The toughest part of this soccer trick is catching the ball. You have to trap it between the calf and butt WITHOUT letting it bouce off either one. So, the timing has to be perfect with raising your calf.

The final “flick” takes a little practice too. You have to give the ball an extra push to set it up for the opposite foot. You will see this in the video.

YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZwFgi0GTUo

Performing the ATW is an accomplishment. But THIS variation is much harder. Not only are you doing the ATW trick TWICE, but you are doing it in REVERSE…AND immediately after you do the normal one.

You will have to be very patient with this trick. Your legs will start to burn after only a few minutes of practicing. What’s WORSE – is as you continue to practice, your legs will get more tired and sluggish. So I would recommend only practicing this trick a few minutes at a time – otherwise you are going to end up getting more frustrated by the minute.

Same basic prinicples apply here. Anytime you do the ATW, you need to focus on moving the foot immediately after you touch the ball. This is especially true for this variation of the trick.

Patience!

YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y4BBgynS7T4

Even though Danny is doing this trick straight from a foot stall, you can also do this from a juggle.

From a foot stall, the lift needs to be high enough so you can connect with the knee, but be sure to leave some space between the ball and the knee so you can lower the knee enough to strike it well.

There’s not much to say about this one. It’s pretty simple to do. Great for beginners.

YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-t4x-TI3YE

Once you’ve learned the ATW (Around the World) trick, there’s lots of combinations you can try with it. This is one that I like.

The Toe lift can be found in a separate video, but all you do is roll the ball to your other foot and lift the toe up at the right moment to make the ball pop up in the air. Takes some timing.

The ATW trick is broken down in a separate video so if please check it out if you are having trouble with it. The MOST important things to keep in mind with the ATW are: 1) Foot should go around the ball IMMEDIATELY after the first touch. 2) The swinging motion needs to be quick, so train your leg to do make that motion over and over until it’s fast.

YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MIIrpUM_Em4

If I had to choose ONE thing that will help you be successful with this trick, it’s this:

MAKE SURE YOUR BODY IS MOVING IN AN UPWARD DIRECTION WHEN YOU TAP.

My biggest mistake was lack of upward momentum. If you don’t have it, the ball will just drop after the tap and you will not be able to continue juggling.

Do ANYTHING you can to emphasize the tap. Believe me, it’s hard to get a hard tap on the ball when you’re in midair. There’s nothing to push off from. In the video, you’ll see both Laurent and Genier curving their body to get an extra push on the tap. That’s what it will take.

Don’t lose hope on this one. It takes many repetitions to get comfortable with it. Be patient.

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

The three variations you’ll see in this video are:

1) From a foot stall

2) From a juggle

3) With the opposite foot (the one that doesn’t release the ball)

In my personal opinion, I would say that the first one is the easiest and the third one is the hardest. So, it might be a good idea to start with the first and work your way to the third.

General tips:

Wrap the leg around the ball AS THE BALL IS GOING UP. Doesn’t matter whether you do it from a foot stall or a juggle. If you don’t start moving your leg around while the ball is going UP, then it becomes VERY HARD to make it all the way around.

So, BEFORE you start to swing your leg around MAKE SURE you lift/tap the ball in an upward direction. This is the ONLY way to make this trick work.

YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sGFd7y2kL4

This is another one of those soccer tricks that really isn’t a “trick”. It’s just another way to juggle the ball. Step out of your comfort zone! Everyone can juggle with the feet, thigh, and head. Start using your shoulder, heel, and shin!

For this one – it’s important to get the ball on either side of your body before you do the backheel tap. Notice in the video that my last juggle before the trick gets the ball over to the right side of my body. Then, you just have to practice swinging the opposite leg over with your heel pointed up.

So let’s review:

1) On the last touch before the backheel tap – make sure to get the ball on the SIDE of your body. NOT the front.

2) Swing your leg over with the heel pointed up

3) Repeat until you get comfortable with it

Youtube link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEhoyB8VJJ0

As you’ll see in the video – this soccer trick requires excellent judgement of where the ball is going to land. There is a very small margin or error because the edge of your boot is fairly thin.

Also, it’s very important that you are able to lower your leg enough so that the edge of your foot is pointing straight up. Otherwise, the ball is going to bounce off at a big angle – making it very difficult to continue juggling.

Lastly, make sure you give the ball a solid hit before the trick. In the video you’ll notice that I hit the ball higher than normal right before the trick. I do this because it makes the ball bounce off higher (which makes it easier to keep juggling).

Big thanks to my friend Gazim for teaching me this one.

YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VCWvNu-Eyo

I think the most important thing to remember when trying to perform this soccer trick is this:

After you you catch the ball – do your best to push the ball UP to give yourself time to swing the leg around and keep juggling. If you release the ball WITHOUT giving the ball an upward boost, then you’ll have a harder time trying to continue with the juggle.

Another thing Laurent mentioned about this trick:

You can catch the ball right below the knees or anywhere on your upper calf. But, if you catch it anywhere lower than that, you might not be able to release and keep juggling

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

I like this soccer trick because the ending is a bit unusual. Timing the hit with the heels will take some practice, but it’s nothing too advanced. I suspect most people will have a harder time with the neck stall.

With any stall, remember that flicking the ball the right height is KEY. Then, cushioning the ball as it settles is JUST AS IMPORANT. If you don’t do BOTH of these things – the soccer ball will probably bounce off. Keep at it.

YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hsp0whI18Zw