At it's most basic element, Soccer comes down to putting foot on ball and kicking it where you want it to go. As simple as this sounds, players at all levels battle to overcome poor form and kicking technique.
I have watched players on the youth teams & high school teams that I coach struggle with proper ball striking. There are even players on my adult league team that still haven't fully mastered the fundamental movements of the soccer kick. These players have learned to get by and adapt by bringing good teamwork, hustle and fitness to the game, but still have a glaring hole in their arsenal.
Soccer Drills
My son Donovan, has struggled with his shot for two years now. He is currently 9 and plays U10 soccer in a local league near my home. He is a hard worker and has a very good understanding of the game.
Just knowing where to be on the field and how to move into space has made him an effective soccer player, but his shot never has had the umph he has wanted. I've watched him over and over and couldn't quite put my finger on where he was breaking down.
About 6 months ago I ordered a DVD called Blast the Ball. I finally sat down and spent some time watching it yesterday (yeah I know, I'm a procrastinator). First off all, it was 2 hours long which really blew me away. I didn't know there was that much scientific technique to kicking a ball. I always just had good form and a naturally strong leg.
The video broke down the soccer hop, load, impact and follow through in a step by step manner. But here was the real kicker (no pun intended). It provided drills that worked on each specific part of the kicking motion. It also discussed common technique failures and how to correct. From watching this DVD I was able to pinpoint two problems in Donovan's form...improper loading technique and a hiccup in his follow through.
Last night I took him down to the soccer field and worked on his kicking motion. We are able to use the drills shown in the DVD and in about 15 minutes had him literally blasting the ball harder than he ever had before. He was especially excited when he ripped a shot so hard that it knocked his brother's arm back and zipped into the goal for a score. He had never done that before!!
It will take some more work to make this swing completely natural and program his muscle memory, but finally I know what to do.
I'm very much looking forward to taking these techniques and applying them to the adult struggling with is shot on my league team. I know it is going to give him great results.
Coaching Proper Soccer Ball Striking
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