This guide will mainly focus on when getting prejumped off the wall and ground. Usually, when players go for a setup off the wall, they are going in for it blindly. This leads to getting surprised when a player is closer than you actually think. To avoid this, break down your off the wall set-up like this:
- Quickly analyse the opponents positioning via your camera swivel.
- Then play according to how much time and space you have.
In general, I always tell my players to avoid rushing their first touch, because a bad first touch = a bad play, and a good, controlled first touch will equal, you guessed it, a good and controlled play. Getting a soft and controlled first touch is KEY for any set up.
Now, what if I am getting immediately pre-jumped? No worries. I have a solution that works. When the ball passes the curve of the wall, you want to immediately side flip into the ball, slamming it into the ceiling. This almost guarantees you having space because the opponent that pre-jumped would be far into your side, so this is a guaranteed 1v1.
I will now show an example of professional MENA player TRK511 doing this in one of my games, as an example:
The reason this works is because he then takes time with the second 1v1, which is pretty straightforward for the pro. The idea is to slam the ball into the ceiling/around the player, giving you optimal time and space for another 1v1.
After seeing this, I then decided to try this in my own games, where you guessed it, worked flawlessly in 2k.
I first realised that the opponent is cutting back into an immediate prejump, so I sideflip into the ball, throwing it around him, then I take my time with the 1v1 which then leads to a goal.
How to practice this? Easy. Head into freeplay and practice side flipping into the ball, then following it up into a fake 1v1 scenario. Like this:
Another scenario where prejumps are common is when going for an aerial set up from the ground, as shown in the following scenario:
Many players do not even realize the opponent early challenging them due to being too focused on the ball. Make sure to analyze the pitch before any first touch.
The idea here is to hit the ball over the opponent, fast towards the ceiling, completely surprising the unsuspecting opponent.
Even if the opponent goes up quickly, it would still be impossible for them to get a touch on the ball.
Important note:
It is always important to read the opponent’s as the match begins, the more aggressive they are, the higher the chance of them early challenging you both on the wall on the ground. Adapt accordingly.
If you are constantly getting pre-jumped, you’re not being outplayed, you’re being read.
That’s one of the habits the GC → SSL Course is designed to fix.