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| hamish |
15:01:16 Monday 23 August 2004 |
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hey expert, i have a question. i am a skillfull player and i can beat players pretty well. i dont always use tricks but i am slowly starting to incorporate them into my game. i am good at simple cuts and beating players with shimmys etc. my problem is my speed. i can run with the ball quickly compared to my overall speed but im still just not fast enough. i need to improve my overall speed. what happens is i beat the player and sprint away but then they catch me run in front of me or tackle me etc. so obviously my aim is to improve my speed. i dont want to spend to many sessions per week on it as my skillz are more important. i am nearly 15 and do you think 1 to 2 sessions per week are enough? i would like to see a change in my speed in 3_6 months. my dad takes me down the beach and this is what we do roughly. 15 minute run in the soft sand, tuck jumps, hopping over balls and over cones up and down, lying on my belly or back facing the wrong way and getting him to throw the ball over my head and as soon as i see it getting up and sprinting for it in the soft sand, shuttle runs [varied] and similar stuff to that. it is fairly intense and goes for about an hour. i need an improvement in overall speed over 20, agility and general mobility. i also have a sprint ladder that i use down there. i am fit and can run all game but dont have that henry or ronaldo burst of speed. do you think i am doing the right things? could you suggest some different drills or a completely different approach? should i do it more than once a week, should i do it 3 or 4 times? will i notice an improvement in 6 months by just doing it once a week? thanks for your help and please tell me what i should be doing differently. |
I don’t think that setting up a rigorous training schedule would be the best solution unless you are extremely disciplined.
Realistically, it’s much better to designate a couple of hours in your day just for training.
As long as you understand the general concepts behind effective training, you can be far more flexible.
Each of your practices must have at least one specific emphasis.
For example, your daily focus could be “passing with your weak foot,” “trapping lofted balls,” “dribbling” or “speed without the ball.”
On the larger scale, you ought to have a general training goal as well.
Let’s say that your overall aim is to develop your ability to shoot in motion.
To reach your goal, you may set up a program of 10 intense practice sessions related to volleying, finishing from crosses or anything related to non-static shooting.
The basic idea is that you set up a specific goal and try to reach it efficiently in as few practices as possible.
I think it’s great that you have your own routine, but you don’t seem very excited about it (could it be because it’s not soccer-related enough?)
Speed training doesn’t have to feel torturous.
Do your sprinting exercises at the start of your practice and gradually build up to ball-related drills.
Training is all about expanding your “comfort zone.” By learning to execute different skills at high pace, you’ll increase your operational speed, your skills and in addition, you’ll have a more engaging practice.
Working on speed without the ball (as the drills you have mentioned yourself) has physiological limitations.
Three to four practices per week is sufficient because your body needs to recover.
Speed-related drills should be short in duration, so your session may have multiple parts.
Quality is the primary factor that determines your rate of development. Take frequent breaks and concentrate on executing each repetition at your top pace. If you stick to your routine and preserve quality, you may see results in a matter of weeks.
Technical points you should remember:
- thoroughly warm up your leg muscles ahead of every practice
- flexibility is a major part of speed training; work on it in the long term
- drills not involving a ball should be done at the start of your practice
- improving your maximum speed requires moving your body and limbs in a highly coordinated patterns. To reinforce these, you’ll need to always be working at your top possible speed (otherwise, you’re just working on endurance)
- incorporate actual soccer skills in your speed training routine! by Expert 09:26:02 Monday 25 October 2004 |
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