Kick and Strike are both cross-sport athletic movements that people often meet — and mix up — together. This page sets out, from each movement's own definition, how they differ, what they share, and how to tell them apart.
How they differ
A kick is a strike performed with the foot or leg rather than the hand, arm or an implement; the two share proximal-to-distal sequencing but differ in the contact segment and in the single-leg balance demand.
Both are ballistic impacts built on a proximal-to-distal kinetic chain, but a strike is delivered with the hand, arm, head or a hand-held implement, whereas a kick uses the foot or leg.
What they share
- Both build on the rotation and lunge pattern.
- Both develop power, balance and coordination.
- Both work the abdominals and obliques.
What each emphasises
Neither is “better” — they simply ask for different things.
Kick
Strike
Explore both movements
Related techniques
Exercises that train them
The science behind them
Common questions
- What is the difference between kick and strike?
- A kick is a strike performed with the foot or leg rather than the hand, arm or an implement; the two share proximal-to-distal sequencing but differ in the contact segment and in the single-leg balance demand.
- Are kick and strike the same movement?
- No — although they are often mentioned together, they are separate movements with their own mechanics. They do share some ground: both build on the rotation and lunge pattern.
Educational, not a verdict
More movement comparisons
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Follow the threads that connect Kick vs Strike to the rest of SocialSportHub.
Movement patterns
- KickA ballistic single-support leg swing that whips force from the plant foot through the hip and knee to strike or propel a ball or target with the foot, distinct from the weight-bearing steps of locomotion.
- StrikeA ballistic, whole-body hitting action that channels ground-generated force through a proximal-to-distal kinetic chain to deliver momentum to a target via the hand, an implement or a body part at the moment of contact.
Glossary
- Weight transferThe shift of body weight through the base during a strike, throw, or kick to add power and control.
- Bicycle KickAn acrobatic strike in which a player kicks the ball backward over their own head while airborne with both feet off the ground.
- SupersetA superset pairs two exercises performed back-to-back with little or no rest between them.
- KnockoutIn combat sports, ending a bout by a strike that leaves the opponent unable to continue.
Practice & sessions
Techniques
- The pull and the hookThe two cross-batted strokes that punish short bowling — how the pull and the hook differ, the height of the ball that separates them, and the risk each one carries.
- Kicking in rugby unionThe kicks rugby union is played with — punt, grubber, box kick, up-and-under, drop kick and place kick — what each achieves and which law governs its use.
- Flat, slice and kick servesThe three serves and what actually separates them — the contact point on the ball and the toss that makes it possible — plus what each one does to the ball after it bounces.
Knowledge Atlas
Rules
- Direct and indirect free kicksThe two types of free kick awarded in football to restart play after a foul or other stoppage.
- Ball in play and the wallsWhat counts as part of the court in padel and how the walls change a rally — which surfaces the ball may use, the order it must use them in, and the returns the rules explicitly permit.
How this page is maintained
- Content type
- Movement comparison
- Provenance
- Tier A — evergreen educational
- Verified external sources
- 0
- Content updated
- 2026-07-13
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