Shoot, Pass and Dribble Better With C.J. Sapong’s Favorite Soccer Drills

Favorite Soccer Drills

Originally Published on STACK.com
Article by: Joe Baur

C.J. Sapong’s Off-Season Skills Workout
“What people don’t realize about soccer is you’re hardly ever stagnant—[rarely is] any situation going to be the same as the next,” Sapong says. “You have to be able to trap a ball running at full speed. You have to be able to trap a ball with a defender right on your back. You have to be able to trap a ball in awkward ways to keep it away from your defender.” Hundreds of technical aspects need work, he says.

A great place to start perfecting your game is by performing a few of Sapong's drills. Nothing is more important in the off-season than getting your touches in, which is why he hits the field every day. “I’ll try to take about six to 10 balls with me and start off with a nice jog around the field with a ball,” he says. Then he performs the drill below, which works his ability to control the ball from every angle.

Cone Drill

• Line up six to 10 cones five yards apart
• Weave through cones using inside of feet to dribble
• Repeat pattern using outside of feet
• Repeat pattern using both sides of feet
• Repeat pattern by circling right around every cone
• Repeat pattern by circling left around every cone

Sapong calls the next drill “technical work.” He performs it with a partner, but you can also use a wall.

Partner/Wall Drill

• Have partner toss ball in air or bounce it off wall
• Pass back and forth 10-20 times, using inside of foot
• Repeat pattern with other foot
• Pass back and forth 10-20 times, using laces
• Repeat pattern with other foot

Sapong's favorite drill comes as no surprise. “Shooting,” he says with a laugh. “It’s something simple. You just set down a cone, make a move on the cone and then shoot toward the goal.” But just shooting on goal won’t get the job done. You need to be accurate with your shot, shooting as far away from the goalie’s reach as possible without sailing wide or high.

The ability to consistently hit that small gap prepares Sapong for the ninetieth minute, when his team needs a quick score. He says, “Sometimes, on the eve of a game, I’ll just turn and shoot. I’m not exactly aiming, but I’m so used to aiming for that area, it’ll just slide right into the corner.” He attributes this skill to his consistent shooting work during practice. “Your muscles learn to repeat that action. It shows in the game and makes me not have to think about it during a game,” he says.

C.J. Sapong Shooting Drill

• Set first cone at top of box
• Place another cone on each side of goal, yards inside post
• Start five yards behind first cone
• Facing goal, dribble to first cone and make a move around it
• Take shot between goal cone and post
• Perform for reps on both sides
• Starting with back to goal at top cone, quickly set ball, turn and shoot between post and goal
• Perform for reps on both sides

Reps: 50 shots each foot facing goal; 50 shots each foot with back to goal

Although Sapong loves shooting, he says juggling is the most beneficial drill for any soccer player who wants to make it to the next level. He admits he’s lucky that he can take six to 10 balls to the field, and he realizes that most players probably only have one to work with. Fortunately, one is all you need for juggling.

Sapong says, “One of the things that helped me growing up was pure juggling—juggling and working on your touch.” Juggling while fatigued helps him keep his touch late in matches. “I think [juggling is] very relative to the game . . . when your touches really count the most,” he says, and he recommends juggling at least 20 minutes every day in addition to practice and other technical work.

Sapong's Mental Skills
Hardcore workouts are vital to Sapong's game, but he also needs to have the right mindset. Revealing a few tips that have helped him reach success, he says, “Obviously, it’s a little cliché, but don’t listen to what anyone else has to say. Don’t pay too much attention to who’s on the regional team or the national team or whatever it is. When you’re young, people love the titles. It’s not really that much of a testament to how you’re going to be [as a player] when it comes down to it. At the end of the day, it’s your mindset that will get you as far as you want to go. If you believe you can do it and you put in the effort and you don’t take no for an answer and you’re willing to fail a couple of times—you’ll be fine. You’ll make it and you’ll have the joy of playing the sport you love.”

About the Expert

Joe Baur - Joe Baur is a certified personal trainer with a bachelor's degree in mass communication from Miami University [Oxford, OH]. He became certified with the National Association of Sports Medicine in 2010 and continues to compete in various sports leagues and endurance events. .
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