High accuracy of play: how to learn to control the ball in soccer

The second week of online soccer training has come to an end at the Championship. During this time, we managed to hold two more live sessions on our official VKontakte page. And if until now you didn’t know about the existence of cool trainings for fans of the ball game, then join them on Tuesdays and Fridays, from 11:00 and find already passed sessions in the community videos.

We continue to delve into the intricacies of soccer technique with our program coach and FC Chertanovo instructor Dmitry Karpov. Today he will tell you in detail how to learn how to feel the ball, handle it correctly and start juggling it.

Ball handling and juggling: how will they be useful in the game?

These two drills have been deliberately placed in the same week because they complement each other. We have tried to cover the basic skills of ball handling, passing and juggling. Even a beginner can join these lessons without any problems.

Juggling the ball helps to develop agility, feel for the ball, the ability to control and manipulate it. Such qualities as strength, accuracy of shots and passes, speed and lightness of feet are also improved. And ball handling and passing are basic soccer skills. Therefore, if an athlete wants to progress, he should definitely start training with them.

But before you start training, it is extremely important to warm up. It is necessary to prepare the whole body for training. As a result of increasing body temperature and warming up the muscles, metabolism is activated, the state of cardiovascular and respiratory systems changes for the better, and muscle efficiency increases. Before soccer training it is necessary to strengthen the ankles and thigh muscles.

Passing and accurate kicking at home: what is needed for this and how not to make mistakes?

First of all, it is important to realize how valuable the skill of processing is. This is the ability to prepare the ball for subsequent actions such as a pass or kick. In soccer, this is one of the most important skills. All the famous players have gained fame due to their superior handling skills. Such a close intimate relationship with the ball can only be achieved through hours of repetition and practice.

It is also possible to improve your skills at home, not on the pitch. And you can perform ball handling on the spot, in motion, with the inside and outside of the foot. To perform the exercises correctly, you need to concentrate on the quality of the ankle receiving the ball. It should be fixed and ready to handle the ball with different force.

However, there are mistakes in training, especially self-training. The most common of them – receiving the ball on the spot and on straight legs. This is best avoided, because the soccer player must be plastic, move and calculate the strength of the reception of the ball. In order to be ready for different passes, it is important to immediately assess with what force and torsion the pass goes.

Of course, all this sounds as if the lessons at home, especially without a companion or team, will be incomplete. But it isn’t. If you don’t have a partner, the wall will give you a chance to practice skills anytime and for as long as you like. Simply stand in front of it at a distance of about 3-5 meters and hit the ball. After the bounce, catch it and process it. This exercise gives you the opportunity to work on hitting and handling at the same time. When you feel confident, start training both feet, try to raise the ball higher and increase your speed by moving towards it.

In addition, at home it is good to concentrate on performing different kicks, but emphasize not on strength, but on the correct position of the ankle. You can put cones or a chair and try to lift to hit a certain number of ten times. It is important to fix the ankle and to work on lifting kicks, inner and outer side of the foot.

The time of such training depends on your goals in soccer and opportunities. The basic sessions should be given plenty of time so that the skill builds up and you progress. A standard session lasts 1.5-2 hours with small pauses and a good pace. This is sure to bear fruit, it is only important not to be distracted by external factors.

Developing control: how to learn to juggle the ball?

Juggling the ball in soccer is an exercise that involves the whole body, except the hands. It develops ball sense and control. This past week we have been working on juggling with both feet, working on the hips, inside and outside of the foot, and using the head.

During the juggling drills, the body must be ready for a smooth pass to keep the ball under control. The toe at this moment is necessarily looking upwards so that the projectile rotates and returns to us. The foot does not dangle or make sudden movements. The most important thing in training is to concentrate on a smooth pass and be ready to make the next pass with your feet.

The length of the juggling class is directly dependent on you. Here the interest lies in the amount of “stuffing” the player. For example, in the exercise we have studied, you can set the task – to stuff 50 times. To do this, we start small: let’s say 15 times, then move to 20. And as soon as the technique of touching the ball improves, we move to new indicators – 100-150 times. We also need to develop juggling in motion. I think an hour and a half will be enough to fulfill the set tasks.

Frequency of training and recovery after training

Juggling the ball can be practiced before each training session in the beginning, it will take 10-15 minutes, or you can work in pairs. Ball handling and passing are important elements, so you need to devote at least 2-3 sessions a week to these skills.

Do not forget that after each training session it is necessary to warm up. It is good to add a contrast shower or foot bath and plenty of drinking water. Of course, good nutrition and sleep are also important points.

The program that you and I have studied has an introductory course. It is mainly designed for beginners, but a professional can also discover something new. Progress in soccer is easy to track: as soon as an athlete understands and sees improvement, it is time to go to the next level – to start working in a team or a pair.