Trainingslager

The Tim Walter principles: How the head coach has got the team training in Grassau

Tim Walter has a brave playing style. The coach is portraying this to his players through some interesting methods at the summer training camp.

Towards the end of the training session, Tim Walter's voice can usually be heard, noticeably hoarser; the loud and constant coaching has its effect on the 45-year-old's vocal cords. Walter lives for football and articulates this in his training - not only verbally, but also athletically. In principle, Walter's game should never be without the ball, and many different shapes make up his playing idea. These are often combined with an element of fun, which have already provided some amusement in the summer training camp in Grassau. HSV.de took a closer look during the first five days of camp and identified three principles that are of crucial importance to Tim Walter.

The playing principle: Duels are the core of football - and Walter places a correspondingly high value on the one-on-one battle. Brave decisions are demanded not only in the final third, but sometimes even in the build-up play. In order to instil this, the coach has the team work primarily in game and competition situations. Isolated drills are kept to a minimum, and instead the work is often done on specially marked fields. Walter places a high important on vertical play. The aim is to play forwards quickly with few passes so that high-percentage scoring opportunities can be created. Progress in this area is already evident, with the players getting more and more to grips with the principle.

The coaching principle: To get his message across effectively, Tim Walter employs an intensive coaching style based primarily on clear instructions and loud praise. In all phases of training, the HSV head coach is extremely committed and comments on his players' performance. The drills are rarely interrupted, with targeted coaching usually only taking place during the short breaks. This allows the flow of the game to be constantly maintained, while the players are still able to receive feedback on the respective situations. Assistant coaches Filip Tapalovic, Julian Hübner and Merlin Polzin have an important role here, both leading drills and holding personal discussions with the players.

The fun principle: It's rare to catch Tim Walter without a smile on his face. The former Holstein Kiel (2018/19) and VfB Stuttgart (July 2019 to December 2019) head coach is always looking to keep the enjoyment in the game despite all the intensity. His flippant comments during drills provide as much amusement as the special incentives he gives to his players ahead of the end-of-session games. To increase the desire to win, the head coach is constantly setting creative "punishments" for the losing side. For example, teams have had to roll to the half-way line, piggyback their teammates or take penalty kicks when dizzy. The result: laughs and joy for the winners, who got to watch the beaten team do the extra work.