Go Slow: Using the Speed Ball is a progressive exercise. Progress through the exercises naturally at your own pace, if you have a friend who can do more difficult exercises than you can, great! but you should only try doing the exercises that you feel comfortable with. The first exercise to master is the Inside-Inside kick routine. This is accomplished by turning your toes to the outside, heels lower or even with your toes (foot parallel with the ground). Striking the ball with the inside of both feet with a quick one, two, three, four cadence. This is the Home position. This should be returned to whenever you need to regain control.
Some things to remember: Keep your feet low, you are actually kicking the ball when it swings towards your foot - at its lowest point. Caution: should be used to insure that your feet do not allow the ball to get behind them. If this happens you will not be able to get your foot back under you and you may lose your balance and fall. This cannot happen unless you allow your feet to pass more than three inches over the edge of the base.
Conditioning: As you become more proficient at using the Speed Ball develop a routine that uses all your leg muscles, alternating between all the different positions that you have learned then practice a new one to continue to progress. After you have Mastered all the possibilities change the ball size and learn them all again.
Kick, using all of the suggested Exercises and make up some moves of your own!!!
The "Home Position" inside-inside
Just as a speed bag develops the hands and arms of a boxer, the Speed Ball develops the feet and legs of a Soccer player! Use of the Speed Ball will develop and strengthen muscles in unusual places - muscles that are required for many Soccer Moves. The Soccer Moms Shop Equipment's - Speed Ball training device is a concentrated exercise. Just a few minutes daily will increase stamina, develop peripheral vision, use of both feet, and most of all confidence. Your feet and ankles will become tougher and less prone to injury. Every skill developed by the upper body will be built on the foundation of good eye-foot coordination. Aerobically it's as good as jumping rope but with the added benefits:
- IMPROVED AGILITY
- BALANCE
- TIMING
- FINE BALL CONTROL
- QUICK FOOT REACTION
- FLEXIBILITY
- ENDURANCE
- CONDITIONING
Outside-Outside Kick Routine
This is very similar to the home position (Inside-Inside). Once you have developed your coordination and skill at the home position, shift your knees inward toward each other as opposed to away while keeping the rhythm going. This will allow you to use the outsides of your feet. Shift your knees back apart and you’re in the Home position again!
Double Touch Fake Routine
The double touch fake is a great routine and has many uses on the soccer field. Your opponent thinks you pass the ball ahead then he realizes it didn't go very far and tries to reverse his movement, with the second kick you dribble or pass it ahead. He is left standing and watching as the play goes down the field without him. In this instance it is being used on the laces. The same routine can be used with the inside-inside, inside-outside or any number of combinations.
Over the Top, Inside-Inside Routine
This is a great exercise to develop the muscles on the inside of the leg. It also helps you gain confidence in your ability to control the ball between your feet. You have the best control of the ball when close to an opponent by keeping the ball in this area, can be tricky! Tip! Start from the home position - (Inside-Inside) keeping your feet the same distance from the base - increase your stance until you begin to straddle the ball, bringing your feet toward the center and kicking the ball in a figure eight pattern. Remember not to bring your foot more than 3 (three) inches over the base and keep your feet low.
Inside-Outside, Behind the Leg Routine
This is one of the most difficult to master and one of the last you should try. You must build your coordination to the point that you can kick the ball with the inside-outside without fatiguing and loosing control of the ball. Tip! Turn sideways as far as you can while kicking the ball with the inside-outside. After kicking the ball with the outside of the foot bring it forward instead of back, place it forward as shown in the picture, bring other leg behind and strike the ball. The ball is then kicked again with the outside of the foot as it returns to the original position. Don’t try to do it in repetition to start with. Get the ball going, do it once, return to the inside-outside position, get the ball under control then try it again.
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