Question: When a soccer player kicks the ball with spin, what causes the ball to spin?

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  1. the angle with which your foot hits the ball

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  2. Elaborating a little from Mark – if you apply a force with your foot that is to the *side* of the centre of mass of the object, it applies what is called a “torque” – a force that causes rotation.

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  3. A small additional point – the friction applied by the boot, across the side of the ball as it strikes, may add additional spin (rotational force) to that generated just by angle alone. So by combining both the amount of spin is substantially increased.

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  4. The same principle applies to making a tennis ball spin as well. Torque is a very important concept in mechanics!

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