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The Best Soccer Dribbling Drill (for Beginners to Elite Players)

By Parker & Walsh Leave a Comment

soccer dribbling drills

How many touches on the ball should a soccer player get per day, or even per week? 

It really depends on how good YOU want to be because your team’s soccer practices aren’t making you a better player.

You do not get enough touches just by going to practice. You MUST practice outside your scheduled team practices if you want a shot at being an elite player.

The Dutch or Coerver methods for youth players have been tailored towards the individual perfecting their ball control skills by getting a lot of touches.

So in this article I have broken down how many touches a player should perform per day into three levels.

I don’t break it down by age because it doesn’t matter how old or young you are: you can always get better.

I would recommend starting out trying to get just 1,000 touches per day and then working your way up incrementally. 

How Many Touches to Get Each Day: Performance Levels

Beginner:  1,000 – 3,000 touches per day

Proficient:  5,000 touches per day

Elite:  10,000 touches per day

Dribbling is an important skill to master and helps improve your touch.

Whether you are just looking for soccer dribbling drills for beginners or a high school player looking to improve, dribbling a soccer ball around will greatly help with your touch.

This Zig Zag Dribbling Drill is my pick for the best way to practice dribbling, as it incorporates an unlimited variety of moves to keep things fresh and to help you work on different aspects of dribbling.

When working on your soccer moves and dribbling skills, you must always incorporate your change of direction and change of which are the most to crucial elements of a soccer move in order to beat defenders off the dribble.

The Zig Zag Dribbling Drill works on both.

How to Do the Zig Zag Dribbling Drill (Total Touches = 1,500)

To perform the Zig Zag Dribbling Drill, take two touches with the outside/pinky toe at a 45 degree angle and then perform a move (described below).

After the move, change direction and explode away from your defender with the outside/pinky toe of your other foot.

You should slow down on your second touch with the outside/pinky toe so you can get a change of pace.

This drill should have a rhythm of exploding with the outside/pinky toe touch, a slow outside/pinky toe touch, performing the soccer move and then repeating the rhythm.

I have divided the dribbling drill up by the number of touches you will take with one foot before you change to the other.

1. Four Touches (Total Touches for this section = 400)

  • Outside, Inside: 1. Start with pushing the ball with the outside/pinky toe, 2. a little cut with the inside of your foot, 3. another little touch with the outside/pinky toe, 4. cut the ball with the inside of your foot across your body. Repeat with your other foot. You will get 4 touches per foot  x 25 zig zags = 200 touches)
  • Stanley Matthews Move: Start by taking 2 preparatory touches with the outside/pinky toe pushing the ball, 3. slightly touch the ball with the inside of your foot while hopping in the same direction, 4. Explode away in the opposite using the outside/pinky toe of your foot. (Hint:  Touches 3 and 4 should be done very quickly; one right after the other.) To repeat on the other side you will need to use one of your preparatory touches to cut the ball with the outside of your foot. You will get 4 touches per foot x 25 zig zagst = 200 touches)

2. Three Touches (Total Touches for this section = 900)

For each of these moves, you will need to take 2 preparatory touches with the outside/pinky toe and then perform the move.

  • Inside Cut:  On the 3rd touch, cut the ball with the inside of your foot straight across or slightly backwards underneath your body. This is the key to the simple move. If you cut the ball forward, then the defender will poke it away or gain possession. You will get 3 touches per foot x 25 zig zags = 150 touches)
  • Outside Cut:  On the 3rd touch, you will have to reach across your body with your opposite foot to cut the ball with the outside of your foot slightly backward and about a ½ yard away from you. You will get 2 prep touches with one foot and then your outside cut with the other getting 3 x 25 zig zags = 150 touches)
  • Sole Stop:  On the 3rd touch, simply stop the ball with the sole of foot. Your momentum will carry you a little bit, which is good, putting the ball between your legs. Use the outside of your other foot to push the ball in the opposite direction exploding away from your defender. This will count as your first preparatory touch. You will get 3 touches per foot x 25 zig zags = 150 touches)
  • Ronaldo Chop:  On the 3rd touch, slightly jump and cut the ball with the inside of your heel to cut the ball behind your other foot. You will get 3 touches per foot x 25 zig zags = 150 touches)
  • Drag across your body:  Use the inside of your foot to drag the ball across your body to the other side. This is not a cut, so the ball should be stuck to your foot like glue until you get it across your body. You will get 3 touches per foot x 25 zig zags = 150 touches)
  • Brazilian Sole Roll:  Similar to the Sole Stop, however on your 3rd touch, you use the sole of your foot to flick the ball slightly backward and across your body. Remember similar to the inside cut, you don’t want the going forward because the defender will be able to poke it away or gain possession. You will get 3 touches per foot x 25 zig zag = 150 touches)

3. Two Touches (Total Touches for this section = 200)

For each of these moves, you will need to take 2 preparatory touches with the outside/pinky toe and then perform the move. However, with these moves you don’t actually touch the ball. This is why these moves are under Two Touches.

  • Feint:  After your 2nd touch, act like you are going to touch the ball with the outside of your foot/pinky toe like you are going to keep dribbling in the same direction but instead move your foot behind and around the ball and use the outside/pinky toe of your other foot to explode away. This touch will count as your first preparatory touch.  You will get 2 touches per foot x 25 zig zags = 100 touches)
  • Step-over:  After your 2nd touch, act like you are going to touch the ball with the outside of your foot/pinky toe like you are going to keep dribbling in the same direction but instead step over the ball or move your foot around and in front of the ball then explode away using the outside of your other foot. This touch will count as your first preparatory touch. You will get 2 touches per foot x 25 zig zags = 100 touches)

Now that you have learned the best way to get in a lot of touches, the Zig Zag Dribbling Drill, it is up to you to put the work in and to master the skill of dribbling!

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