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How to Develop First Step Acceleration and Quickness in Soccer

April 15, 2023

How to Develop First Step Acceleration and Quickness in Soccer

Ready to take your soccer game to the next level? Developing first step acceleration and quickness can be a huge asset on the field. Here are some of the best soccer training exercises that you can use to help improve your speed and agility.

Exercises for First Step Acceleration

  • Sprinting: Increase your speed by working on your form and technique during short bursts of sprints. Focus on keeping your body upright, sucking in your stomach, and pushing off with power from the balls of your feet.
  • Marching: This exercise involves rapidly alternating between jogging on the spot (with high knees) while lifting the arms forward and up. Make sure to switch legs rapidly while maintaining an upright posture during this exercise.
  • Skipping: Incorporating skipping drills into your training regimen helps to build endurance as well as strengthen leg muscles. It’s important to keep the movement fluid so that you don’t lose momentum or energy when changing direction quickly.

Exercises for Quickness

  • Ladder drills: Ladders drills serve as a great cardiovascular workout while also improving footwork skills and balance. Set up an agility ladder in a flat surface, then move through it quickly performing movements such as hopscotch, side steps, heel kicks, etc.
  • Jump rope: A classic way of boosting agility and coordination, jump roping is one of the best ways to get faster on the pitch. Practice jumping in place for short intervals or mix it up by creating different jumping patterns such as double jumps or crisscrosses
  • Agility cones: Mark out four cones in a square formation then perform sprints from each cone in succession – focusing on turning sharply around each corner with minimal time wasted between transitions. This will help you develop quick reflexes which are essential for success at soccer