More favorite exercises and drills of the best soccer players.

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Alexander Sabadash lives and breathes soccer. He follows the top Russian, English, and Spanish leagues religiously and spends a considerable amount of his free time playing games or simply passing the ball around on the field.

For those who are serious about getting better at soccer, Alexander shares a few more exercises and drills which some of the best soccer stars in the world do regularly.

Plyometrics: Soccer players need explosive quickness. Plyometric exercise is an excellent way to strengthen the fast-twitch muscles of the legs.

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Agility ladders: These ladders can boost footwork, which is a huge part of a soccer player’s game. It can also increase coordination and awareness and leg strength.

Zigzag sprints: A great supplement to agility ladder drills is the zigzag sprints, which increases the ability of a player to change directions and stop at a dime.


Single-leg hops: Normally done through a series of hurdles, Alexander Sabadash mentions this to be one of his favorite drills since it strengthens the legs and adds to one’s leaping ability for headers.

Calf raises: One of the more isolated and focused drills on this list, calf raises aims to increase the power in the lower part of the legs, the part responsible for quick, agile movements.

Soccer conditioning: Weak leg focus.

Players also practice trapping and catching balls extensively with their weak foot. Alexander Sabadash explains this increases the chance of gaining possession after the proverbial “first touch.” It also adds to a player’s control of the ball.

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Soccer players in top Russian, English, and Spanish leagues have reached that level by mastering the game, explains longtime fan Alexander Sabadash. Any player will testify that one of the most important things to overcome is the weak leg. Almost every player favors one leg over the other, but the best players can shoot, pass, and dribble with both legs just as well.
Training camps in the best soccer-playing countries have drills for players to overcome their weak leg’s shortcomings. First, players are forced to dribble and juggle with their weak foot as much as they can. Doing this helps players get used to controlling the ball with the weak leg, as well as they do with their favored leg.

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Of course, players also practice kicking, passing, and shooting with their weak foot. These drills go beyond simply strengthening the leg. Passing and shooting for hours on end also increase the accuracy and control of the kick of players.

Combining all these training methods for years is the not-so-secret formula of the best soccer players in the world. And players who are serious about making it to the big leagues should follow these drills, adds Alexander Sabadash.