5 Simple Habits That Will Improve Your Game

Mike Freitag | July 12, 2020

You should be your own best friend. You should do everything you can to make the game easier to play. I would like to share with you five “simple” habits that will make the game simpler and you more productive. Try adding the following habits to your game.

See the Ball the Whole Game – You must see the game to play it and the one thing that determines everything that goes on in the game is the ball. If you as a player can see the ball the whole game, you will be in better chance of making a good decision. There is no reason not to see the ball. Bad habits like turning your back on the ball or being distracted will lead to mistakes. You need to see more than the ball to be a good player but I guarantee that good players are aware of the ball the whole game. 

Sneak a Peek – If you ever get the opportunity to watch film of the great Pele you will notice that his head was constantly on a swivel. He looked like a banty rooster. People say that Pele and Messi have eyes in the back of their heads. This is not true, but they do sneak peeks so that they are aware of their surroundings which in turn helps them make good decisions. As I already mentioned, you need to see the game to play it. Get in the habit of sneaking a peek over your shoulder before you receive the ball so that you can know what your options are. 

Receive the Ball Across Your Body – When you receive a ball you want to have as many options as you can in which to play it. By receiving the ball across your body with your far foot, it opens your body and vision to offer you more options and preferably a good one. If you receive the ball with the near foot it limits your options. This habit will give you more options for success. 

Man on/Turn – Give a message with your pass. By simply saying “turn” or “man on” to your teammate you are giving them useful information which will help them. They might not have sneaked a peek, so you are their eyes. It is such a simple habit which will help your teammates. 

Receiving Touch Away From Pressure – Most often in a game you want to avoid pressure. Get in the habit of taking your receiving touch away from pressure. A couple of habits I have already mentioned will help you – Sneak a Peek and Receive the Ball Across your Body. Offensively, you want to find open space. Going right back into where the ball came from usually means pressure and not much success. 

In closing, be good to yourself and your game by trying to make the above suggestions habits in your game.