Honing your Technique
talkSPORT's Jason Cundy gave an amateur football team a football skills master class during a 'Barclays Premier League club-style' training session... more
The key to this session is being able to transfer the skills that players build up in training into the weekend fixtures.
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Getting in the right frame of mind for the season
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Work in pairs to improve sharp passing and movement on the ball. Stay soft on your feet and use your instep and outside of your boot to help build speed and accuracy.
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Close ball control and beating your opposite man
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Keep your head up and be aware of space and players around you. Hone the technique and movements first before increasing speed.
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Developing match skills - putting them into practice under pressure
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Have the confidence to try new skills and tricks in games and learn from any mistakes. Concentrate on good footwork and be committed every time you're on the ball.
Nutritional Advice from John Brewer
Good technique requires both physical and psychological elements, and as such mind and body have to be correctly fuelled and hydrated. Muscles store fuel in the form of Glycogen, and during training or a match, these stores are depleted through both jogging, and by explosive movements such as sprinting & jumping. It is this glycogen depletion that is one of the main factors behind fatigue. When fatigue sets in, the muscles are not able to contract as efficiently or as quickly, meaning that all movements, including skilful movements will become slower and more laborious. Ingesting Carbohydrate in the form of an isotonic drink will help hydrate & re-fuel the muscles during exercise, keeping skill level up, therefore maintaining your technique through to the final whistle.
The ability to concentrate is also impaired through exercise, as dehydration will reduce blood flow to the brain. With the brain working below its best, technique will also deteriorate. Plain water is not an effective fluid for re-hydration as it does not contain the electrolytes necessary for rapid rehydration.
John Brewer is the Director of Sporting Performance at the Lucozade Sport Science Academy. He's one of the most respected figures in applied sports science and has previously worked with the England football team.
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I have seen a number of players on TV performing the step-over. What’s the best way to perfect this skill?
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The basic idea of the step-over is to make it look like you’re going in one direction, but a quick change of feet sends you in the other. Players like Robinho and Cristiano Ronaldo are great exponents of this particular skill. The best way to perfect the skill is by breaking the move down into smaller parts, practising each one and then bringing it all together.
Firstly, start with a static ball in front of you and bring your right foot around the ball, in a circular motion from left to right. Repeat for your left foot and continue the routine a number of times. The next step, once you are comfortable with this, is to start with the circular motion (on your right foot) followed by a movement to the left-hand side with the ball, using the outside of your foot, and then stop. Repeat in the other direction with your left foot, and start the drill again. The final stage is to dribble past a static player or cone, as if you were attempting to beat an opponent. Slowly approach the defender, perform the circular motion with your right foot and dribble away with the outside of your left foot to the left side of the cone. Turn around and repeat on the other side, a change of pace once you’ve executed the move is also key to take you past the defender.
As you become more comfortable with the drill, try and increase the speed of your execution. Before long, you’ll be leaving opponents in your wake!
Jason Cundy- Honing your Technique
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How can I improve my overall skills & first touch? Can I perform these drills on my own?
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Practice, practice, practice! The most important aspect of skills training is spending time with the ball at your feet so that a skill or manoeuvre becomes second nature to you. In a match situation, when it matters most, players need to react faster than their opponents in order to gain that precious edge. Top-flight players might make it look easy on the television, but the most basic skills have been drilled into them from a young age.
Jason Cundy- Honing your Technique
Jason Cundy is a former pro who plied his trade at Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Ipswich Town and Portsmouth. He is now a respected voice within football media and will be the host of the Lucozade Sport Performance League every week on talkSPORT radio.
Jason Cundy was voted Chelsea's Young Player of the Year in 1987, having impressed onlookers with a string of assured performances which had the supporters labelling him the club's best youth product since Ray Wilkins.
A ball playing centre-half, Jason was a powerful figure that showed great composure on the ball, whilst also displaying superb technique. Jason went on to move to Tottenham for £800,000 after which he had successful spells with Ipswich Town and Portsmouth before he retired in 2000.
Jason Cundy will prove an asset to the expert panel as his passion for the game, extensive experience at the top-level and energetic personality will enable him to help amateur teams hone and improve their technique and skills.
Jason Cundy is a former pro who plied his trade at Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Ipswich Town and Portsmouth. He is now a respected voice within football media and will be the host of the Lucozade Sport Performance League every week on talkSPORT radio.