Hanging in the air
As every good commentator knows, the secret of every strikers success is to ‘jump early and hang in the air’. This is not as ridiculous as it sounds! When jumping, the center of mass of the player will inevitably describe a parabolic profile. However, by varying the relative positions of his arms and legs, he can keep his head in the same place: this gives the impression of the player ‘hanging’ in the air, and also increases his chance of striking the ball cleanly.
If you prefer something a little more cultured than football, then the same principle is at work in ballet: see this biomechanical analysis of a grand-jete.