First Touch In Soccer: How To Improve It?

If you’ve ever analyzed professional soccer matches, you will notice straight away that every player has a great first touch, whether it’s the winger using it to get out of tight spaces and quickly starting the attack or the defender controlling the ball from a ping to switch the play. But just how important is the first touch?

VERY IMPORTANT, after reading this article, you will be able to understand why your first touch in soccer is so important especially in the modern game, and most importantly how to improve it.

Why First Touch Matters In Modern Soccer

As you can see, all TOP Soccer players share one thing in common:

• They all have a good first touch.
  

“Your first touch in soccer is the moment of truth, where technique meets intention, and mastery is revealed in a single, graceful movement.”

Chat GPT

No, seriously, your first touch is VERY important. Here’s a quote from a TOP player…

“A great first touch buys you time and space on the field. It’s the difference between reacting and dictating the game.”

Xavi Hernandez

Wise words right? These are just some of the things a great first touch can do for you and your team.

Here are a couple of in-game scenarios where a great first touch is needed.

Do you think this player could have scored had he had a poor first touch?

Or do you think Mitoma could have got rid of his marker without this touch?

You see, your first touch is the foundation for all soccer players, and if it’s one of your weaknesses, you’re seriously hurting your development as a player. By training it regularly, however, you can make it one of your strengths.

Now you know that a good first touch is essential, and you might be wondering “How do I improve it then?” which is what I will talk about next.

How To Improve Your First Touch In Soccer?

JUGGLING is the single best drill and the most fundamental drill for all players no matter their age. Don’t move on to other drills if you haven’t mastered juggling yet. A good number to aim for is 500 juggles before moving on to more complicated drills.

To improve a skill you have to work on that skill repeatedly. I’m sure you already know that. Now, you must train CORRECTLY, don’t just take what I said earlier about why first touch is important and right away spend hours and hours of “training your first touch” without actually knowing how to do so.

Before you go out there to train, I will first share some Game-Changing tips that will help you during your training.

These tips may be obvious, but it’s the simple stuff when done right that produces great results. These tips will reduce the amount of time and effort you have to put in, no matter the minutes or hours you have available in your day.

Tip 1# Anticipating The Ball’s Path

One of the keys to mastering the first touch is learning to anticipate where the ball will go. This is especially true for aerial passes because of how quickly and easily the ball can change direction. By reading the game and anticipating where the ball will be played, you can position yourself more effectively to receive it. This enables you as a player to plan your next move, whether you want to pass to a teammate or use it to beat a player. As with most things in life, improving this skill comes with dedicating time to consistently work on improving your first touch.

Tip #2 Absorbing The Impact Of The Ball

The next biggest tip when it comes to improving your first touch is to absorb the impact of the ball as it lands. This involves using the appropriate amount of touch to cushion the ball upon receiving it which then creates greater control of the ball.

This is easier said than done. Don’t be discouraged though, as I said before, mastering a skill takes time and lots of practice.

Think about it like simply catching a ball, but instead with your feet, thigh, chest, etc. (This might not always be the case, as there are some situations where you do not want the ball to be too close to you but instead a bit farther, like the situation shown in the example above.)

Both of these tips are very clearly seen in this example of a baseball player catching a ball…

*Notice how he anticipates where the ball will land and absorbs the impact of the ball and how he catches it. Look where he moves his hand to catch the ball. He also uses his hands to absorb the ball based on how fast the ball is coming towards him.*

And also in this example…

Tip #3 Use A Wall To Train

The wall is your best friend when it comes to improving your first touch. The Awesome part? Walls are everywhere, you can find walls at schools, parks, parking lots, buildings, ( or any other sort of surface that rebounds the ball back to you. If you somehow can’t find a wall to train with, getting a rebounder might help as they are not too expensive and are a great long-term investment to add to your training arsenal. Once you find a wall or a rebounder, get your ball and start juggling!

Having a wall or a rebounder means you have everything you need to have the edge over other players in terms of training your first touch.

“Training with a wall is like having a relentless opponent who never gets tired. It pushes you to be better, faster, and more precise in everything that you do.”

Neymar

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Consistent Practice And Repetition

I know you’ve heard this so many times (unless you’re very young) but it is a skill that you have to learn now because it will not only help in soccer but also in life.

You have to stay consistent and juggle every day if you want to improve your first touch.

If you’ve ever been in a gym and started working out you would know the importance of consistency. Sure, 2-3X a week working out may seem like a little and you might want to increase it even more if you’re eager to see the results fast.

But training 5X or even 7X a week especially as a newbie to working out will only make you burnt out because that’s not something you can maintain and possibly even make you quit. You also need rest. On the other hand, if you would just stick to 2-3X and stay consistent with it then it would add up over the weeks and months, and the BENEFIT – you didn’t burn out and saw results.

“Success isn’t always about greatness. It’s about consistency. Consistent hard work leads to success. Greatness will come.”

Dwayne Johnson

Conclusion

So there you have it, why you need to start taking your first touch seriously and ways to improve it.

Mastering your aerial first touch is not a race, it’s a marathon. It requires patience, perseverance, and a willingness to learn from both successes and setbacks. So, the next time you find yourself with time to spare, why not go outside and start juggling?

In the end, it’s not just about mastering the first touch but about learning valuable skills such as patience, consistency, and perseverance – all skills you will learn as you keep working to get better in soccer.