The love for football often cannot be described in just a few words, which is why it is so hard to explain your passion for football to someone who is not fond of it. Luckily, there aren’t that many people with such a look at this sport. On the other hand, becoming a professional footballer requires dedication, time, practicing, and being aware that the only way to make your dream come true is by focusing solely on that. Of course, these tips on how to get sharper on and off the ball should be of much help.
On the ball technique
The technique is one of the most important features of any footballer, as even though one can be in great condition, for example, and can run for days, it would all be for nothing if they didn’t know what to do with the ball once in their possession. Understandably, condition and technique go hand in hand, meaning that only when a player has great skills and is in good shape can they expect to prosper as a footballer. As for the exercise to improve your on-ball technique, it’s always good to practice with someone, but luckily, there are certain exercises that you can do by yourself.
All that’s needed to improve ball mastery is a cone and the ball, and you should start with many touches in a short time. By doing so, the sole focus is on improving the touch and technique, and one should start with the inside foot (easier for beginners) and do this exercise for approximately 1-2 minutes. After a short break (1 minute), do the same with the outside foot (preferable by many world-class footballers like Ronaldinho and Messi). After several series, adding more cones and moving around them can also be a great way to enhance your on-ball technique, and within a month or so, everyone will notice the difference.
Don’t forget passing
One of the aspects that make a great footballer is movement and passing. Namely, a great footballer needs to read the defense and know when and where they should be on the pitch at any given time. Of course, the position of opposition players and the tactical assignments by your coach also play a huge role here, but once you learn how to read the defense and have a great first touch (mentioned above), all that’s the rest is to pass the ball. Short passes often need to be fast and precise in order to spread the opposition defense. That is why having good control of the ball and being great at passing is crucial. You can improve your passing skills by practicing with someone, but also by yourself, because all that you need is a wall.
On the other hand, for long passes, it’s preferable to have someone to practice with, as otherwise, one will need a lot of balls. Of course, even with 4-5 balls and a few cones, you can work on both passing skills and condition. Now, even though practicing alone can be a bit dull, one needs to put in the effort in order to see the results, and this exercise can only help you gain more confidence about your passing while on the pitch.
Pick the right gear
Many people say how footballers in the past didn’t have such great conditions for both practicing and playing games (the condition of the pitch), but they still managed to showcase their skill and passion. Now, the first thing to clarify here is that there is much difference between football played just a decade ago and today, not to mention how the game looked in the 80’s or 60’s. For starters, the number of matches is much higher, meaning that players need to be in great shape to avoid injuries. Secondly, the body of footballers is under much more stress today because games are more intensive. Luckily, as the game of football evolved, so did many new exercises, recovery sessions, and gear have emerged.
So, to really be in the best possible shape and to be able to make the most out of spending hours training, one needs to have the right equipment. Understandably, there are tons of things and gear football clubs provide to their players, but there are also many pieces of equipment that players can get for themselves in order to improve their on and off-the-ball skills. This is where customizable gear steps in as a great solution, and equipment is designed by certain parameters that you cannot otherwise find. Now, the only thing to keep in mind there is picking the best and most quality type of equipment, but even that shouldn’t be the problem as there are plenty of businesses specialized in creating gear and equipment for footballers like FPRO.
Running is a must
It is not a surprise that average football player runs for more than 10km, which means that if you want to become one of the best, skipping a running session is never a good idea. When it comes to running, there are two types of people – people who adore running and find it a great way to relax and stay in shape and people who simply hate it. No matter in which group you fit more, running is a must for each football player, as it is the best exercise for increasing stamina and the only way to be able to play the entire game at a high level.
Even if you do not like it, there is always a way to make it interesting, so instead of running alone, invite someone to do it together. If no one is a running fan, you can always make a great playlist or install some of the cool apps that would make that time much more interesting.
To summarize
Becoming a professional or playing football on the highest possible level is not easy and requires a lot of practice and renunciation, which means only the most persistent ones can succeed. We have presented you with some basic exercises that should be a great starting point for each football enthusiast who wants to improve their skills.
