What Makes a Soccer Training Ball Good For Goalkeeper Drills?

It goes without saying that the goalkeeper of a soccer team is the final line of defence. Thus, keeping the goal is never easy. He is alone in his task and the rest of the team looks up to him when they fail to contain an attack. Thus, the goalkeeping drills are bound to be different from the drills needed to be practised by the other 10 members of the team. The ball plays a crucial role in this. A goalkeeper must practise with the best soccer training balls. Now what makes a good soccer training ball? Let us see.

The size

The size needs to be appropriate depending on the age group of the trainee. The size of a soccer ball is determined by its circumference and the age group for which it is appropriate. The smallest size, size 1, is designed for the youngest players, and it is also commonly used for promotional purposes or as a skill development ball for players of all ages. The largest size, size 5, is designed for older youth and adult soccer players.

Cover Construction

While selecting a soccer ball for practising goalkeeping drills evaluate the cover construction, which includes the outer layer material, the amount of panels, and whether or not the panels are hand-stitched.Each soccer ball’s outer covering is constructed of synthetic leather, either polyurethane (PU) or polyvinyl chloride (PVC). soccer balls with PU covers are often higher grade. Some lower-end training balls are composed of PVC.

The most common panel configuration is 32 panels, while some modern soccer balls have an 18 or 26 panel design. 32 panel soccer balls provide a more accurate flight, but other alternatives can cause more “swerve” when kicked with force.

Lining

Generally, there are multiple layers of lining between the soccer cover and the bladder of the ball, which adds strength. A foam layer is commonly used to provide suppleness to high-quality soccer balls. This feature frequently distinguishes the high quality ball from the low-quality ball.

Bladder

There are two major types of bladders used in the manufacture of soccer balls:

Latex: it lends the soccer ball a decent and true bounce and is softer .

Butyl:This bladder helps the ball in longer air retention.

Thus you see, the ball is the most crucial soccer training equipment you can select to enjoy a proper training session and sharpen your goalkeeping skills.