Real California FC

How do I improve my juggling?

The art of juggling can be a tricky one to learn. This is one of those skills that you will probably not be using in a game, to the extent that you will be juggling the ball down the field, but learning to juggle properly and well can improve your coordination, one-touch ability, and trapping ability. Plus, we all want to win the "juggling contests" that our coaches hold during practice.

First, it is imperative that you practice juggling on your own time. Most coaches don't set aside specific juggling time unless it is in that contest scenario that we just talked about. So, getting better at juggling is largely a matter of individual practice. Set aside some time during your week to practice soccer skills, and within this time frame set aside 15-20 minutes for juggling.

It is easiest to start by standing on level (not a hill) asphalt or pavement, instead of standing on the grass. Juggling on grass can cause the ball to take an irregular bounce which can make a tough learning environment for a beginner. A parking lot or an indoor gymnasium is a good place to start. You may also find that if you let a little air out of your ball, so that it is underinflated a little bit, the ball will be easier to control.

First, start off slow by doing single juggles at a time. Bounce the ball onto the pavement, and then as the ball comes into the air, "juggle" the ball once with the instep or lace part of your foot, aiming upwards so that the ball will land in your hands and you will catch it. The key is to "juggle" rather than kick the ball. Kicking the ball with your lace or instep will result in the ball leaving the area around your body, but the key to juggling is containment, or keeping the ball close to your body, so that you can reach out with your hands and grab the ball when you are finished. Cushion the ball with your instep or lace and redirect the direction of the ball upwards.

Once you are consistently sending the ball upwards to catch into your hands, begin adding one more juggle until you are juggling three times in a row with your feet and then sending the ball upwards into your hands. To make this easier at first, allow the ball to bounce off the pavement in between juggles by the feet. When you have juggled three times in a row and then caught the ball in your hands (this may take some time) you are ready for the next step.

Once players have mastered the ability to juggle with the feet, they can move onto thigh juggling. The approach here is a little different. It is very difficult to juggle with the thigh after the ball has already bounced off of the ground, so you should start your juggling series with the thigh. With the ball in your hands, drop the ball so it lands on your thigh. Again, you are cushioning the ball, so that you redirect its movement back upwards rather then send it careening into space by your thigh touch. Try juggling twice with the thighs, alternating legs, and then catch the ball in your hands again. Next, try to juggle with the thigh once, allow the ball to bounce once on the pavement, and then juggle with the foot and send it back upwards to the thigh and then the hands. Practice different variations of thigh, ground, and foot juggling until you feel comfortable. Then, try to juggle with both thigh and foot until you keep the ball in the air for five touches, seven touches, ten touches, and more. This will not happen overnight, but now you have some guidelines to follow.

Being a good juggler gets a lot of attention at practice and on the sidelines, but the most important thing about juggling is that it helps you to maintain greater control on the field when it is time to trap the ball or keep the ball away from a defender.