Soccer Skills - The Psychology

The key to being good at soccer is to work hard on allWhen you know what it feels like to do a specific skill,
of the fundamentals. As soccer demands a range ofyou can begin to train your awareness and train the
mental skills, this includes training the mind as well asmuscle memory in your body through visualization and
the body. Although soccer skills can seem to beimagination.
instinctive, soccer psychology techniques can reallyTry it out. Take the time to sit and rehearse in your
help you to develop your skills much more quickly thanmind taking a penalty. Imagine what it feels like to do all
only doing physical practice. As your body alreadyof the following: See yourself place the ball on the
knows how to kick a ball (if it does not it will learn verypenalty spot, walk back a few yards, decide which
quickly through practice), mental training helps you to letpart of the goal you will aim for, run towards the ball,
your body do what it knows how to do.and strike it to the left or the right of the goalkeeper.
Visualization or mental rehearsal is where you imagineSee the ball go past the keeper and into the net. It's a
yourself doing a soccer skill before you actuallygoal!
physically do it with your body. By creating a mentalNow ask a friend to play goalkeeper for you and take
image or intention of what you want to happen or feel,some penalties for real. Over time, what you will find is
you can improve your experience and confidence inthat this kind of combination of mental and physical
your ability to perform these skills under pressure andtraining will help you to develop the right technique and
in a variety of possible situations.mental toughness to succeed at taking a penalty under
But first you must practice a specific soccer movepressure with many people watching you.
with your body so that you know what it feels like.