Cristiano Ronaldo’s free-kick struggles analysed in depth by sports scientist | OneFootball

Remember the days when Cristiano Ronaldo used to rattle free-kicks top bins just for fun?

The Portuguese superstar was one of the deadliest manipulators of the dead ball and would, more often than not, make the opposition pay for committing a foul within his vast range.

His knuckle ball technique, which was truly revolutionary at the time, made him capable of banging them in from any distance and angle.

Sadly, as his career has drawn on, Ronaldo's other-worldly ability over the dead ball seems to have completely abandoned him.

It can't be an issue of confidence - this is Ronaldo after all - and you would expect that he would only get better with age.

So what is the cause of this alarming decline that has seen Ronaldo go from scoring 44 goals from free kicks in his first 12 seasons to just nine since 2014?

Well, sports scientist Dr. Rajpal Brar has a gone a long way to explaining it in a thoroughly fascinating in depth video which he released in 2020. You can see it below:

Patterns Emerge

While Ronaldo's free-kick power hasn't diminished, Dr. Brar points to a sudden lack of lift and absence in unpredictable movement as one of the factors behind his decline.

While there are no discernible differences in Ronaldo's approach to the ball and his technique, there could be micro factors such as swing leg velocity, trunk angle and ball spin-rate in play that have seen him struggle to get the ball up and down.

The footballs are NOT to blame

While there is plenty of evidence that shows the different structure and make up of a football can have a massive effect on its flight patterns, there is little evidence to suggest that anything changed before and after Ronaldo's decline.

The advancement in ball technology hasn't been anymore rapid or paradigm shifting than it was during those prolific first 12 seasons when Ronaldo was scoring free kicks with ease.

Injuries?

Ronaldo has suffered an increased number of lower body injuries in the time since his dead ball prowess began to wane, but Dr. Brar rightfully points out that if that were the cause of his free kick decline, it would be evident in other aspects of his game as well.

Rather, the good doctor suggests that the injuries will have hampered Ronaldo initially, but the snowball effect of repeated misses could have a negative psychological effect on his psyche.

Change of Routine

One of the suggested ways to solve his problems would be to break the negative cycle his current routine may have sunk him into.

Dr. Brar suggests a simplification of the whole process that may induce what is known as 'over-thinking anxiety' and rather boil it down to its essentials.

He points to the change in fortunes for NBA star DeAndre Jordan who, having struggled with his regular free throw routine, overhauled the whole process with great success.

He also suggests a deviation from the knuckle-ball technique to a more Lionel Messi-like approach.

Ultimately, the footage makes for fascinating viewing and goes a long way to explaining why Ronaldo's free kick-taking ability nose dived post 2014.

However, the Portuguese star hasn't let it slow him down and still continues to blow us away with his supreme skill and talent.