Coaching Soccer Drills: Secrets Revealed!
What if I told you that young players find it really hard to kick a soccer ball using a straight leg? In coaching soccer drills, this is by far the biggest problem that a coach and the players face. The player has to be in total balance and the leg used for kicking the ball is bent at the knee. Both poise and power to kick the ball comes from below the knee.
This is the preliminary position in soccer practice for almost all kinds of kicks. The increase of rate of the foot from below the knee puts together a powerful blow on the ball. The players get immense power from this to perform several styles of kicks. However, what type of a kick would it be is determined by the precise contact of the foot on the ball.
For example; it could be knocked very high, driven low, turn left, or sway to the right.
There are three vital passes in soccer i.e. a side foot pass, the outside of the foot pass, and the instep drive. Let’s now discuss them some more.
The side foot pass: In teaching soccer, this pass is considered as the most extensively used and the simplest. This is by and large applied to make short distance passes. Though it is a little slow and quite predictable during the game but is very easy for the kids to learn and execute accurately. The ball touches the inside of the foot and the ankle with the foot turned outwards.
In coaching soccer drills, players should know that their body need not be tense during the movement with the ball. This is by far the most critical rule applicable to all types of kicking actions. The ankle and the foot should be stiffened only at the time of contact with the ball.
The moment players feel confident about carrying out this task well; their action should seem relaxed, simple, as well as smooth.
Outside of the foot pass: This is a little difficult to learn but is extremely important to master because it is accurate, quick, and cannot be predicted. The ball gets into contact between the outside edge of the foot and the laces with the foot turned inward and extended. With the use of a foot, the pass is transformed into a speedy throw for short distances.
In coaching drills, it’s imperative that the players maintain a comfortable posture.
The Instep Drive: Here, the two versions; lofted versions and the low driven version are utilized to pass the ball to longer distances. Once mastered, this style can also be modified to make a “chip pass” or an “in swinging pass”. The approach of the instep drive is slightly angled and the non kicking foot is placed about 12 inches to the side of and behind the ball.
The contact with the ball is made between the laces and the inside of the foot and it should be stiff and extended.
So, go ahead and teach your players these basic kicking techniques with variations to make the ball do slightly different things.
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Andre Botelho is a recognized authority in youth soccer coaching and has already helped thousands of youth coaches to dramatically improve their coaching skills. Learn how to explode your players’ skills and make training fun by downloading your free ebook at: Soccer Training Drills.
