Footbag Kicking - Hacky Sack ^®
Is on the Rise Around the World!

This variation of kick is the most important of all the kicks. Study it carefully. This is the bread and butter of Footbag Dance. The back kick enables you to cover about everything that passes your body, plus everything around you for quite a distance. With side kick slices you can freely move about uninterruptedly with the flowing footbag. As your body strengthens, your ability to perform this kick will improve. The back kick requires a total consciousness of all the things I have discussed thus far: A) tracking the footbag, B) waiting for the footbag, and C) making contact with the footbag. Above all, never take your center of concentration from the footbag. In executing the back kick, the footbag must pass the body, left or right side. As the footbag is passing, your upper body turns with the flow of the passing footbag. The turn at the waist will be about 90° This turn includes the head, (eyes), arms, shoulders, everything above the waist. Your feet must stay planted during this turn. (Illustration M). The main reason for this turn is so that your vision will not be blocked by your shoulder. This is very important.

Your eyes must follow the footbag to the impact of the kick. The speed, trajectory, and height of the footbag as it passes you, will determine the placement of the kick. Usually the kick will be low but adjustments will have to be made. The actual motion is an outward and upward thrust of the leg. The kicking foot must remain parallel with the ground. Do not point your heel while executing this kick. The contact with the footbag is on the outside center of the side of your foot (Illustration N). This motion will eventually become a very smooth flowing, disciplined movement...so just keep working on it...you'll find it. The correct motion is just as important as the kick itself. Practice, practice, practice; there is never too much of this as you will soon learn.