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

There’s not much to this trick. Roll the ball up the leg and turn around at the same time.

The Rule:

If you use the RIGHT foot to roll the ball up the other leg, then you turn to the LEFT. And vice versa.

The only other advice I can give you is to lift the ball HARD so that you have plenty of time to catch it and continue the juggle.

This one isn’t too bad folks. A couple dozen repetitions and you should have it.

Youtube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JPnA0FNvW0

If you watch the video closely, you’ll see that Genier uses his entire body to push the ball into the ground (not just his leg). He pushes toward the ground quick AND releases quick. You have to release the ball QUICKER than the ball can rise off the ground – otherwise, you’ll get in the way. That’s hard to do.

If this trick isn’t working for you, it probably means you are NOT doing one or more of these things correctly:

1) Pushing FAST with a lot of FORCE (get the whole body into it)

2) Push straight down

3) Releasing FAST – Get the leg out of the way! (raise the leg up quickly so the ball can spring up)

4) Use the spot between your foot and shin (or somewhere close to that) to push.

It will take many tries before you can get the ball to come up, but you’ll get there. You will find a way to make it work. Be patient.

Youtube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moMfKisZU0M

This is basically a two-part lift:

1) Start off with a simple ankle lift. Here’s the link to the basic ankle lift. Start at the ankle and roll the ball up the leg.

2) Use the same foot to strike the ball down towards the ground – preferably with the heel.

IMPORTANT TIPS:

-As SOON AS you strike the ball with your heel, move the foot FORWARD out of the way to allow the ball to bounce back up.

- Get some good height when you roll it up your leg. Otherwise you won’t have any space to hit the ball down.

- If you want the ball to go in front of you after the hammer – make sure to hit it with a forward motion (moving your foot forward a bit as you hit the ball down) – even if it’s only a little bit. It makes a big difference.

YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csePB9lISbw

For some people, this lift may be EASIER than the Basic Lift that most people use to start juggling.

The KEY to pulling this off is to do it with ENOUGH FORCE to make the ball go up in the air long enough to starting juggling. There MUST be a least a little bit of “airtime” – otherwise you won’t be able to react fast enough.

But for most of you, this should be a piece of cake. Just watch the slow motion carefully if you have any trouble.

Youtube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rzDMs8b2oxU

Two important things to keep in mind when you’re learning this soccer trick:

1) Let the leg swing all the way past the other leg when you do the initial pull

2) As the ball rolls over the foot that’s on the ground, hop UP a bit. That’s the motion that will make the ball go up.

In the video, Laurent performs the trick and starts juggling. You can also make a pass immediately after the flick. When Ronaldinho performed this during a televised match, he hit the ball with the back of his heel.

Here’s the video:

Youtube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wUOF0s_jAw

As a prerequisite to this soccer trick, make sure you are comfortable performing a foot stall (balancing the soccer ball on your foot) before you attempt this trick. Otherwise, you are going to get very frustrated.

Balancing all of your body weight on ONE heel AND keeping the ball steady is difficult.

And that’s just the first step…

The second step is to cross over with the opposite foot and lift the ball up. Try to do this quick. Otherwise you will lose your balance or break the foot stall.

So the best advice I can give you is to practice this soccer trick in two parts: First – make sure you can balance the ball on your foot while that same heel is holding your body weight. Once you can do that pretty well, try crossing over with the leg and lifting the ball in one quick motion.

Don’t give up!

YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KdvYqMhcG0c

All you have to do is slide your feet together fast enough to force the ball to pop up. Obviously, the faster you can slide your feet, the more force will be produced and the higher the ball will go.

This was one of the first soccer tricks I ever learned. It’s probably very easy for most jugglers/freestylers, but perfect for beginners. Either way, it’s another way to start juggling. Mix it up!

YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdMqY6Mx_BM

This soccer trick is by far the most “requested” trick that I’m asked to do – probably because it’s so well known.

The Rainbow can be used as a move during a game too – but that’s a bit too fancy for me. The last guy I did that to ended up injuring me pretty bad. I guess most people don’t like to get embarrassed on the soccer field.

There’s TWO versions of this trick that I know of. One starts with the feet on the front & back of the ball. The other version (the one I use in the video) starts with the feet on either side of the ball. Use whatever works best for you.

If you decide to go with this version, keep these things in mind:

1) When you use the foot to roll the ball up the opposite leg, do it HARD ENOUGH so that it gets some air. And, hit the ball with the heel when the ball is in the air. The trick RARELY works if you hit the ball when its still on the leg.

2) Lean forward as you are doing the trick. This helps create space between the opposite leg and the ball so you can hit it in the air.

Enjoy it!! Hopefully you will be able to say “Yes. I can do that” when someone asks to see it. But more importantly, I think we can all agree that it’s very satisfying being able to flick the ball over the head.

YouTube Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mEDFa_6wX4