How To Improve Your Speed In Soccer

Speed is crucial in soccer – plain and simple.

An effective speed training program should be based on the realistic aspects of the game. When soccer players play there are a couple of aspects such as reflexes, tactical anticipation, and agility that influence their speed.

A soccer a player is not just sprinting all the time. Players need to practice gaining speed with the ball and practice changing directions rapidly- this is what good soccer involves.

Variables Influencing Speed

There are basically four factors that affect the speed of a soccer player.

1. Physical attributes: The strength of the player’s muscles. If the muscles are weak, don’t expect to to run fast. Work on building muscle strength to improve speed levels.
2. Technique: How you run affects your speed. Proper sprinting technique requires touching the ground with the toes. Your upper body should be slightly bent forward and the arms should be on the sides of the body.
3. Nutrition: Poor nutritional habits and body fat would impede your speed.
4. Flexibility: A good flexible body will have greater speed. Period.

SEE ALSO: Quickness on the Soccer Field

Some Soccer Speed Exercises

A good way to increase your speed is to first see how many times your foot touches the ground within one minute of running. The goal is to increase the number of ground touches that you make.

Kick the ball between your feet for a minute and count the number of times you are able to do it. The aim is to increase the number of touches you make in a minute.

Focus on how you run. You should practice starting your running position using your toes. This will increase your running speed.

Keep your head tucked down while running. Make sure that you do not lose focus of the ball. After all, soccer is all about running with the ball.

The position of the arms while running is also important. You should develop a habit of running with arms moving forward instead of moving across the body.

Keep at it; don’t expect to increase your speed overnight as using conventional methods may take some time but it will be worth it in the end.