I was doing hip stretches during soccer ball juggling practice. The flexibility and the range of motion of hip joint is very important not only for juggling but also for soccer practice in general. I wear red compression shorts under red shorts which are both sweaty.
I am just resting on the ground after some soccer ball juggling practice. My soccer shorts and compression shorts get even more sweaty, and so did my Adidas red socks. You can see shin guards which I wear under the socks.
Soccer ball juggling itself is fun and gives us a sense of accomplishment. But if we want to improve our ability in playing soccer, I think our juggling practice should satisfy some crucial factors. Here is my YouTube short video about this point.
I think there are two important points in jugging which aim at improving my soccer ability in general. First is the accuracy of ball touch. As for me, I practice juggling in a very small circle which I made by placing a jump rope on the ground. In order to juggle within this circle, I have to bounce the ball accurately.
Second factor is the ability of ball control. Ideally, it’s best to decide which part of my body I’ll tap the ball next, not by chance, but according to my imagination. So I bounce the ball in a regular order with my thighs and my insteps of both legs.
Today, I uploaded my latest YouTube short video titled ‘The benefits of wearing compression shorts for soccer and soccer ball juggling’.
Recently, I sometimes wear boxer briefs or a thong under my soccer shorts when I practice soccer or juggling. But when I play in games, I most often wear compression shorts.
Compression shorts have some benefits as the underwear for soccer uniform. The first benefit of compression shorts is that they protect the skin of my hips and thighs to a certain extent when I slide. The second benefit is that it reduces fatigue by preventing unnecessary muscle movement.
And for me, compression shorts makes my thin thighs look a little more robust or strong.
The flexibility and the motion range of the hip joint is important not only for soccer ball juggling but also for soccer skills in general. Now I keep my left knee on the inside edge of the circle which is made by a jump rope and try to straddle the soccer ball with my right foot as far away from the circle as possible.
But the jump rope placed on the ground is not just for stretching but also for improving my juggling skills.
I sometimes use this jump rope when I practice soccer ball juggling. Previously, I chased the soccer ball and my position became very unstable. So I makes it a rule not to get out of a circle which I made with the jump rope placed on the ground. Thanks to this training, I could strengthen my core muscles and keep my body balance stable while playing in a soccer games as a defensive midfielder.
Did I do the splits? No. Of course, the flexibility of the hip joint is important. But I just pulled the top of my red socks to make the soccer socks over the knee. The long sleeves soccer shirts and shorts are both Liverpool FC. And I like the classic taste of Adidas Copa Mundial.
By the way, I make it a rule to practice soccer ball juggling using both legs. As I am a right handed person, juggling a ball with my left foot is harder than with my right foot. When I use my weak foot, the flexibility of my hip joint is important. So I often do core training and stretching which makes my hip joint more flexible.
