First Touch Critical for Soccer Players

I had a training session last night for a team at one of my local soccer clubs. The session had to do with their first touch. In observing them play over the last several weeks, i noticed that their first touch was either too close to their feet or too far away from them. It also appeared to me that their first touch often times took them right into where pressure was coming from.

My session dealt with working with the players to take their first touch with the outside of the foot and to take it way from pressure. we set up several grids and had the players initially work on that outside of the foot first touch, then we brought some pressure in gradually.

I also wanted them to push the ball with the outside of the foot and keep it on the outside of their foot for as long as possible. In the beginning the players were "punching" the ball versus "pushing" it. Pushing it by keeping it on the foot longer allows for better control of the ball. Punching it does not allow for better control and as result many bad touches are made. The push method also forces the player to make a longer first step too, often times allowing the player to take the ball away from pressure quickly with a controlled first touch.

Working on this first touch with both feet will make any player better and more dangerous on the field.

Have a great day!

Gary
www.soccerandspeedcoach.com

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