CN101674865A - Method and device for kicking practice - Google Patents

Abstract

A ball kicking practice device having a target mark disposed in at least one location on the exterior of the ball. Feedback marks are disposed circumferentially on the ball and extend through the target, the feedback marks changing in appearance in form or color when a proper strike is made with the foot. Shoe contact marks provide contact points on the shoe for contact with the target on the exterior of the ball during practice and allowing the user to maintain eye contact with the ball during foot contact with the ball and during feedback of a proper or improper strike received by the change in appearance of the feedback marks.

Description

Method and device for kicking practice

technical field

This application claims priority from US Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 60/871,004, filed December 20, 2006, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

The device provided by the present invention relates to a kicking practice device for an athlete, such as a football player. More specifically, the described devices and methods of application thereof relate to placing markings on a ball that can change in appearance when a user makes a precise or accurate kick, and to targeting devices on a ball and on a shoe, which Used to encourage the user to maintain eye contact with the desired target on their feet.

Background technique

Football is a sport widely played by adults and children in the world. For players, it requires a high degree of foot-eye coordination to kick or hit the ball accurately. Similar to other sports that require accurate hitting of the ball to advance toward an intended goal, players must develop the ability to maintain their eye contact with the ball in order to pass it to another player or to attempt to score the ball into the goal. Kicking the ball with the wrong part of the foot can create an undesired trajectory for the ball, resulting in missed passes or shots, which is detrimental to good team sport.

As is well known to experienced soccer players, it is extremely beneficial to master the technique of striking a soccer ball in different areas to cause the ball to travel along the desired flight path. Experienced players have developed years of practice at controlling the movement of the ball by hitting specific areas of the ball during the game for passing or shooting, but new players lack this crucial skill.

Additionally, different game situations require different ball trajectories, which are only achieved by the precise contact of the foot and ball at their different locations. In defensive play, the player is only trying to clear the ball away from his team's goal, he just has to kick the ball as far as possible. Conversely, in an attacking game where multiple players attack the opposing goal, precise and good control of the ball's flight trajectory is crucial for team sports and goal scoring.

Presumably any type of player can kick the ball with their feet, however, very few players possess the agility and coordination of the foot and the ball to precisely control the ball's progression in these various situations.

Traditionally, coaching young and even older players has often involved hitting the ball with the foot, accompanied by a visual assessment by the coach followed by a verbal exchange with the player about the way the coach played the ball. This is a problem for young players because coaches don't always have the time, as requested, to help them with the dexterity and accuracy of kicking the ball, and they don't provide them with a visual reference to determine exactly what type of foot contact is appropriate.

As a result of the above-described training regime, the practice of kicking with the foot in the correct position on the ball and maintaining eye contact during this practice is not easily achievable. Also, even if they hit the ball, if the coach is not there to evaluate the effect, the players will not receive feedback to determine whether they are making contact with the ball in the desired form and maintaining eye contact with the ball during the stroke.

Therefore, there is a need for a device and method that will enable soccer players to see improvements in their hitting ability through continued eye contact with the ball during self-training. Such a device and method should provide the player with a reference point of foot contact at which contact with the ball may be appropriate for various types of kicks. In addition, the device should provide the player with a reference ball contact point, which is suitable for the reference foot contact point to be in contact with during the kick. The combination of these two reference points of contact also provides players with the skill to practice maintaining eye contact with the ball during kicks. In training, he is often criticized by coaches for failing to maintain eye contact with the ball.

Finally, and not least importantly, the device can provide some means of visual feedback to the player to verify that their contact with the ball is in the proper position of the ball and foot to produce the desired trajectory of the ball. This visual reference can allow even very young users to make sure they hit the ball correctly. This means of feedback allows athletes to practice on their own without a coach, and to determine for themselves whether they are hitting the ball correctly with their foot, or whether they are using the reference point of contact on the ball and foot correctly. This allows for practice by athletes of any age and requires no special equipment to ensure proper form.

Therefore, before explaining at least one embodiment of the present invention in detail, it should be understood that, in practice, the present invention is not limited to the details of construction and the arrangement of components described in the following specification or drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and phraseology used in the present application are for the purpose of description only and should not be regarded as limiting. Thus, those skilled in the art can easily understand that based on the concept of the present invention, it can be used as the basis for designing other vertical-axis wind turbines (vertical-axis wind turbine), as well as methods and methods for realizing certain objects of the present invention. system. Therefore, it is important that the claims should be intended to include equivalent constructions that do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a soccer practice device that provides the player with a visual reference of the proper point of contact on the foot and ball to allow practice with or without the presence of the coach.

Another object of the present invention is to provide such a kicking practice device, which can facilitate continuous observation of the ball during hitting, so as to train players to maintain eye contact with the ball during kicking.

In the most preferred embodiment, it is yet another object of the present invention to provide a kicking practice device that provides visual feedback to the user as to whether their foot is making contact with the ball with sufficient precision to propel it correctly. The ball, while not requiring a goal or goal.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide such a device for kick practice that even very young players who cannot read can use and receive visual feedback of the correct way to kick the ball, allowing them to practice without a coach .

Objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following more particular description, of which the accompanying drawings form a part, in which like numerals refer to like parts.

Contents of the invention

The device and operation method described and disclosed in the present invention provide a reference for players practicing kicking, so as to assist the players to maintain the coordination of feet and eyes during kicking (such as football), so as to obtain the correct trajectory of the hit ball. The various components used alone or in combination will allow players to practice their kicking style, as well as to practice and learn the fine technique of keeping eye contact with the ball and feet, thereby forming a memory in the muscles and brain due to this better kicking form, and To achieve a better overall exercise effect.

The device is characterized as a foot targeting system that allows the player to determine the proper point of contact of the foot with the ball to cause the ball to produce the desired trajectory. Also provided is a ball targeting system for the ball by which the user can practice proper contact points with the foot targeting system for optimum form and effect of kicking. The combination of the foot target system and the ball target system provides a means for players to practice maintaining eye contact with the ball before, during, and after kicking the ball with their feet. This is the main skill that a football player must develop as he progresses through the game.

This system has been found to be especially useful for some young players who do not have the verbal skills to determine what the coach is instructing and who may not have the physical skills to hit the ball properly. Frequently, these young players do not know where on the foot is the proper point of contact with the ball to produce the correct or desired trajectory. Certain players develop the habit during sports such as kickball where they are trained to hit the ball on the top of the foot rather than the side. Thus, by providing foot target and ball target contact as practice purposes, young players and even veteran players can be taught the proper manner and point of contact between the ball and foot.

Not only did muscle memory develop to help the athlete repeat the skill during the sustained attempt to make foot-target contact with the ball-target, but maintaining eye contact with the ball during the kick was also found to improve significantly. Most athletes lack this critical skill and often lose their eyes prematurely when hitting the ball with their feet, so that they do not develop good eye-foot coordination and the ability to maintain eye contact with the ball during the stroke. The critical skill of maintaining eye contact is dramatically improved with this disclosed foot and ball targeting system.

Additionally, in addition to the ball targeting system, the devices and methods of the present invention provide a means for visual feedback, which is especially valuable to athletes. This visual feedback is achieved by placing the markings in place on the ball relative to the target features on the ball, and thereafter providing the user with rapid visual feedback to determine the impact of foot contact with the ball on the intended effect. Is it correct for the shot.

This visual feedback system is a most important feature as the players need to have the coach watch and comment on how and how well they do, or have some kind of target to hit the ball towards. Because coaches or parents are not always available, it affects the feedback of each kick practice. Trying to hit the ball toward the target to ensure proper contact will in practice cause the player to look away from the ball. Thus, conventional practice systems and methods prevent mastery of the skill of maintaining eye contact with the ball and foot during strokes because players tend to look at the target prematurely or at the time of stroke when their feet make contact with the ball. , instead of looking at the ball.

In a presently preferred embodiment of the device, several marker types are included which may or may not be used with the foot and ball targets as the case may be, but still provide useful markings after a proper or improper kick. value feedback. In the simplest way of marking to provide a visual means for feedback, the dotted lines employed are placed circumferentially on the outside of the ball. The one or more dotted lines are arranged in conjunction with one or more targets for the ball targeting system disposed on the ball where the user's feet make contact with the ball. The line appears dotted when the ball is at rest, and becomes blurred if the ball is hit incorrectly with the foot on the target. However, if the player hits the ball with the correct part of the foot at the point of contact on the ball, the point line appears solid to the player as the ball rolls continuously and matches the ball target. Thus, the simplest form of this marking can produce immediate feedback on proper contact with the ball to form a proper trajectory.

In another way of marking settings, dotted lines may consist of half tones or dots or lines of alternating colors which, when combined, produce a third color. This can be done by making the markers smaller dots, or halftones of alternating colors in the width of the final stripe, or by forming the dotted line in alternating colors (these colors combine to appear as a third color) , so as to achieve this purpose.

If the player hits the ball properly, and if the halftone or alternating colors that form the stripes are blue and yellow, these colors will combine and appear green to the user's eye when the ball spins off from the contact of the player's foot. This is an instant visual feedback that is easily understood even by young children who cannot read. However, if you fail to hit the ball on target, or hit the ball with the wrong part of your foot, the streak will not appear when the ball is angled away from the axis of the line, but will appear to be in the wrong spin and trajectory Motion blurred dots or dotted lines.

It is also possible to place a second marking on the ball in the form of stripes or halftones or other color patterns within the stripes, which stripes are at a different angle to the first stripes on the ball distributed through the target. Players can use these second stripes to practice "spin" ("putting English") or spin on the ball as it rolls along the track on the ground. A ball that spins horizontally while rolling away from the player creates a visually pleasing form of horizontal line marking along the line of spin, which indicates that the player is creating spin and arcs for the ball rolling on the ground.

The markings that form the shoe or foot targeting system can be placed directly on the shoe surface, or use an elastic planar ring that fits around the shoe roughly along the route from the arch on top of the shoelace to the outer edge of the shoe. Similarly, markings formed on the surface of the ball can be placed on the ball using silkscreen or other means of printing directly on the ball, or using stickers for the target and a strip of film with labels for the stripes To achieve this, the streak will only appear correctly when the foot is properly hit on the target.

Of course, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that other means for placing markings on shoes and balls, and any manner of marking targets on balls or shoes, and in the form of lines or stripes or similar markings may be used. Any arrangement of feedback flags for feedback is contemplated within the scope of the present invention.

In conjunction with the above description, it should be appreciated that the optimal dimensional relationship between the components of the present invention, including variations in size, material, shape, form, function, mode of operation, assembly and use, is within the purview of one of ordinary skill in the art All equivalents to the schemes which are obvious and obvious, and which are described in the drawings and description, are also intended to be covered by the present invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description, as well as the following detailed description, should be considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. In addition, various modifications and changes are possible to those skilled in the art because of this disclosure of the invention. It is not intended that the invention be limited to the exact construction and operation described and shown. Therefore, all suitable modifications and equivalents that may be realized by those skilled in the art shall fall within the scope of the present invention.

Description of drawings

Figure 1 depicts a schematic diagram of the provided apparatus for use in the kicking practice method, showing a shoe with at least one (preferably a plurality) of shoe targets hitting a ball at a suitably set ball target location.

FIG. 2 is a top view of a shoe showing markers positioned at a plurality of target locations for contact with a ball.

Figure 3 depicts another form of shoe in which a strap is fitted around the shoe to place the target location on the outside of the shoe.

Figure 4 depicts a side view of the shoe showing the interior and top surfaces with the shoe object thereon.

Figure 5 depicts a side view of a ball with a ball target location and a broken line hemispherically coincident with the target.

Figure 6 depicts the visual changes that occur when the ball in Figure 5 is properly hit.

Figure 7 shows a plurality of ball target locations designated by markings on the outer surface of the ball, along with transverse and longitudinal lines thereon.

Figure 8 depicts an embodiment of the ball in the present invention wherein the lines or stripes are formed by colored markings adapted to change color when correctly hit at the ball's target location.

Figure 9 depicts a magnified portion of the stripes in Figure 8, which is a means to provide the user with color change feedback when the ball is hit correctly.

Figure 10 depicts the ball of Figure 8 with the color of the stripes changing during movement along a suitable trajectory.

Detailed ways

The apparatus 10 of Figures 1-10 will now be described with reference to the drawings, wherein like parts are designated by like reference numerals. 1 depicts a schematic diagram of a device 10 for kicking practice provided by the present invention, wherein a shoe 11 is shown having at least one, preferably a plurality of shoe objects 12 arranged on the shoe, the shoe facing the ball 14 moves and impacts the ball, the ball 14 having at least one ball target location 16 . As mentioned above, one or more shoe targets 12 are provided on the shoe 11 in use for practicing kicking the ball 14 along a particular trajectory, and to provide a visual means to practice keeping the user's eye on the ball 14 and the foot. , and at least one ball target location 16 is disposed on the ball 14 .

In certain types of kicking practice, the proper foot target 12 is aimed at making contact with the ball 14 during each stroke or kick. The player maintains eye contact with the selected shoe target 12 during each kick, and continues to be in contact with the selected ball target location 16 until impact with the ball 14 occurs. Markings on the ball 14 in the form of stripes 18 will provide a visual means for verifying that the ball 14 has been correctly kicked if the correct shot produced the correct ball 14 trajectory. The ball is positioned on the ground at a location where, as shown in FIG. 1, during subsequent rolls of the ball 14, the markings will visibly change, in a preferred embodiment, in the form of stripes 18 and vertically Place markers on the ground on the upper hemisphere of the ball.

The shoe target shown in FIGS. 1 , 2 and 4 may be screen printed, taped, glued, or otherwise provided directly to the exterior of the ball 14 . In a preferred embodiment of the device 10, the shoe object 12 can be provided with adhesive or Velcro or other means on the rear side, so that the user can set the shoe object 12 on the shoe at the desired position when practicing. Goal 12. Alternatively, the shoe target 12 may be permanently applied to the shoe during manufacture or thereafter using ink, dye, or similar medium. Still alternatively, in other preferred embodiments of the device 10 , the shoe object 12 may be provided on a strap 20 which fits around the shoe 11 . The strap 20 is preferably elastic so that it stretches around the perimeter of the shoe and then contracts to fit snugly over the shoe to set the shoe in place. This use of the strap 20 allows for easy setting and removal of the shoe targets 12 and easy changing of their position on the shoe 11, and allows for some easy customization of the targets 12 themselves, such as using team colors or The type of flag. The elastic strips 20 also help keep the laces securely attached to the shoe 11 and provide a flatter ball contact surface than would be possible without the laces.

The shoe target 12 shown in the shape of a bull's eye can be any target mark that the user thinks can be easily followed by the eye, for example, any design known to those skilled in the art can be used for the target. Ideally, the shoe target 12 is easily visible in any light and preferably matches the size of the ball target location 16 or is slightly smaller than it.

The position of the shoe target 12 shown in FIGS. 2 , 2 and 4 may vary depending on the type of kick to be practiced, and whether the foot contacts the medial side 22 or lateral side 24 or top 26 . When used in conjunction with a ball 14 with a ball target location 16, at least one shoe target 12 is required to maintain eye contact with the ball 14 and shoe 11 during the user's stroke. However, if eye contact practice is not required and only feedback of proper shot is required, only ball 14 may be used without shoe target 12, as stripes 18 or other markings may provide confirmation or feedback of proper kick trajectory and proper contact .

When the shoe target 12 and ball target location 16 are used in conjunction, the user follows the selected shoe target 12 during the kicking motion until hitting the ball 14 at the selected ball target location 16 . This action is shown in Figure 4.

Visual feedback means for correctly hitting the ball 14 are shown in FIGS. 5-10, which can immediately provide the user with confirmation that the ball 14 is correctly hit. In a preferred embodiment of the device 10, whether used in conjunction with the shoe target 12 or not, by placing markers on the ball 14 in a position relative to the ball target position 16, a means for visual feedback is provided, such as when desired. Visual feedback in the form of color changes, visual changes in markers when the ball is correctly in contact with the ball.

A preferred form of this marking employs a dotted line 28 forming a stripe 18 disposed circumferentially outside the ball 14 and coinciding with the ball target location 16 . As shown in FIG. 4, when the ball 14 is at rest and placed so that the stripes 18 are perpendicular to the ground, the stripes 18 appear broken. If the ball is hit incorrectly with the foot and moved at an angle, the streak 18 will be blurred. However, if the player correctly hits the ball 14 at the ball target location 16, the dotted lines 28 forming the stripes 18 will appear to the player as solid lines 29 as the ball spins. The player can thus get instant feedback on the correct shot without the presence of a third party such as a coach. One or more dotted lines 28 may be taken and placed at appropriate locations on the ball to form the circumferential stripes 18 and aligned at the ball target location 16 . Alternatively, if the player is particularly advanced, stripes 18 in the form of separate dotted lines 28 may be provided to allow the advanced player to practice hitting ball 14 at precise locations along stripes 18 across the sides or bottom of ball 14.

In another preferred embodiment of the device 10 shown in FIGS. 8-10 , the stripes 18 are formed using a multi-color pattern, such as the halftone 30 shown in FIG. 9 . In this way the stripe 18 changes color to a third color stripe 19 when the ball is hit correctly to roll it on the correct trajectory. During a kick similar to that shown in Figure 4, when the player hits the ball, if hit properly, the ball will roll and the halftone 30 or other suitably applied multi-color markings will change color. For example, color variation may be provided by applying stripes 18 in the form of small dots, such as the halftone 30 of FIG. If the halftone 30 is composed of a first color 32 and a second color 34 and is properly positioned within the stripe 18, when the player hits the ball correctly, the halftone 30 forming the stripe 18 moves in a ring and the player sees will change color.

For example, if the first color 32 is blue and the second color 34 is yellow, these colors will combine and appear to the user as the ball 14 spins away from contact with the player's foot in a straight line and proper trajectory. 18 for the green stripe. This color change of the indicia provides easy visual and immediate feedback of correctly hitting the ball 14 or incorrectly hitting the ball, because if the stripe 18 rolls at an off angle rather than rolling along the stripe 18 circumferentially, the color will not change. Change. Of course, other halftone patterns or halftones 30 of more than two colors or other specially colored indicia can also be adopted by those skilled in the art to produce color changes on the trajectory after a correct shot . Thus, any change in color of the indicia of the ball 14, which provides visual feedback about the stroke when the ball is properly or improperly struck, is within the scope of the present invention foreseeable to those skilled in the art. .

The method and components illustrated in the drawings and detailed description provide a specific configuration of feature sets and configurations of preferred embodiments of the presently disclosed device and method configurations for illustrating kick practice. However, it should be understood that features in different structures and configurations, and the use of different steps and processing procedures, and other configurations, other than those illustrated and described above, may be employed in accordance with the spirit of the invention.

Thus, while the invention has been described in connection with specific embodiments, certain modifications, various modifications and permutations are possible to the foregoing, and it is to be understood that in some cases, departures may be made without departing from the appended claims. To illustrate the scope of the invention in , some features of the invention are employed and others are omitted. All such changes, substitutions and modifications are possible to those skilled in the art and are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention as broadly defined in the appended claims.

In addition, the purpose of providing the abstract of the present invention is to enable the USPTO and the public, especially scientists, engineers, and practitioners in the field who are not familiar with patent or legal terms or phrases, to quickly learn from the technical disclosure in the abstract. A brief overview of the substance and key points to understand the application. The Abstract is not intended to define the invention of the application, which is defined by the claims, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way.

Claims (20)

1. A kicking practice device, characterized in that, comprising: a ball with an external surface; target indicia disposed on at least one point of said exterior surface designating a target for a point of contact of a user's foot during impact with a ball; feedback indicia disposed on the exterior surface having a first appearance when the ball is at rest and a second appearance on the ball when the ball is propelled as a result of the strike to the ball 2 appearance; and The second appearance of the indicia provides the user with a visual means to determine that the shot is propelling the ball along the proper trajectory. 2. The football kicking practice device according to claim 1, characterized in that: the first appearance of the marking is a dotted line extending circumferentially in a direction opposite the target marking; and Said second appearance is a solid line. 3. The kicking practice device according to claim 1, characterized in that: the first appearance of the marking is a stripe extending circumferentially in a direction opposite the target marking; and The second appearance is stripes having a different color than the stripes in the first appearance. 4. The kicking practice device according to claim 3, characterized in that: said stripes forming a mark consist of at least two different colours; and The second appearance is a third color consisting of an optical blend of the two different colors when the ball is spun. 5. The football kicking practice device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The target markings provide a means for the user to maintain eye contact with the ball during practice until the strike occurs. 6. The football kicking practice device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The target markings provide a means for the user to maintain eye contact with the ball during practice until the strike occurs. 7. The football kicking practice device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The target markings provide a means for the user to maintain eye contact with the ball during practice until the strike occurs. 8. The football kicking practice device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The target markings provide a means for the user to maintain eye contact with the ball during practice until the strike occurs. 9. The kicking practice device according to claim 1, further comprising: a shoe worn by a user for hitting said ball; the shoe has markings thereon designating at least one point of contact of the shoe with the target marking during a stroke of the ball; the contact point provides a means of practicing hitting the ball at the location on the shoe where the contact point is located, and The second appearance of the indicia provides a visual means for the user to determine that a hit to the point of contact on the target indicium propels the ball along a proper trajectory. 10. The kicking practice device according to claim 1, further comprising: shoes worn by the user for hitting the ball; the shoe has markings thereon designating at least one point of contact of the shoe with the target marking during a stroke of the ball; the contact point provides a means of practicing hitting the ball at the location on the shoe where the contact point is located, and The second appearance of the indicia provides a visual means for the user to determine that a hit to the point of contact on the target indicium propels the ball along a proper trajectory. 11. The football kicking practice device according to claim 2, further comprising: a shoe worn by a user for hitting said ball; the shoe has markings thereon designating at least one point of contact of the shoe with the target marking during a stroke of the ball; the contact point provides a means of practicing hitting the ball at the location on the shoe where the contact point is located, and The second appearance of the indicia provides a visual means for the user to determine that a hit to the point of contact on the target indicium propels the ball along a proper trajectory. 12. The football kicking practice device according to claim 4, further comprising: a shoe worn by a user for hitting said ball; the shoe has markings thereon designating at least one point of contact of the shoe with the target marking during a stroke of the ball; the contact point provides a means of practicing hitting the ball at the location on the shoe where the contact point is located, and The second appearance of the indicia provides a visual means for the user to determine that a hit to the point of contact on the target indicium propels the ball along a proper trajectory. 13. The kicking practice device according to claim 6, further comprising: a shoe worn by a user for hitting said ball; the shoe has markings thereon designating at least one point of contact of the shoe with the target marking during a stroke of the ball; the contact point provides a means of practicing hitting the ball at the location on the shoe where the contact point is located, and The second appearance of the indicia provides a visual means for the user to determine that a hit to the point of contact on the target indicium propels the ball along a proper trajectory. 14. The football kicking practice device according to claim 2, characterized in that: the dotted line extends on the surface of the ball in a direction opposite the target marking to form a complete circle on the surface; and The suitable trajectory is the rolling of the ball on the surface of the ball along the dotted line, and the plane through the ball formed by the dotted line is substantially perpendicular to the ground, wherein when the The line appears to the user as the solid line while the ball continues in the rolling state. 15. The football kicking practice device according to claim 4, characterized in that: said indicia is a halftone consisting of said at least two different colors; said second appearance is said third color; and The suitable trajectory is the rolling of the ball on the surface of the ball along the stripes and the plane through the ball formed by the stripes is substantially perpendicular to the ground, wherein when the ball While continuing in the scrolling state, the stripe appears to the user as the third color. 16. The football kicking practice device according to claim 11, characterized in that: the dotted line extends on the surface of the ball in a direction opposite the target marking to form a complete circle on the surface; and The suitable trajectory is the rolling of the ball on the surface of the ball along the dotted line, and the plane through the ball formed by the dotted line is substantially perpendicular to the ground, wherein when the The line appears to the user as the solid line while the ball continues in the rolling state. 17. The football kicking practice device according to claim 12, characterized in that: said indicia is a halftone consisting of said at least two different colors; said second appearance is said third color; and The suitable trajectory is the rolling of the ball on the surface of the ball along the stripes and the plane through the ball formed by the stripes is substantially perpendicular to the ground, wherein when the ball While continuing in the scrolling state, the stripe appears to the user as the third color. 18. The kicking practice device according to claim 1, further comprising: a ball with an external surface; said target indicia disposed at a plurality of points on said outer surface designating a plurality of said targets for contact points of a user's foot during impact with a ball; feedback indicia disposed on the exterior surface having a first appearance when the ball is at rest and a second appearance on the ball when the ball is propelled as a result of the strike to the ball 2 appearance; and The second appearance of the indicia provides the user with a visual means to determine that the shot at any of the plurality of target points propels the ball along a proper trajectory. 19. The kicking practice device according to claim 10, further comprising: a ball with an external surface; said target indicia disposed at a plurality of points on said outer surface designating a plurality of said targets for contact points of a user's foot during impact with a ball; feedback indicia disposed on the exterior surface having a first appearance when the ball is at rest and a second appearance on the ball when the ball is propelled as a result of the strike to the ball 2 appearance; and The second appearance of the indicia provides the user with a visual means to determine that the shot at any of the plurality of target points propels the ball along a proper trajectory. 20. The football kicking practice device according to claim 19, characterized in that: said markings designate said contact points disposed on a planar strip; and the strap is mountable around the shoe; the shoe has markings thereon designating at least one point of contact of the shoe with the target marking during a stroke of the ball; the contact point provides a means of practicing hitting the ball at the location on the shoe where the contact point is located, and The second appearance of the indicia provides a visual means for the user to determine that a hit to the point of contact on the target indicium propels the ball along a proper trajectory.

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