How a Soccer Player Can Get Faster Feet

Getting your feet to move faster for a soccer player, as you can imagine, is pretty important. It allows them to be more dangerous offensively on the field, but it can also help mitigate injuries to themselves by getting out of the way of sliding tackles.

Here are several skills to develop and also several drills to do to help any soccer player get faster feet and increase their speed.

Ground Contact: The quicker your feet are, that usually means that the less time the foot is in contact with the ground. The less ground contact the better. It also probably means the soccer player is landing on the front part of their foot which produces the best results.

Arm Drive: The faster a soccer player moves or pumps their arms. the faster their feet will go as well. You can try it by just jogging in place, then start to pump your faster, and then as fast as you can and watch what happens to your feet....they get really fast too.

One drill I like to have all my soccer players do everyday is called, appropriately enough, "Fast Feet"! To do this exercise, a soccer player stands up nice and tall, with their hands open and relaxed and arms at a 90 degree angle. The player starts to pump their arms quickly by flicking their hands back and forth (envision swiping the side of their shorts). The soccer player then moves their feet forward quickly as they take little steps (about 6-8 inch steps) moving themselves forward. A player should go like this for 10 yards. They should repeat this exercise 2-3 times.

A progression for this exercise is to have them go 5 yards in fast feet mode and then start to gradually open up their stride length, all the while keeping their arms moving quickly and their legs too until they have opened their stride length up and they are running at top speed.

Another drill that I like that works very well also is simply doing fast feet in place for a short period of time (like 5-6 seconds). Have the soccer player count the number of times their feet touch the ground during this period of fast feet. The next time, they should try and beat this mark. This personal challenge forces a player to maximize their potential each and every time. A player can chart their progress and they will see how their feet will get faster and faster very quickly.

While doing this exercise, it is important to maintain good running form as well.

I hope this helps all soccer players get faster feet and increase their speed on the soccer field.

Have great day!

Gary

www.soccerandspeedcoach.com

Excellent Pre Season Speed and Conditioning Program for Soccer Players

Any soccer player who does these 6 exercises will increase their soccer fitness and their soccer speed in less than 21 days. It is a great pre-season soccer conditioning and soccer speed program. This soccer conditioning program will make any soccer player fast and fit very quickly.

Because soccer is such an explosive sport where players are expected to have great speed and agility too, designing a conditioning and speed program that focuses on these needs is quite important. So with that said, here are the 6 speed and conditioning exercises soccer players should be doing. Also, I have included a brief explanation of the exercise and why it is important.

These 6 exercises should be broken up into 2 groups of three. I have also included suggested groupings. One group of three exercises should be done 2 times in one week and the other group should be done one time during the week. On the following week, switch it up so that the one group of exercises that was done just once the previous week is done twice this week, and the group of exercises that was done twice the previous week is done just once this week. Keep this similar rotation for the three weeks. Monday-Wednesday-Friday or Tuesday-Thursday-Saturday training days work best.

It is also recommended for the soccer player to warm up their body and stretch themselves out sufficiently to do these exercises. Any player considering this program should consult with their doctor before embarking on it.

All of these exercises are done as fast as a player can go.

The First Group of Exercises are:

5-10-15 Yard Shuttle: This 60 yard shuttle is designed to enhance a soccer player's acceleration speed and change of direction performance. The game of soccer is a game of quick bursts of speed and quick change of direction. This shuttle will help all soccer players gain this edge. Players should do 4-6 repetitions of this exercise with a one minute rest in between.

20-40-60 Yard Shuttle: This 240 yard shuttle now taxes the soccer player's fitness with short and medium distance explosiveness. This exercise will help all soccer players gain excellent conditioning. Players should do 3-4 repetitions with a 2 minutes rest in between.

200 Yard Shuttle: Here a soccer player runs 100 yards, stops and runs back to their starting point. The player is working under one minute starts. That means if it takes a player 40 seconds to complete this shuttle, they have 20 seconds of recovery (rest) time before they run the next 200 yard shuttle and so forth. A player is working on building up to 10 runs in 10 minutes. This is an excellent exercise to gain a solid conditioning foundation.

The Second Group of Exercises are:

10-20-30 Yard Shuttle: This 120 yard shuttle is a beefed up version of the 5-10-15 yard shuttle. It presents training at an anerobic level making any soccer player explosive and powerful throughout the course of the game. Players should do 4-6 repetitions of this exercise with a 90 second rest in between.

30-60-90 yard Shuttle: This 360 yard shuttle not only adds great conditioning for a soccer player but is also adds mental toughness as well. This exercise is excellent for many players but especially for midfielders. Players should consider doing 2-3 repetitions of this exercise allowing for a 3 minute rest in between.

300 Yard Shuttle: This shuttle is a staple in many soccer conditioning programs. Place two cones 25 yards apart. The soccer player then runs out to one cone and then runs back and repeats this (up and back) 6 times to complete the 300 yards. It is an excellent conditioning and change of direction exercise. Players should consider doing 2-3 repetitions with a 3 minute rest in between.

This program is an excellent pre-season program for any higher level soccer players (U15 and above). It will help them become very fit and very fast which will make them a valuable player to their team.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this speed and conditioning program for soccer players.

Have a great day!

Gary Christopher http://www.soccerandspeedcoach.com

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These 5 Exercises will make any Soccer Player Faster, Stronger and Explosive

Calling all soccer coaches: Being able to drive a ball farther on a goal kick is a matter of incorporating two things! The first has everything to do with technique. Refining proper ball striking skills for a player is key, but that is not what I want to focus on today.

The 2nd component to drive the ball farther has to do with strength....actually lower body strength. This is the topic for today! If you can get your players stronger, this will not only help them in other facets of their game, it will help them drive the ball farther too and maybe even add 10 yards to their goal kick. When I talk about strength, whether it is lower or upper body strength, I am referring to developing functional strength. You want to develop strength that allows your players to be stronger for the sport of soccer.

Below are some great lower body functional strength exercises that do not require any equipment and are appropriate for players 10 years and up.

Prisoner squats: have the player place their feet about shoulder width apart. Place their hands behind their head and squat down (like you are sitting down into a chair). Try and keep your heels on the ground and keep your head and chest up. Also, make certain when you bend your knees, that your knees don't go past your toes. 10-15 in succession equals one set. Build up to 2 sets.

Lunge walks: have your player take a long stride (like they are walking) and ask the player to drop their hips (back knee is an inch from touching the ground). Keep repeating this walking movement for 10-15 yards. Build up to 2 sets. Very important as well is to again make sure the front knee when it bends does not go past the toes of this front leg.

Lateral Lunge walks: Same concept as the lunge walk except now your steps are sideways, not forward. Again make certain that the player performs the movement with good form. Knee not flying past toes, hips are down.

Pogo Jumps for height: Imagine you are on a pogo stick. Start with legs open to shoulder width apart. Arms are placed in front of you at a 90 degree angle. Drive the elbows back (like you are reaching back for your back pockets with your hands) and then quickly drive them forward and up, propelling you upward. Land softly on the front part of both feet, bends the knees to absorb the jump and then repeat the process again very quickly. One set equals 10-15 pogo jumps for height. Work on building this up to 2 sets.

Prisoner Squat Hold: Have the player squat down and hold the prisoner squat for 30 - 45 seconds all the while maintaining proper form. Work up to 45 seconds or so and do that 2-3 times.

I hope you enjoy these functional lower body strength exercise for your players to work on.

For more information on soccer skills and speed tips, you can go over to my website http://www.soccerandspeedcoach.com and register to get soccer and speed tips delivered to your inbox every week.

Have a great day!

Gary
www.soccerandspeedcoach.com

Explosive Change of Direction for Soccer Players

In order to change direction quickly and explosively, a soccer player must learn how to stop properly, effectively and safely. The most dangerous soccer player on the field isn't always the fastest one, but the one one that can stop the fastest and then explode in a new direction.

There are several things to consider and do in order to achieve this success. In order for a soccer player to stop quickly, as a player approaches the spot where they need/want to stop, they will want to take smaller steps and start to drop their hips. By doing this, they are effectively lowering their center of gravity. By lowering their center of gravity, this will allow them to move in a new direction quickly.

To effectively stop however, a soccer player should step into that stopped position rather than jumping into it. When they come to a stop, their feet should be pointed forward and they should be in an athletic stance. (Athletic stance is their feet are about shoulder width apart). They will want their heels slightly off the ground (allow a piece of paper to go between their heel and the ground)and they are balanced on the front part of the feet ready to explode in a new direction.

So to summarize, as a soccer player approaches where they want to stop, take smaller steps, start to bend their knees and drop their hips and stop by stepping into an athletic stance with them balanced on the front part of their feet.

Work on this efficient and safe stop and then work with them on their next explosive first step in a new direction.

I have a new DVD coming out soon on change of direction, showing a coach or a player how to stop and explode properly and many drills to enhance that movement skill...keep your eyes open for it or go to my website www.soccerandspeedcoach.com and register to learn when this DVD is coming out.

Thanks and have a great day!

Gary
www.soccerandspeedcoach.com

The Most Over Looked and Under Appreciated Secret in Soccer

As a soccer coach for over 20 years, you get a chance to see many games and many exceptional players over that time. Often times I will see coaches work with their team on developing soccer skills with the ball. They will work on developing an unbeatable system of play, where they believe their game tactics will win games for them. They will work on creating grids and small sided games to help their players with passing and dribbling and they will work on fitness, of yes fitness!

But I want to talk about what happens in a game where all of these skills don't mean a whole lot if you aren't addressing this one crucial skill. This skill is what separates good from great, it is key whether you are a defender or a striker and it is rarely worked on at all by coaches. I don't know if coaches don't see it, they don't believe it, or they don't know how to teach it. But with all of that said, if a player lacks BALANCE, they will not be as successful and the team won't either.

Let me explain what I mean when I say balance. I am not referring to a team's shape on the field. While that balance is important, that is not what I want to discuss. A players balance centers around their movements. These movements could be linear or lateral or backwards...any time you are off balance when you move, you leave yourself open to be beaten as a defender or you lose a scoring chance as an attacker or you lose possession as a midfielder.

Most times when you see a defender get beat 1 v 1, the attacking player has unbalanced that defender. He may have made the defender go back on his heels or his first step was either too short or too long, depending on the situation. In order to achieve and maintain proper balance, a soccer player must work at it. Proper balancing will help with a players soccer speed, their change of direction and their over speed and agility on the soccer field.

In order for a soccer player to achieve proper balance, several things need to be addressed and worked on. Let's start with their core. A soccer players core needs to be functionally strong and flexible. In order to address a players core strength, a coach or player needs to realize that there are three components to their core. The players abdominals, their back (upper and lower) and their hips. Focusing on building a stronger core will dramatically help a player with their balance as well as other athletic needs on the soccer field.

Another critical component to achieve proper balance on the field is a player needs to focus on where their foot is striking the ground. If you need to go backwards and you are landing on your heels, then you are totally off balance and will be out of the play very quickly. Conversely, if you are back pedaling and you are landing on the front part of your foot, you will be in a better position of balance allowing you to change direction quickly and show good speed and agility on the field too.

Also important is a soccer players forward lean. If a player is leaning too far forward he is susceptible to a change of speed move that again will unbalance this defensive player.

A drill that I like to do often to help my players develop this balancing skill, is to create a grid of approximately 20 yards long by 10 yards wide with a line of cones down the middle of this grid separating this grid into two 10 X 10 yard grids. I have two players go to the middle of their respective grid (the middle line separates the one large grid into 2 grids now) and face each other. One player is the leader, the other player is the follower. The leader can move in any direction he wishes and the follower must mimic or mirror their movements. Have the follower focus on his footwork (don't cross his feet) and his foot contact (weight is distributed more on the front part of his foot) and creating proper balance. Once they get better at this, then increase the speed and change movements more frequently.

By doing this skill drill, you will dramatically help your players gain more speed and agility on the soccer field and will be able to maintain proper balance too. By working on this, I believe you will see more goals being scored by your team and less goals allowed....obviously a great formula to success!

To get more soccer tips like this one, go on over to my website, www.soccerandspeedcoach.com and register. I'll send you more tips like this one free to your inbox.

Have a great day!

Gary Christopher
www.soccerandspeedcoach.com

Speed and Soccer are a perfect combination

Okay I must admit, that as I write today's post, I am hungry! For whatever the reason, i could eat like 2 meals right now and still be looking for more! But food is not the main subject today!

The main subject is how speed effects the game of soccer. Specifically how speed can have a major role in winning and losing games. If you lack speed, in all likelihood, you will not be successful on the soccer field. Speed complements the game of soccer like jelly complements a Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich. (See I told you i was hungry!) Speed make the game of soccer even better, even more exciting to play and watch.

There are several ways to discuss how speed effects the game of soccer. One way has to do with the pure physical speed players possess and the other would be the "speed of play". You could even include ball speed (like in a pass or shot as an example). But today I want to talk about a soccer players speed.

The higher the level of soccer you watch or play in, you will see that the players are faster too. The correlation between faster players and higher level of play is accurate and true. Physical speed translates to game speed and that all translates to higher quality, more successful soccer teams.

Speed is the game changer, a fast soccer player is now a very dangerous soccer player. Speed can negate other deficiencies in a player too. Pure speed can win you games and if you don't have it as a team, it can lose you games too.

So make certain that if you are a player or a coach, that you are working on and training on generating more speed for yourself or your team. Include speed training in many of your soccer practices and you will like the results.

Should you be looking for more ways to get you or your team faster, check in to our website, www.soccerandspeedcoach.com and sign up to receive our soccer and speed tips. Speed and soccer go together as well as Peanut butter and jelly! :)

Have a great day!

Gary