Skill Moves of the Week
Welcome to a new weekly discussion where we will highlight different skill moves for players to work on, complete with explanations and instructional videos!
Why are skill moves important?
Skill moves and 1v1 creativity are essential in the modern game of soccer. Often, it is not easy in soccer to beat defenders by attempting to dribble straight at or past them. If you consider great soccer players with excellent 1v1 skills, you can imagine the players such as Sam Kerr, Messi, Pelé, Marta, Ronaldo Nazário, Alexia Putellas, and Ronaldinho. These players redefined the game with their creativity and ability to get past multiple defenders with ease, regularly applying skill moves and getting out of dangerous situations on the field. All modern soccer players need 2-3 readily available and easy-to-perform skill moves to beat defenders in 1v1 scenarios. Along with skill moves, it is important that players execute a change of direction and speed after performing their move to ensure they can get away from any defenders. This week, we will focus on 3 moves: the Shot Fake, the Pull Back, and the Inside-Outside.
The Shot Fake
The Shot Fake is an essential move to have in any soccer player's arsenal. When performing this move, it is imperative that the Shot Fake is sold to the defender by exaggerating the move, starting with the shoulders and the hips. By first making the body and shoulders big while also moving the forearm on the shooting side before quickly accelerating away and shielding the ball with the body, this move is sure to beat a defender when performed correctly. Ideally, the attacker in this scenario is able to sell the movement so well that any defender bites by attempting to block or even turning their back, creating a lane for the attacker to exploit. For a visual aid and several different techniques to master the Shot Fake technique, please see the video below!
The Pull Back
The next move is extremely popular amongst children of all ages: the Pull Back. This change of direction move is an excellent way to deceive defenders and shift your body momentum from one foot to another. Keys for this move include the sharpness of the Pull Back and stopping the ball from still in place after the Pull Back is performed before accelerating away from the defender. The Pull Back can be beneficial for sharp changes of direction, and pairing this with a sharp change in speed can make this move a lethal part of any player's range of skill moves! For a visual demonstration of this move, please click on the link below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fN4L3ypTTAY
The Inside-Outside
The last skill move we will focus on is the Inside-Outside. This move is relatively simple but can be rather effective when performed correctly. You will use both the instep and the outside of your foot. For this skill, the player first takes a small, controlled inside of the foot touch with the instep before shifting the ball away with a large outside of the foot touch using the same foot but a sharp change in speed and a change in direction. The lower your center of gravity and balance while performing this move, the better. Similarly to other skills moves, the dribbler's ability to shift the ball quickly from left to right or vice versa and unbalance the defender is vital to the success of this move. For a visual demonstration and practice, please click on the link below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INP7SZnmkss
Conclusion
The more you perfect these moves, the more they will make sense to your feet and soccer brain. As a result, you will become more effective and creative on the field. Now that you know at least a few more skill moves, practice them until you can comfortably perform each with either foot. Being a soccer player without a nondominant foot can give any modern player a significant advantage over their opponents in 1v1 attacking scenarios. The only way to get better at skill moves and to improve ball control is lots of repetition and building muscle memory with both feet. Let us know your favorite skill moves and which skillful players of the game have inspired you! Please tune in to our next weekly skill moves post to learn more skills and add additional creative ideas to your dribbling!