Ashley Cole being the main one. Why, after about 14/15 years of playing professional football, is he still not confident with using his right foot? Every time I see him pass a ball, no matter whether he's facing to his right, he will always try to find a way of passing with his left foot. It is really frustrating to watch, especially when he's in posession and could pass it to safety with his right, yet takes the time to pass with his left, then loses the ball. 

 

I am sure there are plenty of other players who rely mainly on their strongest foot, but in our team, I feel Cole is the main one. Considering these players have been playing football for so long, is it asking much to expect them to be able to use either foot? 

Edited January 6, 201412 yr by enigma

What a wonderful thread and you're absolutely right. And Cole is the worst for it but by no means alone.

I used to practice for hours only using my left peg yet half the pro's in the pl don't have the confidence to play a simple ball with there's.

My dad always says the same about Sturridge.

Is it just instinct?

What a wonderful thread and you're absolutely right. And Cole is the worst for it but by no means alone.

I used to practice for hours only using my left peg yet half the pro's in the pl don't have the confidence to play a simple ball with there's.

 

Bizarrely given the amount of stick he has had over the years John  Obi Mikel is a fine example of the opposite.  When Essien played as a holding midfielder (in Jose's first spell as manager) a large amount of our play came down the right due to Essien favouring that side however when Mikel played there it was different because he is so comfortable with either foot.

What a wonderful thread and you're absolutely right. And Cole is the worst for it but by no means alone.

I used to practice for hours only using my left peg yet half the pro's in the pl don't have the confidence to play a simple ball with there's.

 

Don't get me wrong, Hazard can be like that too, especially when in trouble, but his ball control is so good, he can get away with it well. From what I've seen from Bertrand, he can use his right foot okay though. 

My dad always says the same about Sturridge.

Is it just instinct?

 

Robben is the same. He tries to use his left foot as much as possible, though to be fair, he's also scored some screamers with his right. I know it's such a cliche to say "ronaldo" all the time, but he seems to be confident on either foot. Lampard is looks confident on either foot too. 

Bizarrely given the amount of stick he has had over the years John  Obi Mikel is a fine example of the opposite.  When Essien played as a holding midfielder (in Jose's first spell as manager) a large amount of our play came down the right due to Essien favouring that side however when Mikel played there it was different because he is so comfortable with either foot.

 

JT is also a good example, an excellent long range passer with both feet.

 

Ivanovic is ridiculously one-footed.

i find that left-footers are generally more one-footed than right-footed players. no idea why, but it seems to be a trend

Generally players at the top level and more specifically at top clubs are a lot less one footed then when I first started watching football (just under twenty years ago).

I think play is more open and players are expected to move around the pitch more whereas before wingers and fullbacks used to stick to a set area of the pitch a lot more meaning they were able to depend on their favoured foot a lot more than they can get away with now.

They are normal human beings, it's a natural response to play all your passes, crosses and take shots using your dominant foot. I've actually seen Cole play passes with his right foot and I'm sure if you had a training session with Cole he would play all sorts of passes to you with his right foot.

 

The small amount of players that have successfully trained their weaker foot to a level where they are comfortable with it should tell you that it's very hard to accomplish. Sometimes, no matter how hard you train you will never be fully comfortable using your weaker foot unless you where already good with it to start with. Being a professional doesn't mean a player can suddenly become ambidextrous, they are still human beings with limitations. 

i find that left-footers are generally more one-footed than right-footed players. no idea why, but it seems to be a trend

I think this as well. Even when I played a bit I can remember a number of totally left footed players whereas right footed seemed to at least do something's with their left.

That's generally because left-footed players are victims of specialisation at a much earlier age than right-footers. If you're left-footed you're a winger or fullback as a kid, no exceptions.

Doesn't really bother me to much.Sure it can help a player but for example I'd'd rather have someone who has a magic left football but zero right foot than someone who is two footed but average with both.

Doesn't really bother me to much.Sure it can help a player but for example I'd'd rather have someone who has a magic left football but zero right foot than someone who is two footed but average with both.

 

 

I agree, it doesn't necessarily make you a better player, however there's some evidence that suggests it could be an injury risk because of strength imbalance.

I don't agree with early specialisation for youth players as it is detrimental to them physiologically. Kids should play a variety of roles in a variety of sports to develop all aspects of their coordination and movement patterns. Constraining a left-footed youngster to left-wing roles is an example of doing the opposite and it should be stamped out.

I remember a few years back hearing that Gareth Barry is naturally right footed but his dad taught him only to use his left as he would have a better opportunity to make it. Looking at him when he plays its incredible how much he favours his left foot

Yeah I wish I used my left foot when I was younger. I am left handed and I am definitely stronger on that side of my body. But when I was younger I wanted to be like everybody else so used my right instead. Subsequently I am right footed, but can still strike a decent shot and play some good passes with my left due to the natural ability on that side. But if it comes down to instinct, I use my right; I have to really think about using my left. <br /><br />When I coach, I try and get my children to use both feet. It really does help and like somebody said, we need to stop making left sided players only left backs and wingers

I agree that if you are a professional player that you would at some time of your career try and make the best out of both.I am a left footed player and with my right i barely can pass the ball it's terrible 

_{I see inability being used on this thread. £100,000 a week and unable to use a weak foot.. Ludicrous}

I dont think its inability exactly, more a confidence thing, i've seen players miss multiple chances because they tried to adjust to their preferred foot when they should have just smacked it with their weaker one

This is a good point & one which does puzzle me sometimes.

 

If just by repitition,you will become better at something just doing it over & over again,then wouldn't a pro player's shooting foot become so much stronger than his non-shooting one?.

 

Wouldn't this lead to a massive inbalance in his game?..... a bit like a weightlifter only doing weights with one arm I would have thought.

 

Mind you,it does explain why John Aldridge talks such utter gash so often.

 

I'm right handed yet oddly,favour my left foot for football & when much younger, used to practise with my 'weaker' right foot for hours until eventually..... I became equally sh*t with both!. 

 

I guess there's no substitute for talent.

They are normal human beings, it's a natural response to play all your passes, crosses and take shots using your dominant foot. I've actually seen Cole play passes with his right foot and I'm sure if you had a training session with Cole he would play all sorts of passes to you with his right foot.

 

The small amount of players that have successfully trained their weaker foot to a level where they are comfortable with it should tell you that it's very hard to accomplish. Sometimes, no matter how hard you train you will never be fully comfortable using your weaker foot unless you where already good with it to start with. Being a professional doesn't mean a player can suddenly become ambidextrous, they are still human beings with limitations. 

I've seen cole do it too, one went straight to danny welbeck and he said thank you very much and made it 3-0 to Sunderland! another occasion i saw him with the ball on his left peg turning into fernando torres (and looking extremely awkward I'll add) maybe because he wasn't comfortable on his right torres took the ball off him and guess what?. Probably decided to cut his losses after that and stick to doing it at training.

Great thread. Has always been one of my biggest bug bears about today's professional footballers.

You absolutely, positively, 100% can train your weaker foot/hand/side to be as competent as your favoured natural side. Likewise, anyone with two arms, two legs and one head can acquire the timing and aerial ability to head a ball well.

The requirement to succeed is personal motivation, a modicum of intelligence and.................. practice, practice, practice. In my younger days I once used to have a manager who would insist you could only play the ball with your weaker foot for entire training sessions; shooting, passing 5-a-sides the lot. Do that often enough and boy does it make a difference to your ability.

Today's professionals are the most highly paid and pampered individuals in the history of the game. Unfortunately "highly paid" doesn't automatically equate to "highly skilled". I would love to see them trying to play ala' 1970s style with pitches resembling quagmires, footballs that weigh the same as a bag of cement, and rock hard boots that resembled a pair of Doctor Martins with a few studs on the bottom. I don't think half of them would be able to stand up let alone run and kick the ball.