The key to being good at soccer is to work hard on all of the fundamentals. Train your feet. Train your mind. This constant practice and improvement in your ball skills will allow you to progress faster than others. Just decide now to be SO good at the basics that no one can keep up with you.
What do I really need to know to get started?
Your body already knows how to kick a soccer ball and if it doesn’t it will learn very quickly.
Get to know the feel of the ball
What you want to do is to begin to become very familiar with the football. Notice what it feels like to move it in different ways using your bare feet as well as soccer cleats.
EXERCISE 1
Play the following video clip (from Brazilian Soccer Schools) which shows you how to move the ball side-to-side, from one foot to the other. As you watch carefully, imagine yourself doing the same. Let the image stay in your mind.
Now go outside and let your feet contact the ball where they want to and see what happens. Just let your body imitate this soccer move. Allow your body to do what is necessary so that you move the ball from one foot to the other. Just like the soccer players do in the above soccer skills video.
Practice this 100 times. Moving forward with the ball when you feel ready. Over time, you are aiming to get to moving the ball side-to-side at full speed – with your head up looking for where your team mates are…
After completing the side-to-side exercise, you are ready for the sole-to-sole exercise.
EXERCISE 2
Now play the following video clip (from Brazilian Soccer Schools) which shows you how to move the ball side-to-side with the sole of your feet. As you watch carefully, imagine yourself doing the same. Let the image stay in your mind.
Learn to play the Brazilian way (part 1).
Now go outside and let your feet contact the ball where they want to and see what happens. Just let your body imitate this skill. Allow your body to do what is necessary so that you move the ball from one sole to the other. Just like the players do in the above soccer video.
Practice this 100 times. Moving forward with the ball when you feel ready. Over time, you are aiming to get to moving the ball sole-to-sole at full speed with your head up looking for where your team mates are…
SKILLS HOMEWORK
Do these two fun soccer drills every other day (or every day if you are keen) for 3 weeks. You can also imagine doing these soccer skills in your mind whenever you can – while waiting for the bus or walking the dog .
Remember
- Work hard on becoming so good at the basics.
- Your body already knows how to kick a ball and if it doesn’t it will learn very quickly.
- Imagine yourself doing the side-to-side, and sole-to-sole skills before you actually physically do them.
That’s enough to get you started on training your feet and training your mind.
Email me to tell me what it feels like when doing soccer training in this way.
(This article was first published on my old site: Soccer Skills For Beginners in 2011)