Training for 6-a -side

Soilseacht

Apologies if this is in the wrong section!

I play 6-a-side regularly, but despite this I find I'm not improving my game. I'm a classic case of someone who's becoming keen on soccer quite late (late twenties) so I don't have a youth of practice behind me. Ball control skills, confidence etc are lacking. I play with my workmates at lunchtime, and most of them have played since they were kids so they're well set up.

Problem is, simply playing regularly hasn't worked for me as I'm loathe to commit myself in case I mess up a pass, miss the goal etc., and in turn screw up everyone else's game and be on the receiving end of abuse. Therefore it's a bit of a catch-22 situation, where as a result of lack of confidence I'm not extending myself, and the whole cycle repeats itself.

My question is, is there such a thing as a training session or course out there for adults who want to learn how to play soccer? Rather than picking it up on-the-job so to speak, and resulting in regular embarrassment. And with those skills, then hit the ground running with an astro team?

Cheers!

helimachoptor

A little in the wrong place OP, but the only way you'll get better is playing, everyone messes up but you wont get more confident until you play more.

you can also work on skills, shooting by yourself. A good old game of bangers will help with short passing.

LeixlipRed

You just need to play as much as possible. Several of my mates were awful in their teens but through playing regularly with better players they improved. Try playing indoor and 5 a side, it'll really improve your touch. Practice, practice, practice is all it's about!

FrankGrimes

All you need is a wall and ball.

Stand two yards back from the wall and just play it off the instep of your right foot, trap with instep of your left foot. Repeat back to the right foot. As you get more comfortable with it, start standing further back from the wall. Then after another while, start hitting it harder: improves playing it off both feet and also the control on both feet. Then start chipping it off the ground so that it's bouncing when it comes back to you - much harder to control. Then, when you've mastered that, start controlling it with the outside of each foot and also playing the passes with the outside of each foot (you may need to start back a bit closer to the wall for this).

When I get around to coaching kids football, that'll be the main skills regime for them to practice in their own time: there's no excuse for footballers not to be at least proficient with both feet, and ability to pass off the outside of each foot is what separates the great passers from the average - there's less backlift involved so defence have less notice, and you can shape a pass better with the outstep (this is the primary skill difference between Xavi/Iniesta and most centre-midfielders, the other being vision).

Don't get too caught up with being excellent on the ball in a social 5/6 a-side though: once you're fit enough to be mobile you can be an effective hassler and once you start finding a man with passes getting used to it will give you confidence....reality is most of the other lads aint' exactly virtuosos either regardless of how great we all think we are.

Soilseacht

Excellent response there lads, thanks a lot! Practicing against a wall sounds very doable, I'll get to it on the double. Apologies for posting in the wrong forum!:o