Little help please with soccer skills

[soccerperson]

Hello,

I play on my high shcool soccer team, and so tryouts are in 2 months. In the meantime i run and do some workouts and such, and i play with my brother whos a goalie.

I have some problems with dribbling the ball, i can dribble pretty fast with control but i always tend to look down at the ball when i dribble and i have tried to look up and look around but i just cant. Do you guys know how i can train to improve my field vision?

And also when ur one on one, i should be looking at the ball right if I want to get passed the defender?

Also when i dribble i dribble with my instep and it really seems to work, but i hear some people dribble with the outside of their foot, is that the right way?

Well these are the one questions for now.
thanks

[SaberWolf]

1v1- look at their feet (or hips) if you want them to make the first move, and if you do the first move you better know something that WILL beat them. Do that unless you want to look for a pass then, keep the ball close to you and look around.

Dribbling- I know alotta people that don't use the outside of their feet to dribble, some people role the ball under their feet everytime, some do JUST with the inside, but if you use the outside of your foot it will put a spin on the ball so it will come back to you (or atleast NOT roll away from you).

Vision- I learned it this way, dribble with two balls, one on each foot. Don't look down at either, just look straight infront of you, this will teach you to track two things without looking at either. And you can do many different things here as well you can:

1. Look up and down constantly, just glance up for an ocasional pass opportunity.
2. Constantly look around, if you know how to dribble well, you can just look around when you are open.
3. Stare at your up-coming opponents hips, which is right-between the ball and the rest of the field.

To improve dribbling, dribble through cones with the ball, using the inside/outside of both feet, and you can spread the cones out to however far you want them. But each time you do it, do it faster and faster.

[soccerperson]

Hello

thank you so much for the reply, well i understand all that you said, but when i dribble i am very fast with teh instep of my foot, but do you think i should change it and which is easier instep or outside?

thanks

[Dizzee Wahil]

In the end you'll be quicker and better with the outstep.

Just think about how you run fastest without a ball. The closest way to replicate this style with a ball, is to use the laces/outstep.

Best way to keep control (but not speed) of a ball whilst dribbling is definitely using the studs and rolling over it. Look at Riquelme, he never loses control and he uses that method a lot.

[soccerperson]

Ok im confused isnt the insteap the front part of the show? like the part used for taking shots? and the outside is the outside part of the foot?

or is the outside the laces?

thanks

[Behlol]

Dribbling Drill
Set up a row of obstacles (e.g. plastic bottles, cones, rocks) and move the ball through the obstacles with a series of light taps. Use the inside and outside of your foot. Time yourself and see if you can beat your own speed.
Passing Drill
Take 2 obstacles (e.g. rocks, shoes) and place them as if they were making a small goal. Kick the ball through the goal using your passing kick. Try not to hit the obstacles. As you become better, create a greater distance between yourself and the goal.

Shooting Drill
Have a player roll, bounce, or spin a ball on the top of the 18 yard box. The shooter will emerge from outside the 18 yard box and take a shot on net. If possible, try to shoot to the corners of the goal using your shooting kick. Make sure the shooter is alternating kicking legs between shots.

[Dizzee Wahil]

Ok im confused isnt the insteap the front part of the show? like the part used for taking shots? and the outside is the outside part of the foot?


Split the foot straight down the middle vertically, down the laces (well, the symetrical lace system), instep is the inside part and the outstep is the outside part.

I said

The closest way to replicate this style with a ball, is to use the laces/outstep. Meaning that ur dribbling with the outstep but its quite close to the laces. Ya dig? :boo: :thumbsup:?

[soccerperson]

Hello

thanks guys i understand now, any other tips would be highly appreciated, mostly with the field vision.

thanks

[Maccabi 4ever]

keep practicing dribbling with your head up and you will develop a talent for it

[penalty_20]

one thing u can do to practice is dribble a ball front to back side to side etc. and pick out a spot and look at it the whole time then start looking around at different spots

[soccerperson]

hello,

I heard you guys say when 1 on 1, look at the opponents Hips and legs and stuff, but what am i EXACTLY looking for when i look at the hips, like what do i do when i see that there hips are turned. I sitll dont understnad that.

please help.

thanks

[SaberWolf]

There are many things you look for, like if the side of his hip is facing you then cut back towards his back, that way he has to turn all the way around to get to you.

If his hip's side isn't facing you then he will have his legs open and you can go in-between them.

Also if you look at his hips you can tell when he is going to attack a second or two before he does.

[soccerperson]

what do you mean cut back toward his back, or whatever, how do i do that?

thanks saberwolf
anyone else?

[SaberWolf]

Alright say you're facing him, with the ball, and his body is at an angle towards you. Then when I say "cut-back" just take the ball and push it across his face, and to his back, so he's got to turn around to get a good look at the ball.

Most defender's will angle at you to try and push you to the outside, but if you cut back towards the middle it will leave the defender off balance to attack at you.

[soccerperson]

Hello,

ALright Saberwolf i get what your saying but what if the opponents hips are both facing me and about a couple feet in front of my, in this occasion I think i should do stepovers and moves right? or should i cut or something?

Also one of my favorite moves i like to do is the Ronaldinhos move or elastico. And whenn i do that (i dont know if i am doing it right) but when i do it on my opponent i get it right over their thigh, this is what the move is right? and also sometimes it doesnt go over their thigh so i just kick it in front and run. Is this the true way to do this move.

And if some of you guys dont know what i am talking about its right here:
http://www.expertfootball.com/training/dribbling_ronaldinho_crazy.php

thanks

[SaberWolf]

I don't know how high it should be, but when Ronaldinho did it just went between his legs...I would try something alot less complicated, just like kicking the ball between his legs, or run one way and just cut back the other

The Elastico is a move that takes lots of practice.

[soccerperson]

well when i do it i have to be goig very slow like walking and when i pull the ball up it goes sometimes from my right foot over the opponents left thigh and it gets them really off gaurd and they can NEVER get it from me. And sometimes it doesnt get over his thigh but it goes to my left foot no matter what so i just kick it in front and make a run for it.

Works for me :-)

thanks

[Hollister_13]

For this camp I go to, one of our coaches (girl) has a bunch of friends that play for the Manchester United Ladies Team and knows Wayne Rooney as a friend. Well, anyways, she has this cool move similiar to the Elastico:

It's hard to explain, but you have your dominant foot as sideways as you can, (so your instep is facing forwards) then you tap the ball with the side of your heel, and once it moves forward, tap it back to the left with the side of your foot. (just infront of the instep)

She is really good at at (both feet too) and it's kinda like watching Ronaldinho, except 5 feet away.

Anyways, back to the Elastico, it would be MUCH appreciated if a few of you guys that CAN do it come out of your hiding places and tell us what you've got. :D

[Rema]

For this camp I go to, one of our coaches (girl) has a bunch of friends that play for the Manchester United Ladies Team and knows Wayne Rooney as a friend. Well, anyways, she has this cool move similiar to the Elastico:

It's hard to explain, but you have your dominant foot as sideways as you can, (so your instep is facing forwards) then you tap the ball with the side of your heel, and once it moves forward, tap it back to the left with the side of your foot. (just infront of the instep)

She is really good at at (both feet too) and it's kinda like watching Ronaldinho, except 5 feet away.

Anyways, back to the Elastico, it would be MUCH appreciated if a few of you guys that CAN do it come out of your hiding places and tell us what you've got. :D

Have a video of that move? I'd like to see it :). Even if it's just of your feet/her feet, it'd be good to see!

About the elastico (flip flap)... It's hard to explain. When I do it, it's like my whole body shifts to tap it over and then in pretty well the same movement your ankle turns and brings it back. There are two taps (outside-inside) but there shouldn't be two noticeable taps... meaning it should look like 1 swift or fluid movement. The first tap is with the outside of your foot, I almost do it with my 2 or 3 outside toes. Then you bring it back with the inside of your foot. When I do it, I kind of point my big toe up. I'm not sure why pointing it up helps but it does for me. It's really hard to explain, but if you practice enough it isn't too hard. There was a video tutorial of this somewhere, but I can't seem to find it. But really, just watch Ronaldinho do it in any video clips you can find, and just copy his movements. Just practice and it'll come.

[SaberWolf]

Well when I can do it (never done it in a game, just in practice and in my yard) I lean highly on my left knee, then in one motion JUMP forward hit it forward and when I plant my foot it hits the ball, and when I land the jump the ball is rolling to my left foot, so I can go ahead and do another move.

The only problem I have is that I can't always do it, because I don't lean enough on my left leg, or I hit it to hard or something.

[szyslack]

ok look they told me this when I was little first start walkin with the ball in straight without look directly to the ball then u start to run n make it more fast till u get it
is all bout practice
but I tell u if u tryin to run hard without lookin at the ball is impossible
when u dribblin at full speed u need to c the ball ( just look ronaldo or other forward player) first cuz when u doin that u not tryin to c who u can pass the ball u tryin to dribble an opponent or tryin to beat him wit speed
second if u start lookin around with full speed u prolly loose the ball or let it behind ya
anyway keep practicin cuz thats how a good player is built