How to Get Better at Soccer
Perfect your first touch, setting yourself up for your next pass, shot, or dribble without pausing., Practice close-touch ball handling drills., Practice pulling off shots and crosses on the run., Pay attention to your "opposite" or non-dominant...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Perfect your first touch
Your first touch is essential, and this skill is what separates the pros from the amateurs.
You need to be able to stop a ball at your feet from the air or from the ground, laying it right in front of you so that your next touch can immediately start the attack.
Make sure you learn to "trap" the ball with your whole body by:
Close-range one touch passing with a partner.
If your very first touch is an accurate pass, defenders will have fits trying to steal the ball from you.
You can also practice this by kicking against a wall.
Having a teammate or friend throw or cross a ball in the air You must take only two touches
-- one to settle, the other to pass it back to them.
Passing and shooting on the run.
Have someone feed you a ball on the run, timing your first touch so that you can pass or shoot on the second touch without breaking stride. -
Step 2: setting yourself up for your next pass
Your goal with the following exercises isn't just to get faster, it is to get more precise, learning to control the ball with your entire foot to become a better dribbler, passer, and trapper.
Try out these drills, aiming for 100 touches on each foot with each drill:
Bounce the ball between your feet, using the insoles to keep the ball between your knees and "passing" back and forth as quickly as possible.
Tap the ball rapidly on the top with your toes, working on getting as quick as possible.
As you improve.
Work on actually rolling the ball slightly with the sole of your toe, focusing on this small, precise touch.
Try the "in-and-out." Use the sole of your right foot to roll the ball to the right.
Roll your foot all the way over the ball to the right, then use your instep to pass the ball to the left foot.
Trap it with the sole of your left and roll it out, repeating the drill with both feet, back and forth., If you've been playing for a while, you generally know how to shoot and cross effectively when the ball isn't moving.
But this isn't especially "lifelike" in a real game, and you'll be leaps and bounds above the competition once you're accurate and powerful on the move.
Luckily, this is an easy skill to practice both alone and with a partner.
Simply take a touch, get up to roughly 75% full speed, and then take the shot.
As you get better, pick up the speed.
Once you can hit a dead sprint, take a touch, and fire off a shot or cross, you'll be a defender's worst nightmare.
Approach from a variety of angles, from hitting shots while running up the center of the field to working on crosses across your body from the sidelines.
Work on your position's skills.
A defender, for example, needs to be able to turn the ball and hit up the field as fast as possible to release pressure from an attack. , It doesn't matter how good your right foot is when you're up against top defenders, who will learn to quickly force you to your left.
Great players are dangerous with both feet, forcing defenders to cover all the options.
Don't eliminate half of your body from your arsenal
-- make sure you work both feet., The ball should feel like an extension of your foot.
Take it into a small area (like the penalty box) and just dribble between the lines, varying your speed with sharp sprints and quick stops.
Try out a few moves and use both feet, working until you tire out.
Your goal is to get the ball as tight to your feet, at any speed, as possible.
You'll make defenders lives much harder, and you can continue training by:
Setting up obstacle courses with flags, cones, or old t-shirts.
Make yourself zig-zag, weave, and change directions as fast as you can without losing the ball.
Juggling may seem "useless" in a real game, but it is the easiest way to improve your touch on the ball, keeping it close with your entire body.
Work on both feet, as well as the length of your touch, alternating tight, small juggles and higher, harder to handle touches.Work on some advanced moves and tricks, as they require precise ball control and give you new offensive tools in games. , Where and how you hit a ball will greatly change how it travels, and best players have the best ball control.
Whether on offense of defense, learning how to use the whole ball greatly increases your options anywhere on the field.
Short and accurate passes usually occur with the inside of your foot.
Even precise, mid-level crosses can be hit this way.
Hitting the ball on the outside thirds will cause it to bend if you use your laces.
Work on getting under the ball a bit, as if hitting it from a diagonal angle.
You can knuckle the ball by cracking it with laces just below dead center and avoiding a follow-throw, taking away spin and causing the ball to dip unpredictably.
Get under the ball, using the edge between your laces and instep, for a backspin chip, which is good for precise crosses that can't bounce or skip away. -
Step 3: or dribble without pausing.
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Step 4: Practice close-touch ball handling drills.
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Step 5: Practice pulling off shots and crosses on the run.
-
Step 6: Pay attention to your "opposite" or non-dominant foot.
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Step 7: Learn to dribble with precise
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Step 8: tight control.
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Step 9: Learn to hit the ball in different areas to get different spins and shots.
Detailed Guide
Your first touch is essential, and this skill is what separates the pros from the amateurs.
You need to be able to stop a ball at your feet from the air or from the ground, laying it right in front of you so that your next touch can immediately start the attack.
Make sure you learn to "trap" the ball with your whole body by:
Close-range one touch passing with a partner.
If your very first touch is an accurate pass, defenders will have fits trying to steal the ball from you.
You can also practice this by kicking against a wall.
Having a teammate or friend throw or cross a ball in the air You must take only two touches
-- one to settle, the other to pass it back to them.
Passing and shooting on the run.
Have someone feed you a ball on the run, timing your first touch so that you can pass or shoot on the second touch without breaking stride.
Your goal with the following exercises isn't just to get faster, it is to get more precise, learning to control the ball with your entire foot to become a better dribbler, passer, and trapper.
Try out these drills, aiming for 100 touches on each foot with each drill:
Bounce the ball between your feet, using the insoles to keep the ball between your knees and "passing" back and forth as quickly as possible.
Tap the ball rapidly on the top with your toes, working on getting as quick as possible.
As you improve.
Work on actually rolling the ball slightly with the sole of your toe, focusing on this small, precise touch.
Try the "in-and-out." Use the sole of your right foot to roll the ball to the right.
Roll your foot all the way over the ball to the right, then use your instep to pass the ball to the left foot.
Trap it with the sole of your left and roll it out, repeating the drill with both feet, back and forth., If you've been playing for a while, you generally know how to shoot and cross effectively when the ball isn't moving.
But this isn't especially "lifelike" in a real game, and you'll be leaps and bounds above the competition once you're accurate and powerful on the move.
Luckily, this is an easy skill to practice both alone and with a partner.
Simply take a touch, get up to roughly 75% full speed, and then take the shot.
As you get better, pick up the speed.
Once you can hit a dead sprint, take a touch, and fire off a shot or cross, you'll be a defender's worst nightmare.
Approach from a variety of angles, from hitting shots while running up the center of the field to working on crosses across your body from the sidelines.
Work on your position's skills.
A defender, for example, needs to be able to turn the ball and hit up the field as fast as possible to release pressure from an attack. , It doesn't matter how good your right foot is when you're up against top defenders, who will learn to quickly force you to your left.
Great players are dangerous with both feet, forcing defenders to cover all the options.
Don't eliminate half of your body from your arsenal
-- make sure you work both feet., The ball should feel like an extension of your foot.
Take it into a small area (like the penalty box) and just dribble between the lines, varying your speed with sharp sprints and quick stops.
Try out a few moves and use both feet, working until you tire out.
Your goal is to get the ball as tight to your feet, at any speed, as possible.
You'll make defenders lives much harder, and you can continue training by:
Setting up obstacle courses with flags, cones, or old t-shirts.
Make yourself zig-zag, weave, and change directions as fast as you can without losing the ball.
Juggling may seem "useless" in a real game, but it is the easiest way to improve your touch on the ball, keeping it close with your entire body.
Work on both feet, as well as the length of your touch, alternating tight, small juggles and higher, harder to handle touches.Work on some advanced moves and tricks, as they require precise ball control and give you new offensive tools in games. , Where and how you hit a ball will greatly change how it travels, and best players have the best ball control.
Whether on offense of defense, learning how to use the whole ball greatly increases your options anywhere on the field.
Short and accurate passes usually occur with the inside of your foot.
Even precise, mid-level crosses can be hit this way.
Hitting the ball on the outside thirds will cause it to bend if you use your laces.
Work on getting under the ball a bit, as if hitting it from a diagonal angle.
You can knuckle the ball by cracking it with laces just below dead center and avoiding a follow-throw, taking away spin and causing the ball to dip unpredictably.
Get under the ball, using the edge between your laces and instep, for a backspin chip, which is good for precise crosses that can't bounce or skip away.
About the Author
Brian Robinson
Creates helpful guides on crafts to inspire and educate readers.
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