Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
All professional soccer players, and certainly Ronaldo, have Track and Field coaches starting at age 5-6. Most top flight soccer players, who get paid tens of millions of dollars, probably had more track and field coaching than Usain Bolt and they/their teams can certainly afford better coaching staff than ANY Olympic athlete or even American Football team.
Another point, criticizing players like Ronaldo on their speed of dribbling is like criticizing Kobe Bryant on his basketball dribbling. They define what is like to run with the ball in their respective sports. If you, or any of the other professional athletes, can do better than these elite soccer players, you are free to go to tryouts, and outside some star outliers, chances are they will get paid a lot more than whatever money they are making in their current sport.
And finally, you better believe, in any sport where you get paid tens or hundreds of millions of dollars to play, the efficiency is maximized in the most humanly (inhumanly) possible ways. In any sport, athletes that are being paid that much money are truly *super* human at what they do. Instead of going *wow he doesn't know how to do X skill*, you should go *wow he is doing that skill so differently from what I know, I wonder why*.
All professional soccer players, and certainly Ronaldo, have Track and Field coaches starting at age 5-6. Most top flight soccer players, who get paid tens of millions of dollars, probably had more track and field coaching than Usain Bolt and they/their teams can certainly afford better coaching staff than ANY Olympic athlete or even American Football team.
Another point, criticizing players like Ronaldo on their speed of dribbling is like criticizing Kobe Bryant on his basketball dribbling. They define what is like to run with the ball in their respective sports. If you, or any of the other professional athletes, can do better than these elite soccer players, you are free to go to tryouts, and outside some star outliers, chances are they will get paid a lot more than whatever money they are making in their current sport.
And finally, you better believe, in any sport where you get paid tens or hundreds of millions of dollars to play, the efficiency is maximized in the most humanly (inhumanly) possible ways. In any sport, athletes that are being paid that much money are truly *super* human at what they do. Instead of going *wow he doesn't know how to do X skill*, you should go *wow he is doing that skill so differently from what I know, I wonder why*.
Maybe running on grass with studded boots, often with a ball at their feet, or preparing to receive it with their head turned to face it? It's a completely different sport to track with much more skill and more variables involved. Simple really.
This. Only player I have seen run like a track sprinter is Raheem Sterling.
Why do soccer players have such terrible running form/technique?
For a sport with so much running, you think, they learn how to maximize their stride, how to use their arms, and to position their bodies. But if you watch them, they are terrible. I think they need to bring in some track coaches.
NFL has a lot of former track athletes, or dual sport track/football athletes. I guess track and field are not that big in Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa.
Players are running while tracking the ball and other players, so they can't just focus on speed. Plus their motion needs to be optimized for moving the ball; it's easier to run without the ball so the ball-handler needs every advantage.
Because soccer rarely involves a player having to sprint great distances in a straight line, often when they do they have to dribble the ball too. Speed and athletic ability won't make you a good player, Usain Bolt, the fastest human ever, discovered this during his failed attempt at making it in the sport.
As a former track athlete and soccer player, it is very difficult to explain why it differs. You have made fair points about most players not having the ball but you can't always use perfect form. But, I see players running with great form in every game I watch.
Running down a soccer field is not the same as running on a track where you have a single-minded focus.
Also, it is hard to compare to American Football because they play it in 6-second bursts. A wide receiver has to follow his route and track defenders but can usually maintain form.
Soccer players have to focus on so much more in a constant flow. Without experience playing the game, it is hard to explain why it is hard to keep form. Players differ and I see NFL players run without perfect form all the time.
Track athletes practice endurance, speed, and form. That is all they need. Soccer players have many other aspects to worry about that are more important. Your form is worthless if your timing is off, you have a horrible first touch, don't track the ball and the entire other teams, and more.
Sometimes the lack of form has to do with timing. Sure, you can use the perfect form but if using perfect form will change your pace where you are going more quickly than you need too, it is worthless.
I assure you that nearly all major clubs have a fitness staff on hand that works with them on form among other things.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
