10x your football ability with half the effort and double the fun (Here’s how):
When I was 13 years old (2009), I committed to becoming a top class footballer by training harder than ever.
Over the last 14 years old, I’ve learned a lot.
Here’s the good, the bad, and the ugly:
- Cone drills are not game-realistic. Ball Mastery drills aren’t either. They are okay once in awhile for a few minutes but small sided games are the only place where you can develop true dribbling skill.
- If you want to get fast, you need run FAST. Too many footballers are in the weight room, on the sand, or stuck in cone drills NOT running their absolute fastest. Quality > Quantity.
- Tapping into your flow state and dribbling around imaginary defenders at max intent is the best way to improve on your own. Play at match speed. Be okay with mistakes. Allow your creativity to come out and guide you.
- Dribbling and Shooting are the most valuable skills in football. Why? Look at who are the most players: Wingers and Strikers. Practice your dribbling and shooting at the same time with a ball and a goal at max intent. Let your imagination run wild and go! And as far as individual training goes, this counts for defenders and midfielders too!
- There’s no point in training if you are tired or fatigued. You want max effort on every repetition, and there’s no point in reinforcing poor technique because you’re getting sloppy.
- Have fun! There’s no point in becoming a robotic soulless footballer. You get better so much faster when you’re smiling and enjoying your football.
- Raise your standards every single time you step on the pitch. You are responsible for your career. No one else will do it for you. Demand perfection and smile you know you are doing your very best.
- Individual training is great but small-sided games will always do more. 1v1 all the way up to 8v8. Challenge yourself to beat live opponents. Sharpen your skills 1-3x/week with individual work.
The only “drill” football and soccer players need is a ball and themselves. The mind will do the rest. If you let it… That’s where you can find the gold of your footballing reality.
