AUTHOR=Fuss Franz Konstantin , Düking Peter , Weizman Yehuda 

TITLE=Discovery of a Sweet Spot on the Foot with a Smart Wearable Soccer Boot Sensor That Maximizes the Chances of Scoring a Curved Kick in Soccer

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Physiology

VOLUME=Volume 9 - 2018

YEAR=2018

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/physiology/articles/10.3389/fphys.2018.00063

DOI=10.3389/fphys.2018.00063

ISSN=1664-042X

ABSTRACT=This paper provides the evidence of a sweet spot on the boot/foot as well as the method for detecting it with a wearable pressure sensitive device. This study confirmed the hypothesised existence of sweet and dead spots on a soccer boot or foot when kicking a ball. For a stationary curved kick, kicking the ball at the sweet spot maximised the probability of scoring a goal (58-86%), whereas having the impact point at the dead zone minimised the probability (11-22%). Sweet spots were found based on hypothesised favourable parameter ranges (centre of pressure in x/y-directions and/or peak impact force) and they maximise the chances of scoring a goal. Conversely, dead zones were found based on hypothesised unfavourable parameter ranges and they minimise the chances of scoring a goal. The sweet spot was rather concentrated, independent of which parameter combination was used (2- or 3-parameter combination), whereas the dead zone, located 21 mm from the sweet spot, was more widespread.