Evade your marker in the box

By
published

Develop fast feet and Zlatan-like reaction speed with this exercise in how to turn and shoot, courtesy of Training Shed director Glen Thurgood

THE SETUP

Back to goal, place a blue cone on the penalty spot and a red cone in line, five yards further from goal. Put a white and red cone three yards either side of the blue cone, two yards deeper. A passer stands on either side, to cross the ball.

 

THE DRILL

Sprint from the blue cone to red, backpedal to blue, then accelerate to either the white or green cone before turning to receive the ball and shoot. As you’re backpedalling, the passers call out which one will cross. Mix up the feeds – volleys, headers, chest control – and do six reps, with 30 seconds’ recovery between. You can vary the distance from goal and introduce a goalkeeper and defender to beat.

 

HOW THIS HELPS

Keep your head up, stay on the balls of your feet and drive your arms to help change direction, and this will improve your movement in the box.

The Zlatan Ibrahimovic training guides
Turn, shoot, score – every time
The Zlatan workout
Zlatan Ibrahimovic: How to play as a targetman

This drill was designed by performance coach Glen Thurgood, director of the Training Shed. For more visit trainingshed.com/market-harborough/

Huw Davies

Huw was on the FourFourTwo staff from 2009 to 2015, ultimately as the magazine's Managing Editor, before becoming a freelancer and moving to Wales. As a writer, editor and tragic statto, he still contributes regularly to FFT in print and online, though as a match-going #WalesAway fan, he left a small chunk of his brain on one of many bus journeys across France in 2016.