2 simple techniques to train a footballing brain

Why Brain Training is Key for Every Footballer

The brain is the most critical part of a footballer’s body. 

Without it making the right decisions, you can’t walk, run, or kick a ball effectively. 

Every action on the pitch starts with the brain, which is why training your brain is essential to reach your full potential.

Handling pressure is a crucial skill for any footballer, but channelling that nervous energy into performance requires the brain’s involvement. 

Training your brain to cope under pressure through simple drills can significantly improve your on-field performance. 

Here are two easy but effective techniques that you can incorporate into your training routine.

Technique 1: Passing Under Pressure

For this exercise, you'll need:

Equipment:

•  a partner or two
• a football
• a couple of tennis balls

Drill:

• Start by passing the football between each other, adding control if needed
• At the same time, throw and catch the tennis balls

Aim:

• to keep all elements in motion.

Training Alone:

• If you’re training alone, you can adapt this by using a wall
• Pass the football against the wall while throwing and catching a tennis ball, forcing your brain to juggle multiple inputs simultaneously

This technique overloads your brain by asking it to process different sizes, shapes and speeds of objects. 

It improves your concentration, coordination and peripheral vision, essential for spotting runs and anticipating play. 

Once you get comfortable, add another tennis ball or football to increase the difficulty.

Technique 2: Heading and Juggling

The second technique can be practiced solo or with a partner. 

Equipment:

•  a partner or two
• a football
• a couple of tennis balls

Drill:

• Start by heading a football up and down while simultaneously juggling a tennis ball. It may take some time to master, but it forces your brain to concentrate on two things at once.
• If you have a coach or a partner available, they can throw headers at you to increase difficulty, or you can keep the ball up with your head independently while catching a tennis ball in between.

Aim:

• Build confidence under pressure

These exercises improve your vision, decision-making, and coordination. 

They eliminate indecision by providing immediate feedback, you either get it right or you don’t, making them ideal for building confidence under pressure.

Why These Techniques Work

These simple yet challenging exercises are not only about physical skills; they’re about rewiring your brain to perform under pressure. 

By constantly making your brain handle more information than usual, you’re preparing it to react faster and more accurately during a match. 

Vision, decision-making and coordination all improve with consistent practice.

Give these techniques a try, and you’ll be building mental strength that can help you in any walk of life... on or off the pitch.

The Qarabag game also raised this issue with some of the mistakes made.

Bye for now, Tottenham Hotspur Blog News (THBN)

COYS