Every athlete dreams of leading their team to victory. but it takes practice and skill to achieve that dream. Here are some soccer tips to help you as you strive to improve your game. Use these tips to expand your skill set and to become a valued member of your soccer team.
Communication is very important on the soccer field. Using short words or phrases, like “turn,” can help you and your teammates play a more cohesive game. In particular, being verbal as the pace of the game picks up can really help you to “play smarter” and eventually win the game.
To be the best soccer parent ever, you should have realistic expectations of your child. You should have a clear vision of your child’s abilities and always encourage him or her to simply play as well as possible. Don’t try to bribe your child into playing better with treats or push good playing ability with threat of punishment. Remember soccer is supposed to be fun.
Try playing with people who are better than you are. Soccer will be a lot more challenging if you practice with players who have more experience than you. Ask them for tips and pay attention to the strategies and moves they use. Try copying what they do and you will eventually become a better player.
Surprise is a useful tool when on the soccer field. Changing directions is one way to surprise the other player. The defender might not expect you to do that, and it can open up the playing field for your fellow players. Those on your team might be surprised at first, but will come around to your style.
When shooting the soccer ball, use only the front part of your foot. If you use your toes or the inside or outside of your shoes, your shot will not be as powerful or as directed as it should be. Practice this shooting technique until it becomes second nature.
When going through soccer tryouts, stick to moves that you know really well, but eschew trying anything fancy or that you’re not perfectly adept at executing. If you aren’t 100% sure that you are able to pull something off, don’t try it until you’re on the roster.
Learn how to sprint. Sprinting is used when you are standing still and then begin running as fast as you can. To practice this technique, stand still for 15 seconds, then begin running as fast as you can for 15 seconds. Repeat the process for 30 minutes to help increase your sprinting takeoffs.
When you’re playing soccer, try to focusing on keeping your head up as much as possible. You’ll have a better idea of what is going on around you and what your next best move is if you keep your head up instead of looking down at the ball and your feet all the time.
Make sure you’re practicing with your weak foot, too. A lot of soccer players will only shoot with their stronger foot, but whenever they switch the ball from their weaker foot to their stronger foot, the defenders are more likely to steal the ball. You will have a better overall game if you take the time to practice using both feet.
Make sure that the only time you dribble is when there is a clear reason for you to do so. You should do it to prepare for a shot, make room to pass or try to get in a cross. You should not dribble just for the sake of doing it.
One way to help increase speed is to increase your resistance when exercising. This can be accomplished by using a stationary bicycle. When you are riding your stationary bike, increase the resistance to maximum and cycle slowly. Then, quickly increase your speed and keep the maximum speed up for one minute before slowing back down for five minutes.
The push pass or side foot pass is a great strategy for your short passes. By using the largest area of your foot, better accuracy is provided, and power is less of an issue here as well. This is a very basic pass and must be second nature to a great soccer player.
The lofted pass vaults the ball into the air, either to a teammate or an open space in the field. This gets the ball to a desired spot much faster in key situations. Do not confuse this with what is considered the driven pass. The lofted pass is for shorter distances, while the lofted pass is generally for about 40-50 yards.
Now that you have read up on these soccer tips, take the time to practice them. Practice is vital to perfecting any skill. Join your friends, grab a ball and start practicing today. practice as often as you can. then when game time comes, you will be ready, willing and able to be a part of a winning team.