Dribbling is an aspect of the game that separates a dominant player from the average player. The ability to carry the ball up the field past a defender is such a vital part of becoming a better player. Speed, balance, endurance, agility, and body control are essential factors in making a football player successful in dribbling.
The idea is for a player’s dribbling skills to become second nature, so when the time arises, they naturally perform the necessary move for that particular situation. To become a dominant player on the pitch, you must have the ability to control the ball at your feet and move anywhere you want on the pitch. That’s what top players do, they can go wherever they want on the pitch, they create spaces where some can’t find them, and all these are possible because of their excellent dribbling skills.
In football, it’s important to control and manipulate the ball. Dribbling well sets you up for passes and shots. Want to get better at this fundamental skill? You can practice a variety of dribbling techniques with several parts of both feet. Doing so will help you acquire better control of the ball and maintain better movement and balance to move the ball downfield during a game.
Make gentle contact with the ball.
Every time you contact the ball in soccer, it’s called a “touch.” By using gentle touches, you contact the ball more often, which will slow you down initially, but as you get used to making more contact with the ball, it will allow you to advance quickly, but with more control over the ball.
The more your foot touches the ball, the more control you have over the ball’s movement.
Keep the ball close to your feet.
Keep your knees bent as you pass the ball back and forth between the insides of your feet. Against an opponent, your body should be between the defender and the ball. You’ll also be able to change direction faster.
When you keep the ball close to your feet, defenders have a more difficult time intercepting the ball.
Use the leading edge of the foot to dribble galloping.
Gallop with the same foot forward every time you step forward. This keeps the ball close to your foot at all times. Keep the leading edge of your foot forward as you’re running. This keeps contact between the ball and the leading edge of your foot, giving you the most speed and balance.
This doesn’t apply to making cuts, stops, direction changes, etc. This is just for moving the ball downfield with as much speed and control as possible.
Keep the ball in the lower edge of your peripheral vision.
Beginners, especially, tend to use most of their field of vision on the ball as they develop dribbling skills. Instead, you should practice keeping the ball at the bottom of your peripheral vision as early in the learning process as possible.
By keeping the ball in your lower field of vision, you can more easily maintain awareness of the rest of the field. This can help you see holes in defences, open teammates, scoring positions.
Change the pace.
Proceeding in an easily predictable manner is the easiest way to get hung up by a defender. Practice changes in your dribbling pace. This way, you can more fluidly change pace in confusing ways on the field to throw defenders off balance
Use your body to protect the ball.
Shield the ball with your body when a defender gets close. You can use your whole body to protect the ball. Use your arms, legs, and shoulders to keep the defender away from the ball. Make sure that you are between the defender and the ball. You can also try to keep the ball on the foot that is furthest from the defender.
