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During these dangerous times, where going outside can mean getting infected and bringing harm to your friends and family, many people resort to staying home and avoid going out to public places like the field or the gym in order to stay safe.
Many of us are either in or going back into lock down, and the fields are closed and we don't have the space we need to do what we usually do in the field.
Even if you can go to the field and train like you would do if there wasn't a pandemic, depending on where you live, you might have a few moments during the winter where you'll end up being snowed in and the field is just covered with thick layers of snow.
Many people use the pandemic and the snow as an excuse to not train. I mean it's impossible right? You need a field to train!
Those who are okay with these type of excuses aren't going anywhere anytime soon in terms of their development as players, and the opportunities they will get in the football world.
If you truly crave development as a player, and want to become the best version of yourself you can be, you'd still look for ways to get some training in, whether or not you have the space you need.
If you are truly dedicated to your development as an athlete, than the good news is that you can still find ways to improve your skills at home, despite the lack of space.
How to Improve Your Soccer Skills At Home
Work On Your Tight Space Ball Mastery
Even if you have a square yard of space in your room, you can still improve your tight space ball control and ball mastery.
The beauty about ball mastery training is that you can work on it without much space or equipment. All you need is yourself, a ball, a small space, and you can get thousands of touches in.
Here is an example of a great ball mastery training session that you can do to get thousands of touches even if it's in your bedroom:
Single Foot In / Out's
Both Feet In / Outs
Double Out / In
Double In / Out
Double Out / Double In
Sole Pull In / Out
Sole Pull In / Double Out
Sole Pull In / In / Out
Sole Pull In / In / Double Out
Continuous L-Drags
L-Drag to Outside
L- Drag to Outside to Pull In (Both Sides)
Continuous Cruyff's
Cruyff to Outside
Cruyff to Outside to Pull In ( Both Sides)
Repeat each for about 30 seconds, and rest 30 seconds between each drill.
For the full training session, check out our video with these exact exercises:
Find a Wall and Work On Your First Touch
Another great way to train at home is by finding a wall, either in your backyard, around your neighborhood, or maybe even a couch at your house, and work on your first touch.
Your first touch is an essential part of your technical ability as a soccer player.
By improving your first touch, you can improve your speed of play, and the way you are able to set yourself up for a pass, a dribble, or a shot.
If you can find a way to get the ball to rebound to you, here are a few drills you can try:
Inside Touch
Outside Touch
Inside Touch Open Up
Half turn to Cut
Repeat each for about 2-3 Sets of 30-40 Touches
To see these drills done out, you can watch this video on our YouTube channel"
If you have a wall that's slightly higher up, you can also improve your aerial first touch, and your ability to receive the ball from an aerial pass.
Click here to see some aerial first touch drills on our Instagram Page that you can try out.
A wall or re bounder is your best friend when it comes to training. You can be very versatile with the drills and heavily improve the way you receive the ball and how you handle it.
Work On Your Tight Space Dribbling
Another way you can improve at home with a little bit of space is to work on your tight space dribbling and ball control.
Many times in a match, you're going to be under heavy pressure, and you'll need good manipulation and handling of the ball to be able to find an exit through the tight spaces.
Most people don't work on their tight space dribbling and control enough, and end up losing the ball quickly under pressure because they aren't able to keep the ball under control in tighter spaces.
Take the time you have while stuck at home to work on your tight space ball control, and work on being able to move efficiently and fluidly with the ball at your feet.
Many people think you need a lot of space to improve your dribbling, but in reality, you don't need much space at all.
Here are a few drills you can try out in a small 2 by 2 yard or a 3 by 3 yard space:
The session in the video above not only works on your ball mastery and handling of the ball, but there is also a few drills that work on improving your turns, and your ability to move with the ball in congested areas.
For another set of drills to improve your close control and dribbling at home, check out this Instagram post on the GoGrind Soccer page.
Improve Your Functional Strength and Fitness at Home
The last thing you can work on at home to become a better soccer player is to focus on becoming a stronger and more explosive athlete.
You may not have the desired equipment to do most of the more effective exercises, such as Barbell Squats and Deadlifts, but you can still get a solid workout using a pair of dumbbells, resistance bands, or even just your bodyweight.
Functional strength is your awareness and control over your body, and how strong you are when performing game-specific actions and athletic movements. Functional training can be done with just your bodyweight, and it's a great way to improve the way you move your body, and it's an effective way to strengthen any weak areas and prevent injury.
Some effective functional exercises include:
Squats
Single Leg Squats
Single Leg Romanian Deadlifts
Backwards or Forwards Lunges
Hip Thrusts / Glute Bridges
Isometric exercises (i.e Wall Sit, Reverse Plank Hold, Copenhagens)
For a full body functional workout you can try at home, check out this YouTube Video:
In the video, I use a set of resistance bands which help add more resistance to my normal bodyweight exercises. However, you can definitely still see progress by using bodyweight or a set of weights you have lying around.
In order to use your time effectively while when under lock down, train your body in a way that will prepare you to handle more intense movements when you are back on the pitch.
Another great way to improve your physique and athleticism at home is by working on becoming more explosive with your bodyweight.
This can be achieved through simple plyometrics, and it's essential to improve the amount of force you are able to apply to the ground, which will allow you to sprint faster, jump higher, and accelerate quicker.
Here are a few good plyometric exercises:
Squat Jumps
Knee Tuck Jumps
Alternating Lunge Jumps
Pogo Hops
Box Jumps Depth
Drops Step Up
Knee Drives
These are just a few of many different plyometric exercises you can try to become more explosive. If you would like to see some more explosive exercises you can perform at home, check out this video from 7mlc on YouTube:
You can also check out these posts on our Instagram Page for some more plyometric exercises you can try at home:
Summary
Whether you're stuck in lockdown due to the global pandemic, or you're snowed in, there are still many ways you can improve as a soccer player and as an athlete at home.
You can work on different areas of your technical ability even if you have a small space in your living room or backyard. You can improve your:
Tight Space Ball Mastery
First Touch
Close Control Dribbling
These fundamental aspects of your technical ability can all be trained in the comfort of your home, and you can get thousands of touches in even in a small 1 by 1 yard space.
You can also improve your athleticism at home by working on improving your functional strength and your explosiveness through bodyweight exercises and plyometrics.
Whatever your reason is for being stuck at home, NEVER let that be an excuse for not being able to improve. Those who truly seek improvement and development as a soccer player, will always find a way to train and get ahead from those who are okay with skipping sessions.
I hope you found this post useful. Thanks for Reading! Get Up. Go GRIND.
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