Gary Fixter - Ball Driving Exercises

When speaking of ball driving, reference is made to the action carried out by a footballer moving the ball across the field of play through consecutive touches, maintaining control over it at all times.

Players need to be taught how to conduct the ball correctly and also when to do it. Achieving this goal is up to the coach.

In addition, it is very important that soccer players learn this action at an early age to avoid excessive driving in adulthood.

When teaching the ball game to the players of a soccer team, the coach must provide a series of essential guidelines so that they can apply them in the real game:

* The footballer has to continuously control the ball, without losing sight of the opponent and taking into account certain aspects, such as the leg with which to hit the ball, the position, the space and the best surface.

* The footballer has to work peripheral vision. This means that you should not permanently look at the ball. In this way, you will be able to locate both your opponents and your teammates, and also observe everything that happens on the playing field.

* To prevent the opponent from taking the ball from him while driving the ball, the player must protect it. This is what is known as dynamic coverage.

* The coach must teach his players to drive the ball with the leg that is furthest from the opponent. This way, when you try to take it away from him, he meets the opposition of the support leg, making this attempt more difficult for him.

* If the player has a certain advantage over the rival when he is driving the ball through the field, he must avoid not changing his trajectory so that this does not exceed him. This requires tilting the body and using the load.

* In order to carry out a quick ball drive, the footballer has to be able to use the outer instep, since this area of ​​the foot makes the ball go faster.

* In order to modify the driving direction, the inner or outer instep can be used.

* When the player wants to change the direction of driving he has to use the sole or the heel.