The chip technique is one of the hardest skills for youth players to master. After 25 years of coaching, I have found it tends to be one of the lowest scores for players across the 92 skills we teach. It really does need a lot of practice to get there.
Playing games with a small number of friends is one of the best ways to develop the skill.
One game is called 60 Seconds, where one person is in goal and counts to 60 seconds out loud. This can be on a street, a local park, or anywhere that you have enough space to chip a ball for a mate to volley and head into a goal. Two, three, or four outfield players race against the clock to chip the ball up for another player to volley or head the ball past the goalkeeper. If they score, the goalkeeper has to reset the clock to zero and start again. If they don't, the last player to touch the ball swaps with the goalkeeper.
To make it harder, you can add defenders or play one team defence, one team attack. The point is that every time you're thinking of passing the ball, you know you have to lift the pass off the grass using a chip to score. This forces you to practice getting your foot under the ball.
Learn from the greats:
In this brilliant collection of goals (link below) scored from chips or lobs, there are plenty of examples of amazing technique. What we're focusing on specifically is the chip skill. This is where the player stabs their striking foot directly under the ball, pulling the heel back so the laces go under the ball like a wedge. It's a very fast, punch motion under the ball. Notice how the foot stays in the grass; it doesn't lift. If the connection is good, the ball will lift high immediately with a backspin. This spin then makes the ball drop quickly.
This is why the skill is fantastic for lifting over goalkeepers at short range or from the edge of the box. It's also a brilliant skill for short passes all over the pitch, where you need to clear a defender.
Some of the best examples from the video are:
1 min 9 sec: Cantona (Man Utd)
2 min 10 sec: Messi (Argentina)
3 min: Totti (Internazionale)
Practice
1) If you are practicing on your own, find a wall that you can chip the ball against. Concentrate on the technique of stabbing under the ball and creating backspin as the ball lifts off the ground. You can start really small, literally with the ball just lifting off the ground. Then go for more height with a harder punch under the ball.
2) Play games like 60 Seconds that allow you to have fun with friends, chipping the ball up for volleys and headers.
3) If you have good technique levels, get a sack of balls on the edge of the box and practice chipping the ball to hit the crossbar. Always have the ball moving slightly before the strike, as it would be in a game.
One2Pro:
The use of video with a coach review is fantastic for honing skills and performance. In our One2Pro online coaching app, "Techniques of the Stars" are broken down step-by-step for players to follow and practice.
Download and subscribe to work with your One2Pro coach on all 92 skills.
Be the One!
Aaron Tighe
Founder, One2Pro
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