Toe-poking: bad habit or clever technique?

As we all know, very young players run towards the ball as though they are magnetised to it. When they get close to the ball (or the ball hits their foot), they instinctively move their leg towards it. It's more a case of their foot colliding with the ball than a deliberate kick.
And because they are running straight at the ball, the first part of the foot to meet it is their toe. That's why you instruct players to run at the ball from an angle when teaching them to kick the ball with their instep (see below).
As players get older they learn that the faster they collide with the ball, the further it goes. Great, they think, I can make the ball go a long way! And that's when you begin to think 'I must stop that player kicking the ball with their toes' and step in to stop the fun! But should you?
Is using the toe to kick the ball a bad habit? Conventional football coaching wisdom suggests that kicking with the toe (toe-poking) is definitely a bad habit that you must drill out of your players at the earliest opportunity. That's because toe-poking is an ugly and 'girly' way to kick the ball (sorry, girls!).
But there are times in a game when toe-poking is the most effective and, perhaps, the only way to strike the ball. In the middle of a crowded penalty area, for example, an attacking player might only have time for a quick prod at the ball with their toe. If they hesitate, an opportunity to score could be missed.
Equally, defenders sometimes need to take quick, decisive action and a well-timed kick with the toe could be the only way to clear the ball from the danger area.

Comparing the three main striking surfaces of the foot TOE. Power – high: Accuracy – low: Difficulty – low. Good in very close range shooting situations or when a defender needs to clear a ball immediately. INSIDE OF FOOT. Power – low: Accuracy – high: Difficulty – low. Good for short range shooting or passing. INSTEP. Power – high: Accuracy – medium: Difficulty – high. Good for long range shooting or passing, but it's a difficult technique for young players to master.

As youth football coaches we should be teaching our players to kick the ball with all six surfaces of their feet; there's a time and a place for the sole, inside, outside, laces, heel and toes. I often warm up my players by asking them to dribble the ball with all six surfaces of either foot for a few minutes before we begin our training.
Ten minutes of this simple exercise will provide young players with hundreds of useful touches on the ball, and helps them develop good all-round ball skills.
An alternative to the toe-poke - the instep (laces) pass/shot:
To begin with, ask your players to take off their boots and socks and sit down. Give them a ball each and tell them to tap the laces part of their foot (the instep) with the ball. Then ask them to stretch their leg out and drop the ball onto their instep while keeping their ankle locked, their toes scrunched and pointing forward. Let the ball fall to the ground.
Next, tell them to move their foot towards the ball as it drops (still keeping the ankle locked and toes scrunched) and kick it straight up in the air. If they are striking it correctly the ball should go straight up or slightly back towards the player, and it should be easy for them to catch it as it falls.
Repeat until everyone is using the correct technique, then ask them to put their boots and socks back on. Now it's time to practise the instep kick with a stationary ball.
Key coaching points:

• Approach the ball at an angle.

• Keep focused on the ball.

• Place the non-kicking foot very close to the ball.

• The kicking leg should be bent in the final stride with the knee over the ball.

• Keep toes pointing at the ground.

• Finally, have a good follow through.

Coaching note:
You should spend as little time as possible practising technique with a stationary ball because your players won't be kicking a stationary ball very often in a match. So introduce some ball movement as soon as the basic technique seems to have been mastered. Serve a ball and see if your players can still strike it properly with their insteps.
There are very few right or wrong ways of doing something in football, and kicking the ball is no exception. Toe-pokes can be extremely effective. So don't stop your children doing what comes naturally. Instead, make sure they know how to kick the ball with all the surfaces of their feet and let them decide which to use in any given situation.