The wall drill: first three steps
Transcript
Lean into a wall to learn the shape of your first steps. Here's the wall drill. It trains the lean and the push, it's not a shortcut to speed. Warm up first. You need a solid wall and ground that won't slip. Hands on the wall, lean in at about forty five degrees. Watch. March, one knee up at a time. First, keep a straight line from head to heel. Not this, bent at the hips. Now switch feet fast and hold. Then, push the ground back behind you. Two sets of five each leg. If anything hurts, stop. Then take the free test at footballreach.com.
What it trains
Learn the forward lean and push of your first steps. Hands on a wall, you lean in at about 45-60 degrees in one straight line and drive your knees like pistons. A technique drill, not a shortcut to speed.
Set up
- Warm up first
- A solid wall
- Non-slip ground
- Lean about 45 degrees
How it works
- Warm up first: FIFA 11+ Kids (up to 13), FIFA 11+ (14 and up) or your club warm-up. Do this drill before your sprints, not instead of them.
- Face a solid wall on flat ground that will not slip. Put your hands flat on the wall at shoulder height, arms straight.
- Walk your feet back and lean in until your body is one straight line at about 45-60 degrees, up on the balls of your feet.
- March: drive one knee up, toe up, and hold for a second. Put the foot back down where it started, then do the other knee. 2 x 5 each leg.
- Single exchange (when the march is clean): start with one knee up, switch feet in one fast move, then hold still. 2 sets of 5 switches each leg.
Coaching points
- Straight line, head to heel. Keep one straight line from your head, through your hips, to your back heel, like a plank leaning on the wall. Arms straight, hands flat at shoulder height.
- Push the ground back. Strike each foot down and back onto the ball of the foot, on the spot the other foot just left. Push the ground back behind you, never reach out in front.
Not this
Bending at the hips, so your bottom sticks up and the line from head to heel breaks. Keep your hips in line with your shoulders and heels.
Dose
- 2 sets of 5 each leg
- Stop if anything hurts
Our target: 2 x 5 each leg is NSCA's sample, written for high school and college athletes. Our target: about 1 minute of rest between sets.
Harder / Easier
Harder
When every exchange is clean and still, try the double exchange: switch twice in a row, then hold (NSCA). Then take the same lean into your sprint starts.
Easier
Hold the start position with one knee up for a few seconds each leg, then march slowly. Stand a little closer to the wall if you cannot keep the straight line.
Safety
- Warm up first, every time.
- A solid wall (brick or concrete), never a window, a fence, a garage door or a neighbour's wall. Flat, dry ground that will not slip.
- Stop if anything hurts. Under 16: if your knees or heels hurt when you run or jump, stop and tell an adult. Knee and heel pain is common while you are growing, and a GP or physio can help.
Sources
Not sure which skill to work on first? The free Football Reach test gives you a Player Development Score and shows which of the four corners of your game to work on next, in about two minutes.
Take the free test
