Why You Should Be Spending This Summer Becoming A Two-Footed Player
Almost every skill we perform with confidence today is the result of hours, months, and sometimes years of learning, repetition, and patience! And becoming more proficient with your non-dominant foot is no different! The players who become truly two-footed aren't necessarily the most naturally talented—they're simply the ones who commit to consistently practicing the things that they're not good at yet.
One thing I hear young soccer players say almost every week is:
"I can't use my weak foot!"
Whether it's your left foot or your right foot, I always remind players of one simple truth: you weren't always good with your dominant foot, either.
There was a time when dribbling, passing, shooting, and juggling all felt awkward. Walking was difficult as a baby. Reading took practice. Even eating with utensils and brushing your teeth required repetition before it became natural!
Almost every skill we perform with confidence today is the result of hours, months, and sometimes years of learning, repetition, and patience! And becoming more proficient with your non-dominant foot is no different!
The truth is, at first it's not going to look great. It's going to feel uncomfortable, frustrating, and awkward. You might even convince yourself that you'll never have a weak foot you can count on in big moments! This mountain of self-doubt can make it feel too overwhelming to begin, but remember that mountains always look bigger when you’re standing at the bottom. The only way to get to the top is to start climbing, one step at a time.
The players who become truly two-footed aren't necessarily the most naturally talented—they're simply the ones who commit to consistently practicing the things that they're not good at yet.
Why You Should Train Your Weak Foot This Summer
Summer is the perfect time for training your non-dominant foot because there is less organized soccer, less pressure, and more opportunities to focus on individual development. Here are three reasons why becoming a two-footed player should be one of your offseason priorities.
1. You'll be much harder to defend.
Good defenders quickly recognize when a player only trusts one foot.
The moment you twist your entire body to avoid using your weaker foot, experienced defenders know exactly which side to force you towards for the rest of the game.
Players who are comfortable with both feet are far less predictable. They have more options when the ball is at their feet, and this keeps defenders guessing.
2. You will be a more versatile player.
Developing your non-dominant foot opens the door to being able to play multiple positions!
For example, many coaches like to play a right-footed player on the left wing because it allows them to cut inside and shoot with their stronger foot. But imagine how dangerous that same player becomes if they can also confidently cross the ball with their left foot!
Now, defenders have to respect both options.
The more comfortable you become using both feet, the more valuable you become to your team!
An added bonus is that versatility can often lead to more playing time, too. It can give you the edge over teammates in your same position who can only play on one side of the pitch, and it gives your coach the flexibility to move you around in order to give other players a rest.
3. You will be able to play faster and make better decisions.
Players who are confident with both feet spend less time focusing on the ball and more time with their head up, scanning the pitch and taking in information. This added awareness enables you to see space, pressure and passing lanes earlier, allowing you to make a better decision more quickly.
It only takes a fraction of a second to change the trajectory of a soccer game. Being comfortable using both feet can mean the difference between making a forward pass or being forced to play laterally or negatively. It can be the difference between scoring the game winner, or losing possession while our team is opened up and vulnerable to a counter attack.
Take On The Challenge!
If you’re not sure where to start when it comes to adding non-dominant foot training into your soccer sessions this summer, try adding this simple 100-touch workout into your daily routine!
Spend 5 minutes each day going through this routine with your non-dominant foot, or add it into your warm up to activate your weaker side and improve your brain-to-foot connection!
On the Ball Training’s Daily 100-Touch Challenge - Weak Foot Edition
20 Inside/Outside Touches
20 Pull/Push Touches
20 Juggles - Weak foot only!
Don’t worry if they aren’t consecutive! Use as many bounces as you need, but try to avoid using your hands whenever possible!
It’s also important to practice trying to regain your juggle after a poor touch! This improves our footwork (moving our feet to get to the ball), breaks the bad habit of stopping as soon as we make a mistake, and it makes our training more game-like!
10 Inside-Foot Volleys
If you're training alone, use a wall. Bounce the ball off of the wall before volleying it back with the inside of your foot. Beginners can catch the ball between repetitions, while more advanced players can try to keep the rally going continuously.
10 Laces Volleys
20 One-Touch Passes
If you're working with another advanced player, complete 40 passes back and forth so both players finish their 20 touches simultaneously.
If you're a beginner, have your partner roll the ball to you by hand. Quality repetitions are much more valuable than going through it quickly.
Five Minutes A Day Can Change Your Game!
This 100-touch soccer workout only takes about 5 minutes to complete. Doing this consistently will gradually ease that uncomfortable feeling that we experience when we are trying to use our non-dominant foot.
Complete it every day for one week, and you've accumulated 700 quality touches with your weaker foot!
For some players, that's about 699 more touches with their non-dominant foot than they normally get.
I'm just kidding...sort of!
In all seriousness though, over an entire summer, this can add up to more than 8,400 intentional touches with your non-dominant foot! It’s easy to see how this small, daily habit could have a massive impact on your game!
Track Your Progress!
To get the most out of this challenge, aim to complete it 5-7 days per week throughout the summer.
Tracking your progress keeps you motivated and gives you something to celebrate as you improve!
Here are a couple of ideas:
Time yourself. How quickly can you complete all 100 touches while maintaining good technique?
Count your resets. How many mistakes do you make during each exercise?
Maybe today you can only juggle with your non-dominant foot two or three times before restarting; but by the end of the summer, maybe you're reaching 10 or more consecutive juggles with fewer resets!
That's real progress!
And remember…
There’s no such thing as “perfect”, but practice does make habit. And one thing we believe in here at On the Ball Training is that great players have good habits!
The best soccer players are the ones who wake up every day and choose to challenge themselves, and to lean into the things that make them uncomfortable. They understand that this is where real growth happens.
So, this summer, don't avoid your weak foot. Embrace it! Stay consistent, trust the process, and growth will come!