Mixed Shot

I see you're profficient with the floater shots? Sam asked.

Neo nodded. Something like that.

How good are you with the shot? Sam asked again.

No grinned inwardly. He had never met anyone who was better at the shot than himself, but because he didn't want to be proud, he spoke very lightly of his floater shot.

Neo sighed. I'm fairly okay with the shot.

Pass me the ball. Sam said as he took a few steps backwards.

A high pass or a low one? Neo asked.

Sam shrugged. Whatever.

Neo immediately released a backspin pass that came towards Sam at high speed. Sam smiled as he took a few steps back. Neo had purposedly given a high pass and even made it have a backspin just so that Sam would have more difficulty in doing whatever he wanted to do with the pass.

In the spur of the moment, Sam raised his leg and powered a shot through the atmosphere. It was surprising how he was able to hit a moving ball with such precision.

From such a distance, the ball rose very high as it switched lanes very fast.

Neo's mouth was agape, the ball was wavering much faster than anything he had ever seen. Neo was happy that he had only describe his own shot as fairly okay, because, in comparison to Sam's own floater shot, his shot wasn't anything special.

Neo's shock and awe was replaced by a hiss as the ball kept rising, not showing any sign of coming down. But in the next moment, he was stunned by what suddenly happened.

The Floater Shot suddenly started dropping, and it was doing so at a very fast rate. Watching the peculiar trajectory of the ball, Neo's pupils constricted.

Is that a mixture of the Floater Shot and the gyro shot?

Neo sighed, as the ball suddenly switched from the left corner of the post to the right corner, In a heart beat, the ball hit the back of the net so hard that it seemed that the Net was going to cut. And it almost did.

The shot just now had all the components of a gyro shot, except that it wasn't spinning. On the other hand, the shot had all the components of a Floater shot. It was really a very beautiful sight for any soccer fan to behold.

Neo knew that he wasn't going to learn that shot any time soon.

Sam walked towards Neo with a grin plastered across his face.

Neo accessed the man with grey hair much more clearly. The agility that he showed was shocking.

Sam had a square jaw line and broad shoulders, although he was old, he was still well bult and he still had his full height, he wasn't bent or anything of the sort. He had a bit wrinkles on his face and a few grey hair on his small beard. his beards were few and they hugged his chin tightly.

Sam now stood in front of Ne who was still in awe.

I'll only teach you two things.

Neo's ears instantly opened wider, waiting to hear what Sam was about to say.

I'll teach you the floater shot mixed with the gyro shot, and Flash steps.

Neo was very excited. What more did he need to become The Greatest Of All Time? only if he knew that Sam had more plans in stock for him.

Neo was very naive if he thought that those two skills would push him up the ranks and etch his name into the sands of time as the greatest soccer player ever lived. Of course the skills was going to help, but they certainly weren't enough. He was still going to meet outstanding talents in the world of proffessional soccer.

Sam sighed as he stared at Neo. You might only know the basics of the floater shot, but you haven't gotten the essence yet. And now, you have to couple it with the gyro shot.

As it stands now, you have only grasped about ten percent of the floater shot.

Neo was surprised. Ten percent? Nah, he's surely exaggerating.

Sam spoke again. You think I'm exaggerating, right? But you can't even get your floater shots on target most of the time, you can't even control your floater shots, neither can you perform your floater shot while the ball is moving.

Neo sighed. The old man was damn right.

Sam smiled a bit. If you can't even perform your floater while the ball is moving at a very low pace, how about performing it with the backspin pass you just gave me? and even coupling it with the gyro shot? Worse more, still getting it on target.

Okay, I get it!

Neo was feeling ashamed of himself as his shortcomings with the Floater shot was being called like that, but Sam was speaking the truth. Neo still had a long way to go.

A very very long way to go.

How about flash steps? Neo asked.

Sam shrugged. It's even easier. You just have to concentrate power into your toes, then use the power Of your leg muscles to dash forward.

Neo was surprised. And that would produce the stunning speed you just displayed?

Sam laughed. That's the power of the human legs.

But of course, it would consume much energy and stamina. Sam was very quick to add this last part.

Neo was confused for a moment. To carry out duplicity, he needed to use the same measure to escape his opponent without knocking him off his trance and that was why he slipped and fell most of the time.

So why? Why wasn't he moving as fast as Sam?

Sam somehow, guessed what he was thinking and he was quick to correct the teenager's impression.

We're not the same thing, Neo. My limbs are way stronger than yours. If my leg is as strong as an amored car, then yours is only as strong as a toy bicycle.

Neo was stunned, What sort of difference is that?

How long would it take my leg to become powerful enough to grasp the weakest level of flash steps? and what do I have to do?

Sam smiled. You have to stand on your toes twenty four hours everyday for the next 14 days. And that is only to give you the balance you need. To acquire enough power in your legs to burst forward and achieve the speed needed, you need to be abe to carry something that weighs 82kg with your legs alone.

Neo was stunned. Was he ever going to achieve that?