Soccer is perhaps the most popular sport in the world. And, whatever they say, it is very complex, despite its fame. To play it well, you must master a large number of skills.
Today we will talk about two of them: the shot and the pass. They are two fundamental elements without which no fan can imagine his favorite game. Together with a professional footballer, we will discover how and when you can learn to hit the ball.
professional footballer, champion of the Media Football League
“How long will it take to master at least one of the techniques for hitting the ball? Let’s take as a basis the 10,000 hours theory of psychologist Anders Ericsson. He said that this is enough to achieve perfection in any matter. It is not necessary to take it literally and dedicate not 10,000, but at least 1,000 hours. The main thing in football is perseverance.”
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What are the kicking techniques in soccer?
Kirill Biryukov: “There are several techniques: impact lifting, knuckleball, spinning and Swedish. To train any of these techniques you need two things, one of them is visual training, that is, observation. It is necessary to look at people who master one of these techniques. And second, practice, as I already said, the more hours we dedicate, the better. It is important to do at least 1000 repetitions in total.”
The first thing you should pay attention to when hitting is the supporting leg. You must stand in front of the ball and quite close to it. At the same time, your tip should point in the direction where you want to hit. It is also important to lean your body forward during impact to avoid sending the ball into the stands.
The supporting leg should in no case be straight. And take the other one back to hit harder and also bend it at the knee. Then begin to move your kicking leg toward the ball, gradually extending it.
It is important to understand that in the game everything happens at lightning speed. That is why training is important. Ideally, these movements should be automatic, so that at the moment of impact you only have to make a decision and adapt to the ball.
Photo: DMITRY GOLUBOVICH, “CHAMPIONSHIP”
Direct hit training
This is the most basic stroke, but it cannot be said that it is easier to learn than all the others. It is usually called “by force”, that is, in this case power decides. But, despite its unconditional importance, several very important nuances can still ruin the moment, some of which we described above. This is the supporting leg, tilting the body, as well as stretching the toe forward and hitting the right spot on the ball.
Many people use a “force” blow as needed: it will fly or not, the main thing is to apply it with more force. This is the wrong approach, because once you hit the ball well and think it’s done, the technique has been learned. And then, at the decisive moment, hit higher.
Let’s highlight some points that you should remember if you want to get the upper right. We place the supporting leg opposite the ball, everything is the same as in the universal technique. The tip of the kicking leg should be stretched, i.e. the leg should be kept tense. In this case, the blow occurs with the instep, normally this is the place where the boot laces are located. And you must hit right in the center of the ball, neither lower nor higher.
Photo: DMITRY GOLUBOVICH, “CHAMPIONSHIP”
Learning to hit with backspin
A spin kick is probably the most beautiful thing in football. Just look at the selection of the best free kick goals and see for yourself. Everything here is more complicated than with a direct shot, without knowing the basics it is unlikely that you will be able to hit the goal well. As a rule, this stroke is used when performing standards, but if desired, it can also be used dynamically.
With the placement of the supporting leg everything is the same, but the race must start from the side if we are talking about a free kick with the ball stopped. It is important to give the ball the desired spin and lift it so that it flies towards the corner. To do this, you need to hit the place where the thumb ends and the bone protrudes. The leg must be tense and it is necessary to hit hard. It is unlikely that one turn will be enough to fool the goalkeeper.
The leg movement should come from the hip, then the blow will be more powerful and the ball will spin even more. After hitting the ball, your foot will continue to move due to inertia, this will improve the spin.
Photo: DMITRY GOLUBOVICH, “CHAMPIONSHIP”
Knowing the Swede’s shot
There are situations on the soccer field in which it is necessary to act outside the area to surprise the goalkeeper or defenders. For this there is a Swedish kick. The ball is spun, as in the previous version, but the shot is more difficult to execute.
Someone will say that it is not necessary to do that kick, because if you can’t kick with the working leg, then you can use the weak one. But it may happen that you have to make a decision in a second, hit with the first touch. You took a step with your weak leg, transferred your weight to it, and then a pass followed. This means that you must adapt intelligently to the ball and use the outside of your foot.
This type of kick is performed with elevation, but with the lateral part to make a turn. If you hit with your right hand, then you should hit to the left of the center of the ball, if you hit with your left, it’s the other way around. Technique is important in this shot, so you’ll have to put in more than an hour before anything starts working. Don’t get angry ahead of time and don’t try to solve everything by force. It is important to perfect the technique so that the ball spins correctly and the rest will come with time.
Photo: DMITRY GOLUBOVICH, “CHAMPIONSHIP”
How to make a precise pass?
Kirill Biryukov: “Let’s talk about short and long passes. Shorts are very important because, according to statistics, there are many more of them made in the game than everyone else. And, more importantly, coaches and specialists often pay attention to the percentage of accurate passes. The more precise the passes, the higher the percentage, it’s simple. If we talk about long passes, it is worth highlighting the “plasser” technique. As with striking, technique, observation and the number of repetitions are very important.”
The shots, of course, are good, without them there are no goals. But in football you cannot do without the pass: it is the most basic element, but at the same time the most important. You may not have much speed or good dribbling, but thanks to a precise and well-calibrated pass you can, for example, lead your team on a counterattack.
It is unlikely that you will be able to defeat many opponents with the help of feints, especially if you are closely guarded. But with a good pass you can competently cut through half of the enemy team. If you don’t believe me, watch clips of the best scoring actions of Kevin De Bruyne or Luka Modric, how sometimes they make the difference on the scoreboard with a single pass.
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To make a high-quality pass, it is necessary, as when hitting, to place the supporting foot next to the ball. The next movement is the transfer itself, for this it is necessary to balance and bend the working leg at the knee. A strong low pass should be made with the inside of the foot, slightly leaning the body forward. Do not hit the ball from the bottom up and do not move your body backwards so that the ball does not bounce off the grass. After hitting the ball, do a “drive”, that is, pull your foot forward in the direction of the pass, this will help correct the accuracy. And make sure to tense your ankle so that the pass is firm and strong.
During the first training sessions, focus on technique, do not immediately try to learn how to make strong passes on the fly. Of course, ball speed is important, especially in the game, but an inaccurate pass will do no good, it will only make it more difficult for your teammates if someone intercepts it.
It is advisable to train short passes against the wall, so you can work with the ball for hours. You make a pass, it bounces off the wall, you receive it with a touch and return it with the next.
Photo: DMITRY GOLUBOVICH, “CHAMPIONSHIP”
What is a “plasser”?
Horse passes are an excellent solution to many problematic situations on the soccer field. With its help, you can transfer the ball from one flank to the opponent or launch a dangerous counterattack. Unfortunately, a long low pass does not always work, because there is a chance of being cut off or intercepted. But if the ball flies through the air, then there is no way to intercept it, the main thing is to mark the desired trajectory so that it lands where it is needed.
The first rule to learn when learning long passes is that the run matches the power of the pass. It is also important to remember that with a straight run you will not be able to make a “plasser”, because it is done by hitting the ball from the side. At the same time, the movement of the working leg when performing a riding pass differs from the movement when hitting. Your foot should not rise after contact with the ball and you should kick with the bottom of your instep. The most important thing is to give the ball reverse rotation, this is done so that it is more convenient to receive it later. Therefore, your foot should appear to go through the ball, “cut” it. During execution, do not lean down, but also do not lean back, this can change the trajectory of the ball.
And don’t forget your supporting leg, if you leave it behind the ball you will have to stretch with your working leg and then the pass will be inaccurate. But do not place it too far away so as not to make the “plasser” under you, since there is a high probability that the ball will not reach the required height.
Photo: DMITRY GOLUBOVICH, “CHAMPIONSHIP”
A little more about transmission techniques.
Depending on the game situation, you can also use a spin pass with the inside or outside of your foot. For example, if you want to pass a play, or if your opponents are covering you and you need the ball to spin around them. Here everything is done by analogy with hitting, the same technique, but it is necessary to apply less force so that it is easier for your partner to accept the pass.
There is an unspoken rule: “he who gives is always to blame.” Because whether the other person accepts it or not will depend on how well and accurately you make the transfer. Don’t try to get rid of the ball in any way; In the vast majority of cases this will result in a cut.
Photo: DMITRY GOLUBOVICH, “CHAMPIONSHIP”
How much time will you have to dedicate?
In football, systematic and regular training is important. How many motivational stories have we heard about how a person went out into the “box” under the house and hit the ball for hours, chasing a dream. It may not seem very plausible, but this is actually what you need. Training is over: stay on the field for at least half an hour more and shoot at goal or practice a short or long pass.
The more you practice, the faster your progress will be. It is important to clarify here: if you have played football for at least several years or have a full-fledged sports school, then learning a new element may take you a couple of weeks, maybe a month. But if you are not yet familiar with this sport in practice, you will have to be patient. You can spend several months.
Remember that the main thing in this matter is desire. If you really love football, training will only bring you pleasure. Furthermore, we are not talking about working in physics, but about impacts. It is important to remember that success is achieved only through character; More often than not, perseverance beats talent.
Photo: DMITRY GOLUBOVICH, “CHAMPIONSHIP”
Train dynamically
Once you have learned the basic movements in static, you can safely move on to practicing episodes of the game. Soccer is a high-speed game, on the field almost no one will give you much time to think about your actions or receive the ball. But your main task is to learn to work miracles in the field.
Don’t stop there and continue doing the same elements in motion. You will see how difficult it is to hit a ball that rolls fast if you are not used to it. Well, the most effective method is to find a team and learn to pass quickly or shoot with resistance in a two-way game, when one opponent is covering you and the second is already breathing down your back.
Kirill Biryukov: “It is important to train all the technical elements in dynamics, whether they are shots or passes. But if you want to become a full-time free throw taker for the team, then of course you have to train your free throws too.”
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THE NAIS IS OFFICIAL EDITOR ON NAIS NEWS