Soccer- detailed observations made of Eagle & Wildcat pattern aerial-dribble runs
This morning I worked for 3 hours in the YMCA gym, on the two soccer aerial-dribble patterns which are most ready to be implemented in actual games, the 'Wildcat', & the 'Eagle' patterns. Both patterns involve 4 touches on the ball and one bounce.
I felt that though I had advanced far in my understanding of the application of aerial-dribble to actual games, I was in danger of using my sense of accomplishment as an excuse for resting from and avoiding further mental activity regarding the implementation of aerial dribble in actual games.
I wanted to measure out exactly what happens where on the court, during the Eagle & Wildcat aerial-dribbles. I had no access to an overhead camera to record my movements. I set up a grid using colored cones and colored rubber plate-like-things, to mark off various positions on the court. My intent was to, after each aerial-dribble run, note down the coordinates of where on the court each event took place during the course of the aerial dribble run. Before I started I felt like I would not be intellectually speaking be up to the task remembering the exact location of the four events in the run that come after the initial starting kick of the run.
I found to my surprise, that I was able to record each event in the run from the very beginning (I admit sometimes my memory of an event was relatively uncertain). At first I found it useful to map the events out on graph paper. I placed a chair with my notebook pen and pencil on it near the end of the course I was running, so that I would have access to the paper and pen immediately after the run ended as opposed to having to walk back to the desk at the start-point to start writing in the notebook. I worked backwards, noting down first the last event in the run, then the second-last, and so forth. The first event of the run was always the hardest event to remember.
I took notes on 27 Eagle-pattern runs, and 25 Wildcat-pattern runs.
My ideas were: Knowing what a typical natural Eagle or Wildcat run is like, will help me set up the cones and markers for practicing such runs; marker targets for such runs should at first reflect what such runs are naturally like; practicing using markers that reflect natural typical runs will strengthen the skills involved with such natural/typical runs; I will be able to use my refined improved natural/typical skills, to perform new variations of the Eagle and the Wildcat; I need to know how far away an opponent should be if I am to commence an Eagle or Wildcat run; I need to know at which point the ball is airborne above everybody's head during such runs.
In general I was thinking along short-term lines hoping to be able to implement the runs in games next month, as opposed to long-term development of dazzling new tricks that will not be ready for a year. Hence I felt inclined to focus on skills that are relatively speaking more ready to be implemented during an actual game compared to other skills.
Facts I discovered re how things are initially and naturally with the 'Eagle' & 'Wildcat' Patterns:
Eagle: ideally, ends in ball being trapped to ground as soon as it bounces; on average covers 33 feet in distance from start to end; on average ball is chipped up at point 13 feet from start point; average chip to re-entry reception distance-- 20 feet; direction imparted to run via chip; angle of turn or slant relative to direction at start-- 18 degrees [http://www.visualtrig.com] (in fighter-pilot lingo, given 12:00 as straight ahead, to 11:30 or 12:30); suited for use when no defender in direction of movement for at least 10 feet; ball is airborne above players' heads from point 16 feet from start of run to point 26 feet from start of run.
Wildcat: on averages covers 32 feet in distance from start to end; on average ball is naturally headed at point 9 feet from start point; average header to kick distance-- 11 feet; average kick to bounce distance-- 7 feet; average bounce to kick distance-- 5 feet; direction imparted to run via header; angle of turn or slant relative to direction at start: 18 degrees (in fighter-pilot lingo, given 12:00 as straight ahead, to 11:30 or 12:30); suited for use when no defender in direction of movement for at least 6 feet; ball is airborne above players' heads from point 6 feet from start of run to point 16 feet from start of run.
Looking at the facts I now can see, that I should experiment with changing the Eagle pattern, so as to reduce the distance an opponent who is in the direction I intend to go, must be from me when I start the run. Such changes could involve changing events in the run, or changing how those events are performed.
Long distances between touches are glamorous and something I naturally strive for. Attempting to achieve long distances between touches produces acceleration in rate of skill improvement. Yet paradoxically in actual indoor games, conditions are crowded and short distances between t0uches are advantageous.
During the practice I discovered that I now have a natural ability I never knew I had: the ability to chip the ball up in the air to a point so it eventually reaches a point on the floor 20 feet away, sprint at full speed, and then trap the ball as soon as it hits the ground. Of the Eagle pattern runs done during the practice, the following numbered runs featured both sprint at full speed and also the ball being trapped as soon as it hit the ground, after the chip: 12, 13, 16, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27. 11 out of 27 or 41% of the Eagle runs, manifested high speed and the ball trapped against the ground after the chip. This skill/ability does not manifest until I have been warmed up, but after I have been warmed up, becomes almost ever-present.
I was thinking, how did I develop this ability to chip the ball up, sprint at full speed, and then trap it against the ground at a point about 20 feet away as soon as it hits the ground? Then I realized that previously for a long time, my practices had consisted of air-dribbling the ball, keeping the ball under tight control whil I ran, without letting it bounce. When the ball is in such fashion air-dribbled without bounces, the foot usually hits the ball when the ball is close to just a foot above the ground. Similarly, when I trap the ball to the ground after I chip it, the timing is such that my foot reaches the ball when it is close to the ground.
I felt that though I had advanced far in my understanding of the application of aerial-dribble to actual games, I was in danger of using my sense of accomplishment as an excuse for resting from and avoiding further mental activity regarding the implementation of aerial dribble in actual games.
I wanted to measure out exactly what happens where on the court, during the Eagle & Wildcat aerial-dribbles. I had no access to an overhead camera to record my movements. I set up a grid using colored cones and colored rubber plate-like-things, to mark off various positions on the court. My intent was to, after each aerial-dribble run, note down the coordinates of where on the court each event took place during the course of the aerial dribble run. Before I started I felt like I would not be intellectually speaking be up to the task remembering the exact location of the four events in the run that come after the initial starting kick of the run.
I found to my surprise, that I was able to record each event in the run from the very beginning (I admit sometimes my memory of an event was relatively uncertain). At first I found it useful to map the events out on graph paper. I placed a chair with my notebook pen and pencil on it near the end of the course I was running, so that I would have access to the paper and pen immediately after the run ended as opposed to having to walk back to the desk at the start-point to start writing in the notebook. I worked backwards, noting down first the last event in the run, then the second-last, and so forth. The first event of the run was always the hardest event to remember.
I took notes on 27 Eagle-pattern runs, and 25 Wildcat-pattern runs.
My ideas were: Knowing what a typical natural Eagle or Wildcat run is like, will help me set up the cones and markers for practicing such runs; marker targets for such runs should at first reflect what such runs are naturally like; practicing using markers that reflect natural typical runs will strengthen the skills involved with such natural/typical runs; I will be able to use my refined improved natural/typical skills, to perform new variations of the Eagle and the Wildcat; I need to know how far away an opponent should be if I am to commence an Eagle or Wildcat run; I need to know at which point the ball is airborne above everybody's head during such runs.
In general I was thinking along short-term lines hoping to be able to implement the runs in games next month, as opposed to long-term development of dazzling new tricks that will not be ready for a year. Hence I felt inclined to focus on skills that are relatively speaking more ready to be implemented during an actual game compared to other skills.
Facts I discovered re how things are initially and naturally with the 'Eagle' & 'Wildcat' Patterns:
Eagle: ideally, ends in ball being trapped to ground as soon as it bounces; on average covers 33 feet in distance from start to end; on average ball is chipped up at point 13 feet from start point; average chip to re-entry reception distance-- 20 feet; direction imparted to run via chip; angle of turn or slant relative to direction at start-- 18 degrees [http://www.visualtrig.com] (in fighter-pilot lingo, given 12:00 as straight ahead, to 11:30 or 12:30); suited for use when no defender in direction of movement for at least 10 feet; ball is airborne above players' heads from point 16 feet from start of run to point 26 feet from start of run.
Wildcat: on averages covers 32 feet in distance from start to end; on average ball is naturally headed at point 9 feet from start point; average header to kick distance-- 11 feet; average kick to bounce distance-- 7 feet; average bounce to kick distance-- 5 feet; direction imparted to run via header; angle of turn or slant relative to direction at start: 18 degrees (in fighter-pilot lingo, given 12:00 as straight ahead, to 11:30 or 12:30); suited for use when no defender in direction of movement for at least 6 feet; ball is airborne above players' heads from point 6 feet from start of run to point 16 feet from start of run.
Looking at the facts I now can see, that I should experiment with changing the Eagle pattern, so as to reduce the distance an opponent who is in the direction I intend to go, must be from me when I start the run. Such changes could involve changing events in the run, or changing how those events are performed.
Long distances between touches are glamorous and something I naturally strive for. Attempting to achieve long distances between touches produces acceleration in rate of skill improvement. Yet paradoxically in actual indoor games, conditions are crowded and short distances between t0uches are advantageous.
During the practice I discovered that I now have a natural ability I never knew I had: the ability to chip the ball up in the air to a point so it eventually reaches a point on the floor 20 feet away, sprint at full speed, and then trap the ball as soon as it hits the ground. Of the Eagle pattern runs done during the practice, the following numbered runs featured both sprint at full speed and also the ball being trapped as soon as it hit the ground, after the chip: 12, 13, 16, 18, 19, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26, 27. 11 out of 27 or 41% of the Eagle runs, manifested high speed and the ball trapped against the ground after the chip. This skill/ability does not manifest until I have been warmed up, but after I have been warmed up, becomes almost ever-present.
I was thinking, how did I develop this ability to chip the ball up, sprint at full speed, and then trap it against the ground at a point about 20 feet away as soon as it hits the ground? Then I realized that previously for a long time, my practices had consisted of air-dribbling the ball, keeping the ball under tight control whil I ran, without letting it bounce. When the ball is in such fashion air-dribbled without bounces, the foot usually hits the ball when the ball is close to just a foot above the ground. Similarly, when I trap the ball to the ground after I chip it, the timing is such that my foot reaches the ball when it is close to the ground.
Labels: aerial soccer, soccer, soccer bounce
posted by David Virgil at 5:42 AM
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