This is a great skill for attacking the penalty area with defenders alongside or in front and a change of direction is needed. Watch the video and get your players to practise the skill using the session VITAL SKILLS – THE HOOK TURN
With practice this is a fairly easy skill and a very good one for young players to have. The difficulty is in coordinating the hook and the turn – a light flick makes for a faster turn.
The skill
The Hook Turn works really well when players are in the final third of the pitch attacking the penalty area, or when they are boxed in on the wing and want to change direction away from the sidelines.
When the player wants to shake off a defender he fakes to strike, then hooks the ball behind the standing leg to change direction and accelerates away. Note that this skill can be used when players are running towards the goal line or the sideline and need to turn to beat a player running alongside.
How to do it
STEP 1 When a player has a defender running alongside, they keep their body between the defender and the ball.
STEP 2 Keeping a steady pace the player uses movement of the arm and firmly plants the standing leg alongside the ball.
STEP 3 The player makes a fake movement of the leg to give the impression they are going to shoot.
STEP 4 Pivoting on the standing leg the player hooks the ball behind the standing leg.
STEP 5 Shielding the ball from their opponent the player quickly changes direction, takes a touch of the ball and accelerates away.
A SIMPLE PRACTICE
Use this simple practice featured on the video to help your players master the art of the Hook Turn
> Players work in pairs with a ball between them.
> Facing each other they should be 10 yards apart, just like they are in the video.
> Using minimal pressure players run towards each other and the player with the ball tries the skill and they return to the end they started at.
>Swap roles after every three goes
I was talking to a coach this week about how to control balls in the air, especially when heading the ball in training is off the menu for most clubs. I imagine that there will be much more of a contest to win the ball with a volley once it has dropped from head height. So how do you coach controlling balls in the air? MORE
This session aims to bring an individual skill into a game context. Skills usually happen as players run with the ball and meet an opponent. Getting players to use the skill unopposed is key to the session. MORE
At the weekend I witnessed one of the best goals in the Premier League this season. It came from midfield for Tottenham against fierce north London rivals Arsenal. An example of how individual skills in your midfield can create unexpected goals MORE
Everyone finds it exciting when a player goes through 1 on 1 against the goalkeeper... if it's your attacker you are on the edge thinking this is it a goal, but if your team is defending you are looking for your goalkeeper to smother the shot. Attackers should score but often they will not due to a number of reasons like taking too long to shoot, missing the target, hitting the keeper with a shot and even slipping over. MORE
An individual session to get young players to unleash shots at goal when they are on the run. Good for coordination and balance with some ball control and of course shooting. MORE