Weaker foot, why?!

Working with young players I come across a lot of negativity regarding use of the dreaded weaker foot. To be honest I can understand why. It’s often awkward, uncomfortable and just plainly not very good!

Trying to overcome this in young players is difficult. This is evident when you watch Sunday morning games. I’ve seen matches where the most talented player on the pitch is running down the left wing at pace, gliding past opponents like it’s a walk in the park. They get to the by-line ready to provide their striker with an easy tap-in. But instead opt for a chop back onto their stronger right foot and put in the cross seconds later. Often seconds too late.

This action almost always undoes the great work to get themselves into that position in the first place. The full back has caught up with them, the striker has been marked. And the cross, however viciously it may have been whipped in on the favoured right foot, is easily dealt with by a goalkeeper or centre back who is now set, waiting for its arrival.

So why does this happen? Why do so many players, not just kids but adults as well, opt to ignore the simple and logical option in favour of delaying a great attacking move?

From what I’ve seen the simple answer is fear. We have a culture in our society (not just in football) which makes it safer to make the wrong decision and fail with style than to make the right decision and risk looking silly. For me I’d rather see a player use their weaker foot and slice the ball straight off the pitch than cut in and use their stronger one.

To try using the weaker foot regardless of ability to me shows a greater understanding of the game and also a degree of courage. For somebody like this, with a bit of work you’ll see their weaker foot can quite quickly develop and become as proficient as the one they’ve been predominantly using all their life.

The example I’ve given isn’t the only one though, being able to play a ball with both feet isn’t just useful for wingers or forwards. If you watch football regularly you’ll often see an under-pressure goalkeeper who needs to either pass the ball quickly to a teammate or clear it, but the ball is on their less dominant side. Could you imagine being a goalkeeper under pressure in your six-yard box and needing to check back onto your stronger foot? Madness!

Playing off of both feet enables players to play faster and execute the right decisions at the right time. This is what the top academies and clubs look for. It shows they are students of the game who have been coached in the right way and more than anything it shows that they are confident. In my line of work this is so important.

The earlier they start, the better. If we can get our young players thinking this way before they’re old enough to feel the embarrassment of making mistakes, we’re onto a winner from the very beginning.