Developing Coordination with Youth Age Players – Part 3 of 3 “The Cut”

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180 degree turn
180 degree turn with the ball

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U14 Academy Center Back

Part III (The Cut)
WARM UP EXERCISE
Exercise #4 Hip/Shoulders/Clap – This is a great exercise for all types of coordination. It involves a lower body movement performing a specific skill, while the upper body is performing a very coordinated skill. Begin with the players moving the feet in a scissor motion back and forth. They start with their hands on their hips. As they step off, they touch their hands to their hips, then shoulders, then they stretch their hands over their head and clap. This is done while they count out Hips, Shoulders, Clap Shoulders. This is a great mental challenge, and really brings “focus” and “mental Preparedness” into your sessions.
See Video 6

One of the most important skills in the game is to be able to change direction under pressure, and under control (with and without the ball). The following exercises we utilize to help our players learn such a skill. It is very important to note that this kind of exercise is all about the bio mechanical application, to be able to do this with speed, coordination, and precision. HOWEVER, in order to teach this exercise we must first understand how to make this critical body mechanic work. The 180° turn. This is a very important aspect to learn, especially when trying to lose a mark or defender. It needs to be done with three specific areas in mind.
1) Change Speed
2) Change Shape
3) Change Direction
Our formula, Speed + Control = Agility, is what we should be focusing on especially when dealing with cuts and turns. The following exercises are all about body control, and injury prevention.
180° Turn

From my studies and my experience, most soccer injuries relating to knees and ankles come from two things, the breakdown in mechanical changing of direction, and turning. I use this exercise, the 180° turn, to teach all aspects of the turning and changing direction game.
The 180° turn is very simple to teach if you understand the three main mechanics. First we have the brake foot, second, the turn foot (plant foot), and finally the drive foot or accelerator. Body mechanics and posture are also crucial to making the turn count without wasting movement.

Fig. 19 – 180° turn

By the third step of the deceleration process, the body should be ready to turn. I tell the players I train to talk to themselves while doing the turn, brake – brake – turn.

The Turn (plant) Foot – The turn should begin on the third count of the three-count deceleration process. The foot plants the body, changes direction, and accelerates. First and most important for knee, ankle, hip, groin, and foot protection, is that the turn foot must be dorsiflexed. That means that on the third step it needs to have made the ½ turn in the progression. The turn foot must be on the ball of the foot. The player should not be coming in with a pointed toe or with a heel to toe relationship. The weight of the body then transitions to the inside leg as the turn is made. The inside leg should be flexed and the athlete should have a proper set during the turn.
If you were to freeze the turn, it would look like the athlete was ready to perform a lateral movement from a much-crouched position.
The Drive Foot – As the definition implies, the drive foot is the stronger foot that will give the most power and acceleration from the body position. The inside foot, because it is flexed (loaded), will give the most power for accelerating out of the turn.

Emphasis
a) Dorsiflexed foot/ankle
b) Land on the Ball of the brake foot (front foot)
c) Using Front leg to start decelerator
d) Using Inside leg as the primary decelerator
e) Make ½ turn with inside leg
f) Body Management
g) Accelerate

See Video 7

THE CUT (180° turn with the ball)
All of the coaching points are the same. You want to make sure the players get their hips sideways, open their base, plant with the drive foot, and push with a get away step. Remember to have your players be on the inside blade of the plant foot. As they open their “set”, they will have much better control after performing the CUT
See Video 8

The following information comes from the manual entitled S.A.Q. “Soccer Style” the basics, written by Billy Elias Copyright © 2008 Billy Elias, United Speed Clinic. All rights reserved
ISBN 9781441472410
Printed in the United States of America
Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a revival system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above author of this book.