How To Do an Around The World Soccer Trick
Step-by-step Instructions
Here is what you need to do...
Step 1
So first things first: Stretch your hip flexor. A good stretch for the hip flexor (that muscle between your groin and thigh, the area that connects your leg to you body), is a modified lunge stretch. Step forward and bend down on the knee of your dominant leg until you feel the pull in your muscle. Don't overstretch though! There should be no pain. Now twist your torso slightly in the direction of the knee you are leaning on until you feel a stretch on the inside of your leg. Hold this for 20 seconds.
Step 2
Secondly, you'll need to know how to "stall" the soccer ball. This is the ability of holding the ball still on your foot. Most players will practice rolling the ball off of their foot as they might if juggling, then trapping the ball firmly between the shin and the top of the foot. This is something to work on. It will take practice.
Step 3
Once you get that down, you're ready for the trick. To perform an Around the World, you'll have to be able to flip the ball up in the air and circle your foot around the ball during its trajectory up and back down, before again catching it on your foot. I'm a visual person, so I've listed some guides in the product section, but basically, the soccer ball is "The World" that your foot is trying to get around.
Step 4
Try practicing without a ball for a while if you get stuck. It's a tough trick that requires more finesse than anything else. If you stick with it, you'll get it. Just don't do it TOO much :)
Special Attention
Difficulties people often experience or parts that need special attention to do it right.
Tip: Don't jerk your leg around the ball. It's tempting to try to move too quickly in this exercise, as it, to be sure, can't be accomplished slowly. Instead though, focus on flipping the ball up to the right height and timing your revolution around the ball. This trick is all about patience and timing, not speed.
Stuff You'll Need
| Brand | Product | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Championship Soccer Ball | $61.49 | |
| FIFA Street | $25.99 |
Suggested Further Reading
| Author | Title | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Soccer Handbook for Players, Coaches and Parents | $31.50 |
This Student Author
This Student Author's Background
Funny or interesting story about this topic...
I learned to look at soccer differently by playing FIFA Street. I know, I know, mom... Video games are not the real thing, it's true. You won't get good at soccer by playing video games, BUT this one in particular, shows countless skills moves (Around the World included) and helped me to think about spacing on the field. This is the only video game endorsement I can ever imagine giving on Campus Men.
When did you first do this & how did you get started?
My teammate Max was a senior and an All-American the year I became a freshman. We had both played for the same club (different age groups of course) prior to high school, so we were friends. One day he told me that I knew how to do more with my feet than he had at my age. I'm not going to lie, I was pretty stoked that he would say that. He encouraged me to practice juggling and skills. One way or another I learned to do the Around the World move and kept doing it for months, –hundreds of times– until I managed to injure my hip flexor from the strain. It's kind of funny now, but it sucked then...