Arm Action Exercises
Toe Taps with an Emphasis on Arm Action
Toe taps is a great exercise for improving foot-speed and getting a general feel of the ball at your feet. It
is especially good for young players. Importantly, it can also be used to develop proper arm action for
sprinting.
Objective: Develop proper arm action for accelerating and maximum speed
Set-up and Instructions: Place the ball on the ground slightly in front of you. Place the toes of one foot
on the ball (Figure 4.12a), and have your body weight on the other foot. Switch positions of the feet by
jumping slightly and quickly placing the standing leg on the ball, while transferring the foot that was
previously on the ball to the ground (Figures 4.12b and 4.12c). The ball should remain stationary. Repeat
until both feet touch the ball at least 10 times. Start slowly and then once you are comfortable, try
performing them as quickly as possible. The arms should move opposite to that of the legs.
a) b) c)
Figure 4.12 Toe Taps with an Emphasis on Arm Action
Coaching Points: Although fast footwork and light touches with the feet are important, the focus of this
exercise is arm action. The swing should be created at the shoulders. The elbows should be close to the
body. The range of the swing should be from the outer thigh to the head. The hands should not cross the
midline of the chest.
Progression: To progress this exercise, you can have the player move the ball forwards or backwards
while doing the arm and foot actions.