Ryan Giggs Secrets and Skills DVD Review

It was back in 1994, World Cup fever in the US. At the time, I couldn't believe this DVD would exist, especially Ryan Giggs has always been my all-time hero for both Manchester United and football as a whole. I bought this DVD immediately and watch it as I got back.

The DVD plays the whole chapters including Ryan Giggs and Bobby Charlton guiding and teaching basic soccer skills, techniques and set pieces.

Then there's the Production Interview section covering Ryan Giggs's interview on his career and the making of this DVD.

The final section, Additional Footage showcase some significant footage featuring Ryan Giggs playing for Manchester United during his early career and scoring wonderful goals.

The DVD covers basic football skills on a football pitch featuring Ryan Giggs and Bobby Charlton along with voluntary kids.

Early part of the DVD, Ryan Giggs explains the basic ingredients on improving passing techniques showing the right spot to kick on the ball. Passing techniques varies from low and smooth passing and low and hard passing will be explained by Ryan Giggs himself and helped by Bobby Charlton.

Ryan Giggs will also show the most efficient technique on kicking long balls. The long balls will be guided in detail on swinging both the inside and outside of the football boot. One of the most difficult technique in long ball such as chipping are guided by both Ryan Giggs and Bobby Charlton.

One of the fun features in this DVD is that Ryan Giggs showcase his soccer juggling skills using various parts of his body like foot, knee, shoulder and head. Include also difficult techniques like headstall, neck stall and also juggling a soccer ball while sitting on the field. The camera angle on Ryan Giggs's juggling of a soccer ball is quite impressive pointing from the above.

Ryan Giggs also had fun with the kids by playing a one-on-one dribble and showcasing one of his trademarks such as flicking a soccer ball in between defender's leg. I love this part as I tend to replay the DVD in slow-motion over and over and try on a soccer pitch.

Production Interview

An interview with Ryan Giggs explaining about his life and career as a Manchester United player. Also coping on media attentions like photo-shootings and press conferences on and off the pitch. Ryan Giggs also featured in top UK magazines like Match, Shoot, Four Four Two, Manchester United and so on.

Additional Footage

This is a great section and one of the most addictive among other sections showcasing footage of Ryan Giggs's goals during his time as a youth player and professional football player. Some of the best goals including his wonder 'solo' goal against Tottenham are worth watching over and over again. Goals include during his youth days and Premiership.

Advantages

The DVD guided basic soccer skills and certain features like Additional Footage provides good replay value. As I watched this DVD over and over again, although the DVD simply explain basic soccer techniques and skills, it reflects in my opinion Ryan Giggs's characteristics on the football pitch. In short, honing these skills are essential to become a great 'Welsh Wizard' winger.

Downside

Ryan Giggs is a relatively quiet person so we don't get to know his true personality. Most of the skills are explained in detail by Bobby Charlton instead of Ryan himself.

The soccer skills are well-explained but lacks breaking-down into simple steps on achieving an execution of a specific skill for instance, kicking a long ball.

My Conclusion

If you're a fanatic fan of Ryan Giggs and strive to be like the 'Welsh Wizard', then this is the DVD. As I emphasis the advantages on elements to be a successful right or left winger. Also I would highly recommend this DVD to a newbie in football honing basic soccer skills and techniques before stepping into the 'real' football match.

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Review - Learn to Play The Brazilian Way DVD

As the old saying goes "the English pioneered football whereas the Brazilians reinvented the game". In this case, it's true and time and time again we've witnessed the great Brazilians displaying eye-catching soccer tricks and skills along with slick passing movements and clinical finishing. Even I myself would've love to watch at least one of the Brazilian player such as Ronaldinho in a soccer match.

Fortunately, this DVD came right after Brazil won their fifth World Cup in 2002. The DVD is guided by Simon Clifford, one of the most influential person in development of the soccer game especially in the UK.

Pop-in the DVD into your DVD player or PC and you'll see menus featuring Play, Skill Selection and Extras. The DVD is easier to navigate with it's user-friendly interface and particularly on soccer skills selection which in my opinion the most addictive section.

Play

The very first time I watched this DVD is by going through all the sections from soccer skills to soccer juggling tricks and finally the interviews.

Skill Selection

This is undeniably my favourite section featuring all the world-known soccer skills and tricks performed by the greats like Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Juninho and more. Simon guided a group of youngsters by explaining each skills step-by-step and also shown in real-time ( e.g. Ronaldo's step over on the group stage World Cup match against Costa Rica ) from the World Cup 2002 footage.

Brazilian Soccer Tricks and Skills

One of the great features of this DVD is that Simon shows on doing the soccer skills and applying it against a defender. One of my favourite skills, the Ronaldo step-over ( though some people may refer as the "Rainbow" step-over ) for example, is shown and are broken-down into simple steps.

Applying the soccer trick against a defender is also explained clearly by Simon including the timing of execution of the soccer skill.

Brazilian Juggling Skills and Tricks

Simon Clifford encourage the kids to juggle and hone their soccer juggling skills in a group of circle. Each kids display various soccer flick-ups and juggling techniques. The best part of this is that it encourage the kids to share their soccer skills and enjoyment in soccer.

Passing, Long Ball and Shooting Skills

Simon teaches the kids on various passing, long ball and shooting techniques. He even showed one of the famous long ball technique which Pele called as the "falling leaf" technique used by Ronaldinho in the free kick against England in the World Cup 2002.

The kids also have the chance to shoot one-on-one with the goalkeeper. The drill is simply routine practice to improve your shooting abilities and one-on-one with the goalkeeper.

My Recommendation

The DVD is great for football or soccer players and also for freestyle soccer players as well. The soccer skills, drills and tricks are build around the brazilian environment which include factors such as mentality. A brazilian rythm music is suitable during each drill along with the quality of the sounds are clear.

The only downside for this DVD is the lack of slow-motion feature which I'm dissappointed at especially when learning Ronaldinho's elastico. I had to rewind and play it at slow motion which becomes annoying after a while.

Overall the DVD is great for those who really wants to learn and play like the Brazilian way as it equips with proper mentality and various soccer skills and tricks applied during any situations of a soccer match.

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