How to Juggle in Soccer

How to Juggle in Soccer

Soccer is a sport that requires great touch. The meaning of touch is the way you control the ball. Juggling is a great way to improve your touch. Not only is it a great way to practice your touch but is also fun to do. It is not hard to do after you practice enough. World renowned soccer juggler Sean D'Arcy says "To get started drop the ball and let it bounce once, then kick it back up into your hands"(2). After you do this repetitively it will become natural for you to do, practicing this will make a difference on the field even you won't be juggling 24/7 in games.  As you juggle make sure you don't kick the ball too high. Kick the ball to knee level or below, unless you are using your thighs, chest, or head. I never really practiced juggling on a consistent basis but after awhile it comes naturally.

While you are juggling make sure to try and notice mistakes that are messing you up so that you know what to fix. For example while you are juggling hit the ball in between your tarsals and metatarsals while kicking it with the right amount of strength. Sean D'Arcy says a good way for someone to start off learning is to kick the ball up with your stronger foot let it bounce and then kick it back up with your weaker foot(2). Because when you are juggling it is important to learn how to use both feet. It can become a bad habit to focus on just your stronger foot when you need to use both so you aren't handicapped on your opposite foot.

How do you think a player can progress their touch without juggling?

Sean D'Arcy. Freestyle Soccer Tricks: tricks, flick-ups, catches. Buffalo, New York: Firefly Books Inc., 2015. Print.

Soccer Freestyle Juggling - The Basics

Soccer is a very fun, challenging and mental sport but there are some times where you want a ball at your feet and just play. This is where soccer juggling comes in. It is a very fun and sometimes beneficial activity to do whether you're bored or want to improve however it's not a mandatory part of soccer. It could potentially help you improve by giving nicer and shorter touches on the ball. (1) "Sometimes you will want to have fun by yourself, just you and the ball, alone, without anyone to preside over you or it". (2)

Source: http://www.epicsoccertraining.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/how-to-dribble-a-soccer-ball-faster.jpg

The first thing you should do is a warm-up. "Prior to every soccer tricks session, you need a few minutes warming up. By doing this you will greatly reduce the risk of unnecessary hurt and injury" (9) You don't need to spend much time doing it. 10 minutes should be enough time and 5 minutes of that time should be spent jogging while the remaining time should be touches on the ball. Warming up will definitely help you perform better. Whenever I warm up it makes my legs feel lighter and faster. Stretching is also recommended.

Now, the first basic skill of juggling is, of course, juggling, or keeping the ball in the air. You may use a single foot or you could use both feet. All it consists of is tapping the ball with your foot and keeping it in the air. 

Here it is with my Right foot

Here it is with my Left foot

Whenever you juggle try to keep it under your chest for the most control. You want to be able to see both your feet and the ball for maximum control. Once you've got it down, try alternating feet while it's airborne.

Another basic skill of juggling is the Foot Flick. It goes hand and hand with juggling and should help you from using your hands to start juggling. It's quite simple but you should always practice using it. 

The first thing you do is have your foot at the top of the ball. Don't have the ball directly under you but rather 1-2 feet ahead of you. 

The Second step is rolling the ball towards you at a nice pace. You want to keep rolling until your foot is under the ball and you can no longer roll it. 

The third step is lifting your toes, once your foot is under the ball. If done correctly the ball should roll on top of your foot and all you need to do is lift your toes fast so it should get in the air. 

Do you think soccer juggling is an important aspect of Soccer? 

Hasic, Mirsad. Soccer Freestyle Master. San Bernardino, California: Copyright - Mirsad Hasic, November 15, 2016. Print.