Fundamental Foot shapes (FFSs) :

When playing, players will constantly be changing their foot-shapes when interacting with the ball. FFSs simplify these into a small number of foot-shapes. The FFS exercises maximizes the exposure to not only to FFSs but also the speed and neatness that a player can move form one foot-shape to another.

These are the main foot-shapes.

• Foot locked up - used for drag backs / foot on top of the ball
• Open foot (90º) - used for passing / control
• Foot tucked in - Used for outside / little toe touches
• Foot lock down - laces touch (strike / juggle)
• Partially open foot (45º) - Front foot touches / roll across
• Fully open foot (135º) - Back foot touch
• Closed foot (0º) - inside touch behind

The homework for TST players are the foot-shape exercises (on the website The '100 hour' Rule | Technical Soccer Tuition). These exercises are 100% pure ball mastery exercises that aren't interested in space. They require just a ball. They are perfect for daily practice at home. There is no excuse.

[Note : I always do some foot-shape work (usually at the start of term) with the players i coach but do less and less as the term goes as players get bored, as progress is slow (unless players do it at home). Then start again the following term.]

Does specific foot shape practice work ?

I don't know : But i do know that : Very Good players can do foot-shape exercises quite easily - years of playing develops foot-shapes !
However, Very bad players, who can't do foot-shape exercises, will be a horrible player ! Question is : Are they horrible because they have horrible foot-shapes on the ball (so every touch they have is horrible), or would they still be horrible even if their foot shapes were top notch?

In summary :

We want all players at TST to be very good at foot-shape exercises (eventually) - so even if they are a horrible player, at least we make sure it isn't because we didn't develop their foot-shapes.

Final Note : All footwork practice and playing, develops foot shapes. The difference with foot-shape exercises is the high number of foot-shapes and foot-shape changes squashed into tiny package of time.

TST Curriculum 2026 : Parts #1 - #6