:

See the target. Approach the ball. Plant and position of support, or non-kicking foot (the toe of the non-kicking foot should be pointed in the direction the player wants the ball to go). Look at the ball, holding the head steady. Contact the correct area of the ball with locked ankle. For instep and outside of foot pass, the toes are pointed down and contact is on the top of the foot. For inside of the foot pass, toes are pointed up. Follow-through: kick “through the ball," following through toward the target. Transfer the weight forward.

is a zoo in Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri,

a leading zoo in animal management, research, conservation, and education.

Date opened 1904

Located on 90 acres in beautiful Forest Park, the Zoo is home to more than 600 species of animals, many of them rare and endangered.

How to Perform 1. The Position of Your Kicking Leg - The first point is critical whether you will get a powerful kick or not. The technique behind it is very simple: The higher you bring your kicking leg back the more powerful kick you will get. However, it is not necessary to hit your back with the heel of your kicking foot in order to get a powerful kick. :-) 2. The Position of Your Ankle - Try to keep the ankle of your kicking foot locked. This is one of the easiest things to forget during the kicking moment. 3. Position of Your Knee - The knee of your supporting leg needs to be slightly bent. By doing this it will be easier to kick the ball with the instep part of your foot. Keep in mind that the more you bend your knee the easier you'll have to kick the ball with your instep. 4. Distance of Your Supporting Leg - The foot of your supporting leg needs to be about a foot away from the ball. This will make it possible to strike the ball from a 45 degree angle which will give your kick with great power. Keep in mind also that the direction of the ball will depend in which direction your supporting foot is pointing. 5. Position of Your Body - If you lean your body forward your shoot will stay low to the ground. However, if you lean your body back the ball will fly higher.