As silly as this move may seem to some of you – it’s worked almost 100% of the time for me. I don’t use it to BEAT an opponent. I use it to give myself more time to hold the ball and change direction.

Some of the soccer moves you’ll find on this site are not necessarily for getting past an opponent and leaving him/her dumbfounded behind you. Some moves are designed to delay the game … maybe give you more time for a teammate to come to your rescue. When you create hesitation in your opponent, you create MORE TIME for yourself to make a decision.

The Hip Fake is just a way to do exactly that – to give yourself more time to do something with the soccer ball. Keep that in mind.

Now I WILL admit that sometime the Hip Fake works SO well that I can beat an opponent, but that’s just icing on the cake. I LOVE it when I see a defender takes a big step in the direction of my fake. A quick reverse and I’m GONE. That won’t happen every time of course, but at the very least it will make the opponent hesitate long enough for you to carry the ball a bit more if you need to.

Youtube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4VPuh2puTE

This video only focuses on the basic (single) scissor. There is also a “double scissor” that I will talk about in a separate post. The reason I didn’t put them both in the same video is because I believe that there are unique uses for each one. I use the “single” scissor and “double” scissor in different situations.

The “scissor” motion needs to be practiced hundreds of times before you can get comfortable enough to do it in a game. And I do mean HUNDREDS of times. You should practice it at a standstill and while dribbling too. As your legs get quicker at doing the motion, you will be able to execute the move faster and faster. A sluggish scissor is useless.

In the video you will see Laurent scissoring in the direction of the defender. In other words, if the opponent is a little to the RIGHT, scissor to the RIGHT – and the opponent is to the LEFT, scissor to the left. Just like I said in the video – TRY NOT TO DO THIS MOVE WHEN THE OPPONENT IS DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF YOU. Instead, LEVERAGE the move and do it when the opponent is coming at an angle. If you do that, you’ll have a lot more “room for error” in case you don’t execute very well.

YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3QnacgKbeg

This soccer move is comparable to the Behind the Back Cut move that we have in a different post. This one, however, is performed when the opponent is coming head-on. The hardest part about the execution is getting both legs off the ground and chopping the ball in the air. And, the timing has to be spot on as well.

So, I think it’s safe to say that this move is NOT for beginners. But, once you can handle it, you’ll find it’s a good weapon to have in your arsenal because it’s ONE way to change direction AND protect the ball at the same time. If you watch the video – you’ll see that Laurent chops the ball BEHIND his left leg. There’s nothing the opponent can do … except foul you.

But all technicalities aside, this is just a cool move that I enjoy doing because it’s fun, and, when you’ve practiced it enough – it flows beautifully, AND it works. Enjoy!

YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3YSNi_0lU8

The main thing I want to emphasize about the Fake Shot is this: Your opponent will only hesitate for a fraction of a second, and you MUST capitalize on that and accelerate to the inside or outside.

It’s also important to make your body language convey the message that you are seriously about to shoot the ball. Leg pulled back. Arm up. Use everything you can to make it look REAL. Otherwise, there’s a good chance the opponent won’t be fooled.

In this video, you’ll see Ben chopping the soccerball to the inside. You can also push the ball to the outside (using the outside part of your foot). This might work to your advantage if you want to take a right-footed shot.

I would only use this 1 on 1 soccer move if you have an opponent directly in front of you. It works well from a stand-still or while your dribbling. Remember – as in most moves, acceleration IMMEDIATELY after the fake is the key.

Youtube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgidrMvWyFg

This 1 on 1 soccer move is definitely considered “advanced” in my opinion. Getting both legs off the ground and chopping in the air takes lots of practice. Then, performing all that with a defender right next to you … running at a fast pace … Yeah. Not easy. But – if you try it enough times (and yes, you will fail many times) – you can get confident with it and use it to keep your momentum and change direction during a breakaway.

Youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPL5EIJie6E