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Juggling Skills
Some might say you don't need to know how to juggle to play the game of soccer, or ask, like kids taking math in school, how or when do you actually use it in a real game or real life. But take a look at these two examples of juggling in an actual game - how it's applied. Mario Stanic juggles the ball a few times before he volleys the ball into the back of the net for Chelsea, and Robinho simply juggles the ball over the head of a defender in his first game for Real Madrid - a sombrero.
Watch a Few of the Masters:
Juggling Isn’t Just for Clowns
Often, when just starting out, it can appear to be impossible to keep the ball up in the air. As you've heard numerous times before, you need to practice and practice and practice. Soon enough, things will start to click and you can build from one, to two, to ten, and on up to fifty touches and beyond, with the ball in the air.
Start by kicking the ball into your hands, dropping the ball down to your feet and kicking the ball back up to your hands. Then do two juggles with your feet before sending it back up to the hands. Then do three and four. Next, try alternating from your right foot to your left. As you go along, it will become easier and you can gain control of the ball and make the ball do what you want it to do. Again, work on alternating from right to left - maybe twice with the right and then once with the left or four with the left and then two with the right.
The main goal should be to be able to juggle back and forth from your right foot to your left. You can then kick the ball higher into the air while you’re juggling, and then lower and then higher. Have fun with the ball as you grow accustomed to using all the different surfaces of your feet as well as other parts of your body to control the ball. Incorporate more parts as you improve (e.g. foot to head to thigh, back to foot to head again).
Make the Ball Do What You Want It To Do
You can go in a cycle: Left and then right foot, then right thigh and then left thigh, and then hitting the ball up to your head and back down to your right foot and then left and so on. You can make up various cycles that you have to go through, choosing where the ball goes, and not just keeping the ball up in the air, but manipulating the ball on your terms. It’s not about how many times you can juggle, but making the ball go where you want it to--being in control.
Later you can try to manipulate the ball even more. Aim for kicking the ball away from you to the right and then away from you to the left, at a slight angle in the air, almost like you’re faking going to the right and then the left but all in the air. You need to lean your body to the side in which you are kicking the ball. Kick the ball out to the right then back towards the inside with the right foot, and then try this with your left foot, all the while keeping the ball up in the air.
Next, try walking and juggling with the ball. See if you can juggle the ball to the other side of the field. Afterwards try jogging and juggling the ball in the air at the same time. You will just need to find the right rhythm, alternating the ball with each step as you jog along. Slowly try to pick up speed as you improve.
Key Points
Juggling helps you get a good feel for the ball and improve your ability to strike the ball on the volley. And, it will not only help you with hitting the ball on the volley, juggling will help you with striking the ball with the other surfaces of your foot if you are juggling, and getting creative, and using all parts of your feet.
You will find yourself using more of the surfaces of your foot in games - that you normally don't use. Say a long ball is played to you, but a bit behind you, so you use the outside of your foot to control the ball or strike the ball directly with the outside of your foot to a team mate or on goal.
Watch and Learn
From Ronaldo to Robinho to a host of promising footballers. Take a look at the video below.
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