Footedness

Footedness is the natural preference of one's left or right foot for various purposes. It is the foot equivalent of handedness. While purposes vary, such as applying the greatest force in a certain foot to complete the action of kick as opposed to stomping, footedness is most commonly associated with the preference of a particular foot in the leading position while engaging in foot- or kicking-related sports, such as association football and kickboxing.In association football, the ball is predominantly struck by the foot. Footedness may refer to the foot a player uses to kick with the greatest force and skill. Most people are right-footed, kicking with the right leg. Capable left-footed footballers are rare and therefore quite sought after. As rare are 'two-footed' players, who are equally capable with both feet. Such players make up only one sixth of players in the top professional leagues in Europe. Two-footedness can be learnt, a notable case being England international Tom Finney, but can only be properly developed in the early years. In Australian Rules Football, several players are equally adept at using both feet to kick the ball, such as Sam Mitchell and Charles Bushnell (footballer, retired).In boardsports (e.g., surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding), one stands erect on a single, lightweight board that slides along the ground or on water. The need for balance causes one to position the body perpendicular to the direction of motion, with one foot leading the other. As with handedness, when this task is repetitively performed, one tends to naturally choose a particular foot for the leading position.In BMX, there is a de facto relationship between footedness and preferences of grinding position and of mid-air turning direction. The terms 'regular' and 'goofy' do not indicate a foot preference as in boardsports, but rather whether the rider's footedness has the usual relationship with their grinding and mid-air turning preferences. For example, consider the following classes of riders:In many combat sports, most people have a more powerful kick with the same side as their handedness.