When it comes to playing soccer one of the most important skills khổng lồ have is a good “first touch”. Soccer players can spend whole careers working on improving their first cảm biến because they know it will make them a better players on the soccer field.
But before we get ahead of ourselves it is important khổng lồ first establish what we mean when we talk about “first touch”.
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So, what does first cảm biến in soccer mean?
“First touch” in soccer is a phrase that refers to lớn the moment the ball first makes contact with a player as they receive the ball. It is the initial contact, or touch, between the player and the ball. Each time the player regains possession of the ball during a soccer trò chơi they take a new “first touch”.
At a basic level, it may seem obvious that “first touch” would mean this. It’s the “first touch” of something right?! But the truth is that this one phrase actually has a lot more meaning and importance than just that one dimension.
Read on & let’s find out more about why it’s so important & then we’ll look at specific ways you can improve your first cảm ứng when playing soccer.
Importance of a Good First Touch
In soccer, touches of the ball are limited so a player needs lớn make every cảm biến count.
The reason the first touch a player makes is considered khổng lồ be so important is that the chất lượng of the first cảm ứng has such a huge influence over what happens in the moments that immediately follow this touch of the ball.
Maybe the ball will first cảm biến the player & then tỷ lệ thoát away where the player can no longer reach it, or maybe the ball will first touch the player & then fall perfectly into their path khổng lồ set up a shot on goal.
Having a good first cảm biến can be the difference between creating a goal-scoring opportunity for your team or gifting a goal-scoring opportunity khổng lồ the other team.
The Effect of the First Touch
The first cảm biến determines:
Where the ball goes nexthow fast the ball moves away from the playerhow fast the player can move away with the ballWhere the player can pass the ballHow easy it will be for an opposition player to tackle the player with the balland many more thingsHaving a good first cảm biến is important as it affects so much of what happens next.
Especially because of the speed that a soccer trò chơi is played at players are always under pressure to decide what they want to vì chưng with the ball & do it quickly và effectively. Every soccer player needs to lớn maximize every opportunity they have with the ball.
Having a good first touch also increases the chance of your team winning a game.
This comes down khổng lồ the fact that the unique of the first cảm biến is so influential khổng lồ the game & a bad first cảm biến will often lead to lớn possession being lost.
If a player can increase the unique of their first touch then they reduce the number of times the possession of the ball is turned over to lớn the opposing team. & more possession of the ball a team has then the greater the team’s chance of winning the trò chơi is.
6 Ways khổng lồ Improve Your First cảm biến
To be a better soccer player you need lớn have a great first touch. I’ve put together a danh mục of 6 tips that any player can use lớn improve their first cảm ứng of the ball.
1. Stay on your toes
When a soccer ball is coming towards them too many soccer players stand there flat-footed rather than staying on their toes.
Standing flat-footed is not in an optimal position khổng lồ receive the ball and it definitely won’t help your first touch of the ball.
When you stand flat-footed both your feet are planted firmly on the ground. In this position, it takes much more effort, and time, to lớn move from that position lớn a new one và adjust your toàn thân as the ball approaches you.
Alternatively, when you are on your toes, constantly moving và adjusting your body and balance, you are in a much better position lớn adapt your position khổng lồ the path of the ball as it approaches you.
The ball may come at you at tốc độ or take a deflection on the way stop before it gets to you. Staying light on your toes keeps your body toàn thân in a state of readiness & expectancy lớn receive the ball however it comes to lớn you và allows you khổng lồ adapt your toàn thân position almost instantly lớn ensure that your first cảm biến is the best it can be.
2. Think ahead
There is one of three things a player is looking to bởi vì when receiving the ball:
pass/shoot move with the ball shield the ball or hold it upThe best soccer players already know what they want to bởi with the ball before they take their first touch.
Whether they want lớn pass the ball, shield the ball, shoot or dribble, the first touch will mix them up for the next one.
If a player waits until they have taken their first touch khổng lồ decide what they want to bởi vì next they may find that they have lost their opportunity to do anything.
Standing on the soccer field with the ball deciding what to bởi vì is an invitation for an opposition player lớn step in & attempt to lớn take the ball away from you.
This immediately puts you on the back foot và instead of being able to make an offensive forward move, you will be stuck trying lớn defend the ball và keep it out of the opposition’s possession in any way you can.
Know what you’re going to vì chưng before the ball arrives. Think ahead where’s space? which way should I go? Who am I looking to pass to? Then use your first touch lớn set yourself up for that move.
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This will put you one step ahead of everyone else.
3. Get behind the ball
Another way to lớn improve your first cảm biến is khổng lồ always have your toàn thân behind the ball as you take that touch.
As the ball is traveling towards you, make a judgment on where it will arrive và get your body in its path. Too many players are not thinking about this and as the ball arrives they are stretching one way or the other trying to biến hóa for their poor positioning.
Stretching for the ball often leads to lớn a bad first cảm biến as you have little ability khổng lồ cushion the ball well to lớn control it or direct it lớn where you want it to be.
This is another area where staying light on your feet will help as you will be able to lớn respond quickly to the movement of the ball.
4. Focus on the ball
Fully focus on the ball as you make your first touch.
Instead of looking around you or thinking too far ahead, watch the ball and nothing else as it makes liên hệ with you.
Although in the moments immediately before your first cảm ứng it’s good lớn think about what you want to do next, as the touch happens solely focus on the first touch. Keep your eyes on the ball.
In these moments it can be too easy khổng lồ get distracted by something happening around you or your next move instead of focusing on the ball. But remember, if you are unable khổng lồ get the ball under control with your first touch you may not be able to achieve what you want to vì next anyway.
5. Play the ball into space
This one is key.
Once you have mastered getting the ball under control with your first touch. Focus on using your first touch to lớn push the ball into space around you.
If you allow the ball to stop, or lớn move closer khổng lồ a defender nearby who wants khổng lồ tackle you & regain possession for their team, then you are restricting the time & space you could have had to use the ball as you want.
Instead, notice where space is around you & focus on using your first touch khổng lồ push the ball into that area.
For example, if the ball is coming to you và there is a defender coming up on your left-hand side use your first touch khổng lồ push the ball khổng lồ the right side of where you’re standing, moving the ball away from the reach of the defender.
Or if a defender is coming up behind you, push the ball into space in front of you, moving the ball away from the defender again and giving yourself more time và space to use the ball effectively.
It’s important to lớn always keep the ball moving. Instead of using your first touch lớn stop the ball lớn stop dead at your feet, get the ball out of your feet and into space around you.
When the ball is still the opposition players have more chance of getting to it và taking it from you.
Always try & move the ball into space.
6. Practice, Practice, Practice
To improve at anything in life there’s no better way than regularly and consistently doing the same thing time và time again.
And this is no different in soccer. Now you know some specific techniques to improve your first cảm biến the best thing you can do is get out there & practice them.
Find a friend, or a wall, & start receiving the ball over và over again focusing on perfecting the skills we’ve just talked about. As you regularly vày this over the next few weeks you should start to lớn see a dramatic improvement in your first touch.
To help you practice let’s look at a few drills that will help you improve your first touch.
