Winning 50-50 balls

As a player, you have heard this from your coach (we have to win more 50-50 balls!) many times, right? Well, let's discuss this for a moment. Why is that important to win 50-50 balls? Well obviously if you win more of those balls, you and your team will possess the ball more, which often results in winning soccer. But while winning a 50-50 ball in the midfield is important, how about winning a 50-50 ball when you are 8 yards away from the goal...or winning a 50-50 ball when the other team is 8 yards away from the goal. Now we are talking crucial, right?

Well, in order to win 50-50 balls, we must be able to accelerate quickly to the ball. The better you become at accelerating, the better your chances are of winning the ball. Proper acceleration can make 50-50 balls become 90-10 balls in your favor!

Here are the three things that you can do on the field to help you accelerate faster.

Forward lean: When you accelerate, if you can have a forward lean from your very first step, you will have an edge over others.

First 4-6 steps: The first 4-6 steps are all acceleration steps. When you accelerate, you must land on the front part of your foot and push off explosively.

Arm drive: There are two ways to get faster, stride frequency is one way. That means how quickly can you turn your legs over (like the roadrunner cartoon character). The faster you pump your arms, the faster your feet will go (increasing stride frequency).

So to recap, in order to win more 50-50 balls, work on accelerating to the ball by a quick forward lean, driving off the front part of your foot and move those arms quickly!

So, focus on these tips and let's go win some soccer games!

Have a great day!

Gary