Soccer Coaching Blog | Professional Soccer Coaching Advice

David Clarke

There are times when a ball comes to a youth player and they look very awkward trying to control it because it’s too low to chest or head and just too high to control with the foot.

The thigh is a good area to use when controlling high balls, because anywhere lower on the leg makes it much harder to cushion the ball.

The technique

• When the player sees the ball coming they should get into the line of flight.
• They must keep their eyes on the ball.
• Keep their head steady.
• Relax as the ball approaches.
• They should put their thigh in the path of the ball and retract as it arrives.
• If they don’t retract, the ball may not drop down and will bounce away.
• The contact surface they must use is above the knee up to about halfway up their thigh.
• The inside of the thigh is also good for stopping balls flying straight at them.
• The ball should drop to the ground and be easy to control.

Watch Inter Milan’s Maicon use his thigh twice to score an amazing goal