ASK HUNTY – FREE KICKS, PHILOSOPHY AND MORE!

Hunty’s back, answering your questions! This week’s a bumper edition as David Hunt looks back over all your questions from the past 2 weeks!

austin lee

hey huntie, I™d really like to know what you think makes a player great! I™ve heard what other people say, but I want to hear it from a pro. What skills and qualities make a footballer stand-out and be the best

Hi Austin,

Obviously the first thing that stands out is technical skill but when you train with these players day in day out you get to see who the special ones are, by their decision making and mental qualities. Consistency is a big one, if a player is consistently good with their decision making and quality then it™s going to stand out.

K.C. Dressing

Hey Hunty, Love the posts! I have always been curious as to how you choose, or are assigned a number when you arrive at a football club. Do you just choose one of the numbers available, or do players swap?

K.C.
Glad you like the posts. That™s a good question. When I first arrived at a club I didn™t care what number I had, once my first daughter was born I decided that would be my lucky number and have since asked for the number 13 for her birth date. There are many players that have to have a certain number at every club they go to and specifically ask for it in their contract. Players don™t swap with each other but last season I was 15 and asked to change to 13.

Spencer8

Hey Hunty, How often do you have to change football boots? I have a mate that has to change every 6 weeks!! Also how many training kits do you get?

Hi Spencer,
I™m real fussy with my football boots. I like to wear brand new boots for a game, I don™t like to break them in during training, I™m not sponsored by any brands so I have to make do with a pair of boots for a couple of months, I hate the way they lose their shape. I do buy a new pair of boots every 2 months, which my missus can™t understand but never mind. I like to chop and change, as I get bored and like to change my appearance.

Rickey

Hey thanks for the reply s David and thank you footy-boots for this great site 🙂 David I was wondering what new cleats/boots are you interested in wearing next season such as the Pred X, Laser 3, Adidas f50i, Adidas adiZero,Superfly/Vapor and what are your reasons for buying this/that particular boot(s)? And what cleats/boots do you feel are the most overrated/underrated? And thank you!

Hi Rickey, Your welcome with the replies. I™ve got my sights set on the Adidas Adizeros yellow colour and the Nike Superfly™s any colour. I™ve chosen both of these, as they are the two lightest boots on the market. I™ve always been a Nike man but since I caught eye of the Adizero I™ve been thinking of switching sides! I also wouldn™t mind trying out the new Laser 3 as the look very comfortable and light too. A don™t think there™s a boot that™s overrated, one of my team-mates had a pair of the Puma V range and I thought for the price that they were awful, but that™s just my opinion.

MW1234

Hey Hunty, Im a huge fan. What year did you make your high-schools varsity team? And what do you think is the most important aspect of the game to practice the most? Thanks, Max

Hey Max,
I played school football from the age of 10 and played for the year above me until I left school. I think that the most important aspect of the game to practice is consistency, how many times you give the ball away, how many times you hit the target with shots, how many times you cross the ball into danger area, how many headers you win.

Daniel

Hey Hunty,

For a center midfield what do you think is the most important aspect of the game? What drills would you recommend to improve in this area?

Daniel, You need to be fit, strong, consistent and clever. Drills I like to do are passing drills where you have a player to your left and another to your right and they keep passing balls into you and you have to turn away from them and pass out, making sure you look behind you without the ball. First touch is key!

Cristiano Ronaldo – one of the original ankle-wrappers

Ryan Daniel

Hey Hunty!

Even though I am only 12, I feel very sensitive near my ankles, is there any tips to reduce less pressure on them while playing?

Hi Ryan,

I have never experienced this but I know some of my team-mates like to get strapping around their ankles to help them feel supported and stronger. I think that this will be your best bet. Do some investigating.

sajin123

Hey thanks a lot David, for all the responses.

What kind of philosophy do you believe in Hunty ??  The pragmatic approach of Jose Mourinho or the beautiful approach to the game from the likes of Barcelona?? Does winning mean everything for you??

Thanks,

Sajin from India

Hey Sajin,

Winning means everything to me. I hate losing in games, training, on the computer, I have even been known to fall out with my partner over a game of backgammon. I am a very bad loser and proud of it! My philosophy on football is the Barcelona/Arsenal way but with a Jose Mourinho type togetherness and defending. I don™t feel there™s a team that has both of these qualities, which is why you get either black or white and no middle. Who knows, maybe I can manage this way in the future!!!

Ike G

Hey hunty

Great advice on the pre wrap, works a treat.

Iv’e always been interested in how youth team players get treated at big clubs, as in what there day to day is like compared with the first team and reserve teams. Also how how does school fit in?

Enjoy your holiday

ike

Hi Ike,

I™m glad the pre wrap worked for you. Youth team players are the future of football but they have to go through the process of learning the ropes. Every youth team player feels like they have it hard, I did when I was young.

I had to clean toilets, showers, boots, dishes, you name it I cleaned it. They are usually the first in training, at Brentford they are in around 8am and leave around 3pm, as jobs have to be done. It™s a tough process but one I feel is beneficial.  Every Tuesday and Wednesday they go to college after training, which is part of their contract, and I think fundamental as not all of the youth team make it as professional and need something to fall back on.

CardiffCityBoyo

Yo Hunty, love your articles.

My question is regarding technique and free kicks I know you can take freekicks 😉

Not bad!!!

My question is ¦ what is your technique to taking a free-kick? That is I want to know what goes through your mind and how do you take them¦ Where do you aim to strike on the ball, what type of connection do you make¦ slice¦ instep¦ what do you do with the follow through after striking the ball¦. What do you focus on as your about to connect with the ball, how important is the standing leg¦. when I am curling a shot in open play ¦ I aim to strike the ball bottom right with the instep of my foot¦ which works great¦ but with free kicks it doesn’t seem to work! Am I doing something wrong! If you could do a step by step guide like you did with the socks that would be great¦. Every guide out there at the moment isn™t very explanatory and they just say¦ strike the ball in the middle¦ but they don’t tell you how to make the movement to curl the ball..

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!

Cheers!

Hey Cardiff Boyo,

Firstly great video!! As for the technique it™s a matter of trial and error, everyone™s different. My foot size is 9.5 UK and I can™t strike a ball the same way as someone with a size 8 UK because it™s going to be like hitting a golf ball with a driver or an iron.  You have to go out and practice striking a ball and find what™s best for you. I practice after training all the time, I found many different ways to strike the ball. Because I have different types of techniques I can vary these in games depending on where the free kick is on the pitch. The video you have linked of me, I used what I call my power whip. Here I hit the top right hand corner of the ball with my laces, I keep my body over the ball so that it doesn™t go over the bar, even though the shot went top corner I aim for the bottom corner and hope it doesn™t rise too much.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pdkoWfjZg0

This link I™ve provided is an example of me taking a free kick with my side foot, I make sure I give it enough power to keep away from the keeper and try to imagine I™m crossing the ball to a target. Hope this helps but practice makes permanent.

Grant

Hi Hunty. What do you think of West London Pride?!

Hey Grant,

West London Pride is quality. Get the word on the street of a great song!

Javier

David, now you are on my list of favourite players, you’re also great as a person, have too much talent and are a very disciplined person as athlete. No doubt you are always on the couches list, thank you for sharing a part of you™re training with your fans.

Javier, it™s a pleasure. It™s nice to know that I can give a bit back to those that weren™t as lucky as me to become professional. As long as you keep liking it, then I™ll keep writing.