Coaching Soccer Drills: Learn The Art Of Kicking
Would you be surprised if I let you know that it’s really tricky for the young players to kick the ball with a straight leg? In Coaching soccer drills, this is by far the biggest problem that a coach and the players face. The player is required to maintain absolute balance and the leg with which ball is to be kicked at is bent at the knee. Both position and control to kick the ball appears from below the knee.
This is the preliminary position in soccer practice for almost all kinds of kicks. The rushing of the foot from below the knee creates an immense impact on the ball. This offers great amount of power to players for carrying out different types of kicks. Nevertheless, it depends upon the type of contact that the ball has with the foot which concludes the kick’s style.
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 talk about them further.
The side foot pass: This is the easiest and the most widely used pass in teaching soccer. It is generally used for making 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 foot turned outward, ball comes into contact on the outside of the ankle and the foot.
In coaching soccer drills, the players should be trained to keep their bodies relaxed all through the action. This is the most basic rule with 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: Al though a little tricky to learn, this pass needs to be taught to the kids correctly as it’s quick, unpredictable, and accurate. The ball gets in touch between the outside edge of the foot and the laces with the foot extended and turned inwards. With the help of the foot, the pass is modified into a quick flick for short distances.
In the course of these coaching drills, players should keep their stance relaxed.
The Instep Drive: Here, the two versions; lofted versions and the low driven version are utilized to pass the ball to longer distances. After the players have learnt it, variations can be brought in to make a “chip pass” or an “in swinging pass”. Since 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 now coach your kids the various techniques of kicking the ball and with variations to let them do different things with the ball.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
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: Youth Soccer Practice
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