Coaching Footy Left foot kicking

[scotty4]

it lets a lot of people down, but does anyone have any tips on how to guide the ball well down to the left foot with one hand? i find it hard to hold onto the ball with just the left when im dropping it to kick

 

[didak04]

Really all you can do is practice, practice and practice.

I also found personally that practicing bouncing the ball with your left hand leads to better hand control and in-turn better kicking on your left foot.

 

[blues4flag]

i find it hard to hold onto the ball with just the left when im dropping it to kick

Even worse if you're like me and your right handed/left footed (or vice versa). I grew up with a 2 ball drop and it worked decently for me, but have fixed that now. Haven't made the transition as well as I would have hoped, though.

 

[Moo]

Start just trying to practice the ball drop so you are comfortable.

I used to just practice the drop on an old soft footy and would kick it into a shade cloth fence (but only over the distance of a metre).

If you have a mate who is keen just try and pass the ball by standing a couple of meters apart.

Technique is what you need to practice.

For example shooting left handed is vital at higher levels of basketball.

I get guys to stand one foot away from the basket and shoot left handed ..it takes strength and accuracy away and just leaves them with technique. Plus you can practice 50 -100 shots in half an hour, if you were shooting lefty free throws you would get 30 shots in.

Same rules apply - if you cant drop a ball and punt it 2 m on your left - you wont do 40m.

 

[darcytiger]

As someone said before just walking around when you're bored bouncing with your left hand helps alot.

Also try and exaggerate your movements. Big obvious guide down, smooth kick through.

And when doing longer kicks, i found a raking left foot kick worked alot better than trying to kick the shit out of it standing up straight front on.

 

[ClarkeM]

When your starting to get the hang of it, kick it into a brick wall you have at home. That's what i was always told.

 

[getthefooty]

Also try and exaggerate your movements. Big obvious guide down, smooth kick through.

Yep. Try and make it look as stylish as possible.

 

[Kerrby04]

And when doing longer kicks, i found a raking left foot kick worked alot better than trying to kick the shit out of it standing up straight front on.

+1

around the body left foot kick not only gives a better connection on the ball, but also the direction you want it to go.

gives the left groin a workout though

 

[sausageroll]

The thing I automatically thought of when I saw this thread has already been mentioned a couple of times and I'd recommend it completely...

Practice bouncing the ball left handed

Not only did my left foot become much stronger and more consistent but I also became confident enough to bounce left handed in matches which made it much easier for me when I needed to bounce as I was turning to the right

 

[Moo]

Just on this topic.

I just want to know if anyone else has encountered this scenario -

As a player I always felt more comfortable short passing on my left ...if I needed to spot someone up from 15 - 25 m I would always use my left. Anything longer and I would use my right.

I am a natural right footer ....all I can think of is that I used to practice my left foot as a kid as I described just over short distances.

Anyone else had this ...under pressure it would be my right but if I had time and it was lesser it would be my left?

 

[BluesMan]

u can use a balloon... that's what i used when practising on my right

 

[mdc]

Just on this topic.

I just want to know if anyone else has encountered this scenario -

As a player I always felt more comfortable short passing on my left ...if I needed to spot someone up from 15 - 25 m I would always use my left. Anything longer and I would use my right.

I am a natural right footer ....all I can think of is that I used to practice my left foot as a kid as I described just over short distances.

Anyone else had this ...under pressure it would be my right but if I had time and it was lesser it would be my left?

Probably not to that extent, but I found it easier to do a "soft" pass over that distance with my left. That is, if I needed to kick it into space for a guy 15-25m away to run onto, my left was a better bet. But usually I'd just try to drill it with my right.

I also found it a lot easier to kick on my left on the run than standing still for some reason.

 

[Shane Hird]

u can use a balloon... that's what i used when practising on my right

Kicking a balloon is a good idea to get your left leg and your brain working together as 'team'.


Even one of those leather 'softtouch' mini footys would be good. You might feel a bit stupid kicking them around but what you're doing is practicing dropping the ball onto your swinging leg and getting the action right.

If you're in you're teens and you can't kick on the opposite foot more than 10 mtrs...then its hours of practice for you.

The younger you start,the easier it becomes.

Kicking on the run on the opposite foot is different story. If I was a young player now,i would get heaps of footage of M.Voss and study the way he has mastered kicking on both feet.

 

[stmookeyj]

The one thing I can say is don't be scared of using it during training and games. Normally it's a bit of fear of stuffing the kick up that makes you not want to use it.

 

[The Bloke]

I'm a right footer, and i constantly practiced on my left and im only 15.

Believe it or not my left fot is now stronger and better than my right.

I can kick 45m on my left. Measured it the other work.

Practising will pay off

 

[ripitup27]

Even worse if you're like me and your right handed/left footed (or vice versa). I grew up with a 2 ball drop and it worked decently for me, but have fixed that now. Haven't made the transition as well as I would have hoped, though.

I'm the same, left footed, right handed. But I never really had a problem because I handball with the left as well so I had a bit of control there. Dropping from the right hand to the right foot has always been a mongrel though.

Has anyone noticed that while left footers tend to have generally a better and longer kick on them (Scott Lucas, Ben Graham etc) than most right footers, they are complete artards on their right. I was always the best kick in my team but couldn't kick on my right for s hit.

 

[Football God]

it lets a lot of people down, but does anyone have any tips on how to guide the ball well down to the left foot with one hand? i find it hard to hold onto the ball with just the left when im dropping it to kick

i had the same problem with my right foot...just keep practising and you'll get the hang of it

 

[The Passenger]

I also found it a lot easier to kick on my left on the run than standing still for some reason.

i kick far better on the run left footed than from a standing start. definetaly just the momentum behind me allows me to get more distance on the ball.

i also agree with an earlier posting that a more raking style gives you more distance and accuracy than the standard upright style that you would normally use on your right foot.

The one thing I can say is don't be scared of using it during training and games. Normally it's a bit of fear of stuffing the kick up that makes you not want to use it.

that's it really and that just comes with loads of practice.

have a practice session where you try and kick on your left foot as much as possible. if the coach gets up you then he's a knob. he should be able to catch on very quickly that you are trying to work on your left foot kicking and the best place to do it is in training.

i reckon i'm pretty competent on my left foot, especially for the level i play, but it only came from using my left lots in training and eventually it just comes naturally in a game. if i'm wrong sided on the field and under pressure it just comes naturally to kick it left now... usually it's an ok kick, with the occasional stuff up. but i know that if i tried to get around onto my right foot it would be a stuff up far more of the time...

 

[Il Naso De Gastev]

This is how I learnt to be comfortable on the opposite... Grab a soft footy and a full length mirror. After you've finished having a long hard look at yourself, mimic the action you use for the right foot, on your left. If you are able to make it so your action on the left looks just like the right, your action will be reasonable and therefore fairly successful... unless you're Jayson Daniels.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

around the body left foot kick not only gives a better connection on the ball, but also the direction you want it to go.

i kick far better on the run left footed than from a standing start. definetaly just the momentum behind me allows me to get more distance on the ball.

These two quotes sum it up perfectly and also show why people struggle on their left foot.

The only time you are going to be using your left foot is when you're under pressure and forced to run to your left leaving you with no option but to use the left foot. The only thing you need to practice is the drop punt/snap across your body when on the run.

You shouldn't practice kicking on your left the same way as you do on your right. Ie straight run up, balanced and smooth, guiding it down straight, straight follow through at the target... complete waste of time.

When you're faced with a set shot you are always going to use your right foot. When you're running straight you're always going to use you're right foot. When you are passing the ball from a mark/free kick you are always going to use your right foot.

 

[Deledio_Judd]

This is one thing that I struggle with, have practised and practised but never seem to get it right. More ball drop than anything so will take some of the advice on here and give bouncing with the left hand a serious go.

Cheers

 

[Bezerka]

I'm a right footer, and i constantly practiced on my left and im only 15.

Believe it or not my left fot is now stronger and better than my right.

I can kick 45m on my left. Measured it the other work.

Practising will pay off

I'm similar. I can get almost the same distance with my left, but i'm too inconsistent with it which I will practice more and more as i get older.

I first practiced with it in around year 4. Just kept on going with it, and practicing and I got better and better over the years.

On my left I kick best at about the 30m distance, usually connect well.

 

[Shane Hird]

These two quotes sum it up perfectly and also show why people struggle on their left foot.

The only time you are going to be using your left foot is when you're under pressure and forced to run to your left leaving you with no option but to use the left foot. The only thing you need to practice is the drop punt/snap across your body when on the run.

You shouldn't practice kicking on your left the same way as you do on your right. Ie straight run up, balanced and smooth, guiding it down straight, straight follow through at the target... complete waste of time.

When you're faced with a set shot you are always going to use your right foot. When you're running straight you're always going to use you're right foot. When you are passing the ball from a mark/free kick you are always going to use your right foot.

Good advice.

But you still need distance on your left..practice,practice.

 

[chaddles]

I slowed down my action with my right foot kick, and then applied the same technique onto my left. It isn't necessary to be able to guide it with your left hand (I have seen many good opposite foot kickers use their right hand to guide a left foot kick without a problem), but it makes it a hell of a lot easier to perform a stab pass or a long kick on it.

Then it all comes to practise - I started when I was very young under the influence of my older brother to kick on the left, now I don't consider it as my non preferred and often use my left when I could get on to the right. Have a kicking session with a mate, or even training session where you only use your left - you will be surprised how quickly you progress.

If you can use your left in a match situation with confidence, you create so much more time for yourself when you are under pressure, especially if you're not overly quick like myself.

 

[Richo is God]

someone has probably said this, but bouncing on your opposite side helps with your ball drop on the opposite foot