3 Soccer Drills You Can Do in Your Backyard

Here are three soccer drills you can do in your backyard (or anywhere, really), so you don’t have to wait for team practice if you want to up your game. These drills will help you hone your agility, dexterity and ball control to give you the muscle memory that can make a crucial difference in the heat of a match.

Wall Juggling

This drill offers several different benefits. It improves general ball control by helping you practice controlling and changing the momentum of the ball when dealing with volleys and passes from a range of angles, as well as improving both ball juggling and general reflex time. Simply stand some distance from a wall (trying out different distances up to 3 feet is recommended) and practice juggling and throwing against it. You can up the challenge as your juggling gets more consistent by limiting yourself to only using the side of your foot, thigh, chest, etc. to improve your overall body control.

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Stair Steps

Being able to carefully manage your energy during a match so you can unleash those explosive movements at decisive moments in the match is just as critical. Stair steps also help improve general ball control, but building your stamina and improving your balance is where they do the most good. Place your dominant foot on the ball before jumping to place your other foot on it. The aim of the game is to not let the ball roll backwards. Besides being a good workout, generally, this helps ensure that you don’t cause any unexpected changes in ball momentum when you’re on the field and you need to finesse it around or against another player.

Figure 8 Dribbling

Figure 8 dribbling is one of the simplest drills, but also one of the most valuable that never loses its importance. Place down cones with enough distance to be able to run the ball through them while dribbling a figure 8 between the cones with your knees bent. This improves control, helping to make it easier for you to complete sharp, short turns when you’re out on the field and improving your body’s ability to react to those moments when you suddenly need to change momentum. As your dribbling improves, you can change the distance between the cones or limit yourself to only dribbling with certain parts of the feet to improve your control even further.

Soccer drills can truly make you feel like you’re committed to the game and ready for next season, just like the youth soccer jerseys and uniforms available from Cisco Athletic. From fabrics to trim to neck styles to graphic options, including lettering and numbering, Cisco can help cement your squad’s identity, so you have that team spirit supporting you when you’re ready to show off what you’ve been practicing in the backyard.

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