Soccer is known as the most popular team sport. The best way to improve at soccer is to practice. However, it is not possible to practice as a team all the time. A good opportunity for developing individual skills exists during those times. The skills of each player are necessary for each player to improve as a team. If you have a few minutes at home, you can do some football drills by yourself using just a ball and your feet.
The first thing to do while practicing soccer drills to do by yourself is to select the drills you are going to do among all the drills. For that, you would need to know the benefits of the drills. Then you can get to work. But remember this is not a compulsory thing. You should not do it until you enjoy it. In addition to improving your footwork, these drills also increase your stamina and help you become a stronger player.
So, in this article, we are going to talk about the 12 best soccer drills to do alone.
12 Best Soccer Drills To Do Alone
There are some very common drills and some drills are very much similar to each other, yet practicing them all and getting them accurately should be your only goal to score goals on a real match. Some of the soccer drills to do by yourself are given below:
1. Penalty Kicks
If you are a football fan, you have obviously seen penalties in matches. It is a one-shot against only the goalkeeper. Whenever there is only the goalkeeper between you and victory, scoring becomes much easier. Due to its controlled nature, soccer is a pretty easy shot to practice on your own.
In most cases, penalties are meant to move the ball into particular positions that make it nearly impossible for the goalkeeper to stop the ball. For this shot, all you have to do is to take a moment to look up before kicking. The ball should be aimed in the direction you intend. Another thing to consider while shooting penalty kicks is shooting with confidence. And confidence will come by practicing good football drills to do alone.
2. One-Touch Shooting
It is essential for any soccer player to be able to hit the ball with power and accuracy. The key to a good shot is not just judging the field situation but also planting your leg with power and rearing it forward as soon as possible. Soccer matches move faster, so shooting with one touch becomes important. You will learn how to shoot a soccer ball with one touch by practicing soccer drills to do by yourself.
A perfect one-touch shot requires not only to adjust your body but your head and feet too. It is a very difficult skill, but it can be practiced independently to some extent. You can eliminate the element of hesitation when you shoot with one touch.
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3. Wall Pass
Wall is the best target while you are practicing alone for soccer drills to do by yourself. A wall with tape targets in high and low positions will help you improve this type of shooting by providing you with something to aim constantly at. A much better idea than relying on other people.
In order to switch things up when things get too easy, throw the ball further so that you have less time to handle it. You can also extend the distance so you can pass farther, and add a skill/change of direction after your catch.
To strike the ball effectively at the targets you need to use the laced part, outside part, and inside part of your foot. Practice and skills should accompany each shot. You can increase your shooting skill by tape-targeting a wall. Make aiming easier by taping them at both high and low points.
4. Dribbling
Because group exercises aren’t ideal for dribbling, soccer practices frequently neglect to dribble. It is much more effective to practice passing and shooting in a group setting. A dribbler can make a huge difference for a soccer team if they have good dribbling skills.
A drill that has more obstacles and closer obstacles will be more challenging. Begin by running from one side to the other without hitting these obstacles. When you reach the next obstacle, weave in and out of the path frequently, changing direction regularly, and use both feet. Be careful not to step into the cracks and be aware of what’s around you. There must be a sense of involvement in the game, or lessons learned won’t be transferred to the field.
5. Side Shooting
There is nothing more complex in soccer than shooting from the side of the goal. Players of every level have trouble performing in this skill from time to time; they continuously learn how to improve their performances. It is better to practice with friends but you can surely do it alone. But you should make sure to practice it in an open area life field. By shooting from the side of the goal as opposed to directly in front, you can improve your accuracy. It will help you to perfect your shot wherever you stand in the match.
If you are practicing this shot on your own, you will benefit more from it, as it involves more aiming than beating the goalkeeper. A ball will usually go in when the goalie makes a mistake as long as the ball is in the right place.
6. Roll Out and Push-In
You can practice rolling out and pushing in at home. It is another great exercise that will help improve your dribbling skills. Start by rolling the ball toward the outside of your foot with your foot on the ball.
In order to use this technique, you need to slide your foot around the ball and push it towards your opposite foot. Then, roll your foot over the ball to the ground between your feet while rolling it towards your other foot. Reverse your direction, get back onto the ball, and then repeat 100 times. Then you should keep practicing until you get it accurately.
7. Header Drills
It might be forbidden to use headers in some youth leagues, but the header technique is more crucial with each level of play. One of the unpracticed shots in the game is a well-placed header, which results in quite a few goals. No matter where you are, even at home, learning how to use headers is important. Practicing this in goals can be a fantastic way to improve your scores, as around 20 percent of goals at the highest level come from headers. In either case, you can just return to your wall pass wall.
A header drill is still worthwhile to practice even though nothing can truly simulate crossing a ball into the box at high speed. Drifting and going up against walls are two reasons why header drills are useful. Landing headers can boost a player’s confidence greatly. Many people avoid headers because they are afraid they may cause pain.
8. 25’s Dribbling
Dribbling is a special technique to improve your skills. The 25’s dribbling will condition your dribbling skills and improve them as well. Approximately six to ten cones are lined up five yards apart for this cone drill. Then use the inside of your feet to pass the ball through the cones. Alternate your outside and inside feet while you perform this drill. Using the cones as a guide, circle left and then right.
The 25’s dribbling drill is composed of a series of cones, each one placed five yards apart. After that, you have to weave the ball through cones with your feet. Repeat this process by alternating between the inside and outside of the feet. Make sure to circle right, and then left around cones. A simpler method involves starting at cone one, running to parallel cone two, turning around and returning to cone one, then running to cone three, then again to one, then to 4-cone distance.
9. Cone Dribbling
In cone dribbling, cones or any objects other than cones are used instead of cones. It is almost the same exercise as dribbling. The cones should be spaced far enough apart so that the ball can fit through between them once they’re set on the ground. You may need to adjust the distance according to your skill level.
In addition to setting the cones in a line, you can form them in various configurations. Swipe the ball in and out of the cones as you wind your way through them. Utilize different parts of your foot and different footwear while dribbling around the cones. Increasing speed and decreasing time will help you improve. Cones can be moved closer together or angled differently. As you get better at it, you can adjust it in various ways. You should allow your feet to control the ball once you have dribbled it between the cones. Using the front part of your feet, guide the ball slowly and tightly around the cones, moving it with speed and precision.
10. Trapping the Ball
All that is needed is a tennis ball and a field. Work on bringing the ball to the ground after throwing it up in the air. Whenever you begin, let the ball bounce before making any attempts to control it. Make sure you use both your feet and various parts of them. As well as practicing catching the ball with your body, you can also practice it with other parts of your body.
As close to your feet and body as possible, you would like to grab or trap that ball. Taking any ball down and bringing it under control is something you’ll notice about pro soccer players. Good trapping skills are required for this.
11. Agility & Quickness Drills
Soccer requires changes of direction in a short period of time and rapid acceleration. Aims at improving players’ coordination, balance, ability to change direction and accelerate, quickness on their feet, body control, and agility. By training players to move with the correct technique, these soccer agility drills can help prevent injury entirely.
The player’s ability to change directions quickly should be developed. Players’ reaction time and footwork improve when they strive to be the first to cross the finish line. It can be a warm-up for an agility event or used independently as an agility workout. This activity should be done after the players have warmed up fully.
While you practice agility and quickness drills you must remember that the lead player changes directions a total of three times before the final sprint, while the follower tries to stay ahead of them. Any of the three-cone lines can be chosen as the leader’s direction, but more than two cuts are required before running to the final cone.
12. Target Practice for Shooting and Practicing
Target practice is the key to success in a football match. For that, you must set a target first, then keep kicking the ball to your target. The more you practice, the better you will become at it. Passing and shooting to improve accuracy both require practice. Marking on the wall with chalk or paint to set a target can improve your accuracy.
Furthermore, this drill helps you develop your precision, which will serve you well throughout your life. For getting the target practice right you have to make sure that both feet work rather than just the one you use most often. As your first touch, you must turn in the opposite direction of your target and kick to the target. Also, remember to practice by kicking the ball while running, since this is more effective than kicking it from a standing position.
So, that was all about some soccer drills to do by yourself. Without building up the skills of every individual in soccer, team success is impossible. So, make sure to be a pro at soccer by yourself first by practicing the drills discussed above. Practicing will make you perfect and successful. A player’s personal skills can also give them an advantage over someone else. You will have an opportunity to practice the small things that can help you become more confident when playing soccer with a team on the field.