Fitness and foot skills are critical for soccer players at any age and level. Thankfully you can still strengthen these skills through indoor drills when it’s too cold outside.
Spending time on indoor foot skill drills is a huge advantage for being comfortable with the ball. Performing these exercises and drills regularly help build stamina, agility, and technique. The most skillful players practice these drills for hours at a stretch in order to hone their skills, stay in shape, and stay sharp.
Try these out in your garage, living room, or wherever else you have a little space.
- Juggling: To start, keep touches below knee height and use only the top of the foot, focusing on controlling the ball for as long as possible. Try with each foot and then back and forth between both feet. Eventually incorporate your chest and thighs.
- Passing: Use a garage door, empty wall, fireplace, or couch to self pass from 2-3 feet away. Start with basic passing and receiving with the surface as your rebounder. Next, hone your pass precision and control as you work on using all sides of your feet.
- Inside touches: Go as fast as you can without losing control, but focus on getting touches, not speed.
To add more of a competitive spirit to any of the above drills, challenge yourself to specific goals while you do them. Can you juggle 10 times in a row on your thigh? How many inside touches can you get at once?
With a little more room, set up objects 4-6 feet apart and practice dribbling in a figure 8 formation. Practice various techniques such as all inside, all outside, all left, or all right. You can also create a zig zag pattern on the floor with tape and dribble following the shape.
Ball mastery will improve reflexes, precision, touch, motor memory, and control. These together help you feel confident in your abilities on the field and make you a better player.
Photo by Pascal Swier on Unsplash
