Have you been considering taking up a new sport? Everyone enjoys a game of soccer. If you want to play, or you simply want to improve your skills, then this article can help. Continue on so that you can find out some great advice to help make your game better.
To make the transition from receiving the ball to directing it more fluid, don’t trap or stop the ball completely. Instead, as the ball approaches, aim to make contact with the top or middle of the ball then tap it in the direction you want it to go and continue to maneuver down the field.
It is against the rules to use any part of your hands or arms, from shoulder to fingertips, to control a soccer ball that is in play. You can use your feet, knees, thighs, stomach, chest and head. Be careful though. A head shot can hurt and you cannot control the ball well with your knees.
You can usually make a defender freeze for a few seconds by faking a shot. If you see a defender closing in on you, posture yourself as if you were about to kick the ball and make a long pass. The defender should stop and anticipate the pass you are faking.
When teaching your kids how to play soccer, make sure they learn how to dribble. Many learn by simply kicking the ball ahead and chasing after it, but this doesn’t provide any control and allow the opponent to steal it. Have them run slow and use different parts of their feet to maintain the ball in front of them. Teach them to stop it on one spot with a gentle tap down on the top of the ball when dribbling to set it up for a pass.
Lofting a ball is hard to control. Make low passes, whipping the ball when you need to pass because defenders are nearing. Only make lofted passes when you are passing the ball to a far-away teammate who is all alone.
Practice and perserverance are what you need to get better at soccer. Being a good player doesn’t happen instantly. Daily practice is essential to becoming great. Practice your soccer skills, even if they are difficult. You need to also think about practicing the skills you have that you’re good at because you can still improve them.
Be patient. When you least expect it, something will open up on the field. Just keep passing the ball and see what happens. If you try to rush something, you are much more likely to make a mistake or transfer custody of the ball. If you take your time, you are much more likely to be successful.
Get some practice time in with players that are more experienced than you. You can better your skills and improve your abilities by doing this. Ask questions and learn all you can from these players. The majority will be more than happy to assist you because they understand what it takes to work as a team. You can always drop in on local games to identify good players. Approach them and ask if they can give you a little bit of the assistance you’re looking for.
Whenever you practice playing soccer, aim to do your entire practice without stopping. That is because during an actual game, you will not be stopping very often. Therefore, soccer is a very exhausting game that requires you to be in top shape. By practicing long periods of time without stopping, you will get yourself in better shape so that you can improve your games.
Develop stronger leg muscles. By developing strong leg muscles, you will not only be able to shoot harder, but you will also be able to protect yourself from many of the common soccer injuries such as a torn hamstring or torn achilles. Doing both strengthening and flexibility exercises will help protect your legs.
Try your best to use the balls of your feet. If you land on your heels, that will make it very hard for you to stay in control of the ball. You may end up stumbling a lot, which is no good, so do everything you can to stay off of your heels.
One of the most important things when it comes to soccer is speed. There are many ways to learn how to run faster, one of the easiest ways to increase your speed is to add 5 pound weights to each ankle while running your drills. By running with weights, you will be able to run much faster once the weights are removed.
This article gave you useful advice for bettering your soccer game. Put this advice to use in order to become an excellent soccer player. Soccer is amazingly enjoyable, particularly when your skills are up to par.
