The best football players are always looking to improve, and getting some extra practice outside of team training sessions is a great way to do so. Fortunately, there is lots of fantastic football training equipment for home use, allowing you to perform an array of drills and exercises on your own. If you would like to hone your skills and take your game to the next level, read on and discover some of the best home football training equipment available.
Football hurdles
Football hurdles come in all shapes and sizes and can be used for a variety of helpful training exercises. They are an ideal piece of equipment to have at home, helping players improve areas like agility, foot speed, and fitness. You can even get self-righting hurdles that are weighted to return to an upright position, helping to make life just a little bit easier. You don’t even need traditional hurdles, as cone and pole hurdle sets can perform the same function.
Drills and exercises to try
Lateral hurdle sprints: This exercise is perfect for improving agility at home. It involves stepping over mini hurdles with each leg, moving from side to side quickly.
Two-step sprint: The two-step sprint will help improve your footspeed and recovery. For this exercise, you will sprint through a series of mini hurdles with two feet touching the ground between each one.
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Football poles
Football poles are a very handy piece of home football training equipment. They are easy to store and can be used on grass, or if you only have a hard surface nearby, you can fit them with a weighted base. Football training poles can be utilised in drills to help improve agility, speed, dribbling with the ball, and passing.
Drills and exercises to try
Slalom runs: To help improve dribbling skills, close ball control, and agility, set up a maze of poles and dribble the ball in and out of them, using both feet.
Passing accuracy: If you set up the poles as targets, you can practice passing the ball through them from various distances and angles. This will help you improve passing accuracy and vision.
Football rebounders and target nets
For passing and shooting practice at home, football rebound boards and target nets are a must. Rebounders allow players to kick the ball and have it return to their feet quickly. Target nets, on the other hand, provide smaller targets to hit within a goal frame.
Drills and exercises to try
Bounce-back passing: By setting up a rebounder and passing the ball to it from various distances, you can help improve your passing accuracy across different ranges. It’s a great way to practice your passing skills alone.
Sharpshooting: With a target net secured to the front of a goal, practice shooting the ball at the different targets to see if you can consistently hit your mark. Accurate repetitions here will help you beat the keeper when it comes to matches.
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Football speed ladders
Using football ladders as part of your out-of-hours training regime will certainly help you improve your footwork, speed, and technical skills. They can be used both indoors and outdoors, taking the form of a flat ladder that can be laid along the ground. No matter what position you play, all footballers can benefit from training with speed ladders.
Drills and exercises to try
Lateral high knees: Lateral high knees involve stepping laterally through each square of the ladder, driving your knees upward. This drill improves agility and speed, which is essential for quick directional changes during a game.
Icky shuffle: The icky shuffle involves a quick shuffle through the ladder, alternating feet in and out of the squares of the ladder. It enhances agility and footwork, which is crucial for rapid lateral movements during matches.
Football mannequins
Mini football mannequins are very useful for simulating defensive scenarios and improving dribbling, shooting, and passing accuracy. These human-shaped figures mimic the presence of real defenders and can, therefore, help you develop important skills in a training environment.
Drills and exercises to try
Shooting accuracy: Position a football mannequin strategically in front of the goal and practice shooting around or past it. This can help you to improve your shooting accuracy while under pressure from defenders.
Dribbling drills: If you set up one or more football mannequins in a zigzag formation, practice dribbling the ball past them. This will help you to develop close ball control and the ability to manoeuvre around opponents.
Football cones
Football cones are one of the most simple but versatile training aids available. Cones can be used for a variety of purposes, including dribbling, agility drills, and creating boundaries for training exercises. They are lightweight, portable, and can be easily set up in any open space, making them perfect for football training at home.
Drills and exercises to try
Dribbling circuits: Try arranging cones in a circuit formation and then dribble the ball around them, focusing on ball control and quick changes of direction. Drills of this nature can help improve dribbling skills and agility.
Sprint Intervals: Set up cones at designated distances and angles, and then perform sprint intervals between them, focusing on maximum effort and quick acceleration to improve your speed and conditioning.
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Equipment to use for football training at home
- Football hurdles
- Football poles
- Football rebounders and target nets
- Football speed ladders
- Football mannequins
- Football cones
If you want to take your game to the next level and improve your training at home, consider utilising some of the above equipment. By using the training items highlighted in this guide, you can keep sharp and improve your skills via a wide range of different drills and exercises.
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