If there is one skill that every good soccer player needs to master, it's dribbling. After all, being able to control the ball while in motion is essential to getting your team out of danger and into scoring position.
The great soccer players like Pele, Diego Maradona and Zinedine Zidane are famous for making dribbling the ball look easy, but in reality it can be quite a difficult skill to get the hang of!
Here are a few soccer training tips that can help you master the art of ball control and ensure you are dribbling with style the next time you come on down to Strathfield Sports Club Sydney.
Keep your eyes up
One of the most common mistakes made by players new to the beautiful game is that they keep their head down and their eyes on the ball.
In most coordination sports, keeping your eye on the ball is essential for success, but in soccer that's not always the case!
When dribbling the ball, it's important to keep your head up so that you can be watching for opposing players and searching for openings to shoot at the goal or pass to your teammates.
The only way to perfect this is through practice, so make sure you dedicate some time during your next training session to controlling the ball without staring at your feet.
Keep the ball close to your body
Another mistake that new players often make is to put too much force into kicking the ball, sending it out several metres in front of them as they move up the field.
This is a bad idea as it makes it very easy for opposing players to steal the ball off you and take possession – something which your teammates won't be too happy about!
That's why you should always practice dribbling with the ball as close to your body as possible. Keep your weight over the ball and focus on defending it with your feet as much as possible.
After you are done practicing your superstar soccer moves, why not come try out our delicious Red Pepper Bistro? We serve up some of the finest Western and Korean food in Sydney that will have you dribbling in anticipation!