When you think about soccer, what comes to mind? You likely think about the footwork because soccer is a sport played predominantly with feet. With such an emphasis on footwork, the basic skills of soccer training include moving the ball forward, side to side, or backward, using your feet. One of the most popular soccer skills is dribbling. Dribbling is a skill that allows players to move the ball around the field while maintaining possession. Though dribbling is included in most soccer workouts, many perform the soccer skill incorrectly. Unfortunately, despite the regular inclusion of dribbling in soccer drills, there are five common mistakes.
1. Relying too much on the inside of your foot
Using the inside of your foot too much will prevent you from moving at your desired speed.
2. Not Having Complete Control over the Ball
The primary purpose of dribbling is to allow you to move through the field with the ball. However, if your dribbling skills are inadequate and you dont have control over the ball, you may kick it too far ahead of you, which makes it easy for the ball to get stolen.
3. Looking Down while Dribbling
Keeping your head down throughout the duration of dribbling means you arent looking where youre going. This increases the chances of injury or the ball getting stolen.
4. Not Turning Properly
While dribbling, if you struggle with pivoting, you may inadvertently trap yourself in a corner with opponents surrounding you.
5. Not Dribbling at the Right Pace
Over and under dribbling leaves the ball susceptible to being stolen by the opponent.
Now that weve addressed the most common errors while dribbling, we will offer key pointers on how to successfully dribble as well as soccer practice tips to master the art of dribbling.
How to Dribble a Soccer Ball
There are multiple aspects of dribbling that you should take into consideration when implementing drills into your soccer workout. Weve outlined some of the most important tips to master when perfecting your dribbling skills:
Body Placement
1. Remember to use your arms
While soccer skills often dont include touching the ball with your arms, your arms still serve an important role in soccer passing drills. Your arms provide balance and can help maneuver past opponents.
2. Keep your Body Centered
When dribbling quickly, you may make switch direction changes, and imbalance can make it challenging to move throughout the field. When dribbling, keep your knees slightly bent, your back straight, and position yourself, so your torso is the center of gravity. We encourage practicing this position during soccer practice.
3. Stay on the balls of your feet
The best soccer players are light on their feet, and that helps them move quickly. Staying light on the balls of your feet helps increase your speed and reduces imbalance. This is not the typical way we walk; when we walk, we put our heels down first. If you are someone who struggles with this adjustment between regular walking and soccer playing, we recommend including footwork into your soccer drills.
4. Use the foot thats not in contact with the ball
While dribbling, your feet will alternate contacting the ball as you propel it forward. The foot is not contacting; the ball should push off the ground to propel your body forward quickly. Also, during quick direction changes, the foot not contacting the ball should be used to shift your body in the direction you wish to move toward.
5. Raise your knees while moving forward
Raising your knees while moving forward will help you build momentum for increased speed. This is a big mistake many players make they dont move their knees. Practice high knees during your soccer workouts to maximize your dribble speed ability.
Know your Foot
For the purpose of soccer training, your foot has four parts: inside, outside, sole, and laces (front of your foot). Each of these parts has its purpose for soccer passing drills, but for the purpose of dribbling, you should use the laces part of your foot to propel the ball forward. You may see many soccer players use the inside of their foot, but this opens up the possibility of the opponent stealing the ball. Practice moving the ball with the laces to gain confidence with the move.
Overall Tips While Dribbling
During soccer training, practice using your arms to shield while you dribble. Keep your eyes up, so you know where you are going during the dribble. Finally, dribble with purpose. If you have possession of the ball, know where you intend to go. Again, this all can be practiced during soccer practice as you work on soccer passing drills. Moreover, take a soccer ball with you wherever you go so you can practice soccer drills such as dribbling on your way to class or whenever you have downtime.
Resources to Perfect your Soccer Training
Soccer training sometimes referred to as football training, can be a daunting process. The cliché practice makes perfect certainly applies, but some resources can make football workouts more beneficial to your overall goals. In the world we live in, there are resources to enhance your skillset right at your fingertips. There are multiple apps on the market available for enhancing soccer passing drills, such as Dribble Up Soccer or Playform. Dribble Up Soccer is a program that comes with a smart soccer ball. The app uses AI technology to help improve footwork. Playform is another variation of a football training app that also uses AI technology. Contrary to Dribble Up Soccer, PlayForm uses your device’s camera to track movements and provides a comprehensive assessment of soccer abilities. Additionally, Playform customizes soccer workouts to help improve football training.
When comparing the two AI-based technologies, we prefer Playform because it seems to have more features and capabilities. Additionally, PlayForm is more compact because skills are assessed using your devices camera rather than using a specific ball. Moreover, PlayForm appears to be a good option for standalone football workouts or for supplemental team practice.