system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: How is it possible for soccer players to “bend” shots?
gpt
It's called the Magnus effect. A bend shot has a lot of spin. The spinning motion combines with the linear movement. The speed of the inside of the curve is less than the speed on the outside of the curve. So the ball moves into the direction of the spin. 

*Edit: As many have pointed out, the way the spinning ball interfaces with the relatively still air creates the curving movement. This is affected by the speed of the ball, the surface characteristics of the ball, the rotation and direction of spin, and other characteristics of the ball. This can be seen in soccer, basketball, golf, tennis, table tennis, and other round ball sports. Bowling and curling are slightly different because the ball or rock is interfacing with a solid (wood lanes or ice) instead of a fluid (air).*