You most likely have a go-to foot in soccer that you use without thinking for shots and passing. Typically your right foot feels dominant and more comfortable on the ball, although the left can be the preferred foot for a minority of players. It's well worth it to focus incessantly on improving your uncomfortable foot. U.S. midfielder Megan Rapinoe used her less comfortable left foot to send a pinpoint, cross-field pass to teammate Abby Wambach for a 122nd minute goal against Brazil in the 2011 women's World Cup. The famed assist serves as a powerful sell for the value of equalizing your skill with either foot.
Step 1
Juggle the ball, focusing on equal use of your uncomfortable or weaker foot. Tap the ball into the air repeatedly without letting the ball touch the ground. Work up from just a tap or two to dozens and hundreds of taps. Hold your arms out for balance as you simultaneously work on strengthening your plant leg. Juggling allows your uncomfortable foot to improve its feel for the ball and lets you perform well with the weaker foot, pro player Mirsad Hasic notes on his site Soccer Training Guide.
Step 2
Divide your shots equally between feet during drills and stay after practice to work solely with your uncomfortable foot, recommends women's team player Lorrie Fair in her autobiography, "Fair Game." As you advance in the game, defenders come to realize you have a preferred foot and can shut you down, she notes. "If you want to be someone who is extremely difficult to shut down, you must be able to shoot with both feet," she writes. Continue to work on your uncomfortable foot until it is up to par with your strong foot, she recommends.
Step 3
Set up a grid 20 by 30 yards to work on both feet in dribble attack, recommends Sam Snow, director of coaching education for U.S. Youth Soccer, in "Coaching Youth Soccer." Play a three-versus-three game where the dribbling players try to get past the defenders. Award points for a successful dribble to a specified goal line and add an extra point for dribbling past with the weak foot.
Step 4
Go for the ultimate improvement and use your uncomfortable foot for everything, recommends U.S. women's standout Michelle Akers. Go to your weak foot for warm up, dribbling, shooting and trapping, she suggests.
References
- World Football Daily; US National Hero Megan Rapinoe Joins WFD; Kenny Hassan
- Soccer Training Guide; Soccer Training Techniques -- Improving Your Weak Foot; Mirsad Hasic
- "Fair Game"; Lorrie Fair; 2003
- "Coaching Youth Soccer"; Sam Snow, et al.; 2011
- "The Everything Kids' Soccer Book"; Deborah W. Crisfield; 2009
Member Comments