Make sure that your laces are not double knotted at first. The ball may bounce off of your laces at a weird angle if your laces are tied in a large knot. If you deflate the soccer ball a little bit, you will reduce the intensity of its bounce. The ball will be easier to control and won’t go flying every time you miss a kick. [1] X Research source Once you’ve mastered the technique of juggling, you should fully inflate your ball. Keep your ankle ’locked’ so that it stays angled and strong. A wobbly ankle leads to a wobbly kick.
It is important to be balanced while juggling the ball. In between touches, it is risky but useful to try to re-balance yourself such that you can maintain control of how you hit the ball each time. Always try to stay balanced on your toes, ready to make quick movements. The biggest key to balancing is to keep your knees bent and your eyes on the ball.
You can “catch” the ball on your foot with careful practice by cushioning the fall of the ball and holding it in place with your foot and shin.
Try to juggle with your thighs only after you have mastered juggling with your feet. Juggling with your thighs is a way to add versatility to your juggling skills. It will also allow you to keep the ball more in control.
You can use the top of your head to juggle but you will have much less control of the ball. It can also hurt to juggle with the top of your head–try to avoid doing this.
Make sure to only use your shoulders and not your upper arm. Hitting the ball with any part of your arm besides your shoulders is considered a ‘handball’.
Practice these techniques with a friend to create a variety of game-like scenarios. When you feel comfortable with this pattern, switch it up and practice another pattern such as head-chest-foot-shoulder-thigh.
