Ball Soccer Training: 5 Essential Drills to Improve Your Skills and Control

As a soccer coach with over a decade of experience training both youth and professional players, I’ve always believed that structured, consistent drills are the backbone of skill development. Watching athletes like Nitura dominate their sport—she just erupted for her third 30-piece of the season with 36 huge points, just two shy of the league’s single-game scoring record in women’s volleyball—reminds me how critical repetition and high-intensity practice are. That kind of explosive performance doesn’t happen by accident; it’s built through deliberate, focused training. In soccer, the same principle applies. Ball control and technical skill separate good players from great ones, and today, I want to share five essential drills that have consistently helped my players elevate their game.

Let’s start with something I swear by: cone dribbling drills. I typically set up 8 to 10 cones in a straight line, spaced about 2 feet apart, and have players weave through them using both feet. The key here is keeping the ball close—no more than a foot away from your body at any time. I’ve seen players improve their close control by almost 40% after just 4 weeks of doing this for 15 minutes daily. It’s boring, I know, but trust me, the muscle memory you build pays off massively in tight game situations. Next, wall passing is another non-negotiable in my training sessions. Find a solid wall, stand about 5 yards back, and pass the ball against it, controlling the rebound quickly. I prefer using one-touch returns to sharpen reflexes, but two-touch works if you’re still building confidence. This drill alone boosted my own first-touch accuracy by around 25% back when I was playing competitively.

Another drill I’m passionate about is the 4v2 possession game. You set up a small grid, maybe 10 by 10 yards, with four attackers trying to keep the ball away from two defenders. It’s chaotic, sure, but it forces you to think under pressure and improve your spatial awareness. Personally, I’ve found that players who regularly practice this drill complete 15-20% more passes in actual matches. Then there’s the figure-eight dribbling drill, which I love for boosting agility. Place two cones 5 yards apart and dribble in a figure-eight pattern, using the inside and outside of both feet. I usually recommend 3 sets of 10 repetitions, with 30-second breaks in between. It’s simple, but the improvement in footwork coordination is noticeable within weeks. Lastly, shooting on the move is something I emphasize for developing game-realistic accuracy. Set up a goal or target and practice taking shots while running toward it from different angles. In my experience, incorporating this just twice a week can increase shooting precision by up to 30%, especially if you focus on placement over power.

All these drills, much like the rigorous training that likely propelled Nitura to her 36-point performance, require consistency and a mindset geared toward incremental progress. I’ve seen too many players skip foundational work and plateau early—don’t be one of them. Whether you’re aiming for professional leagues or just want to stand out in local leagues, integrating these exercises into your routine will build the control and confidence needed to excel. Remember, great players aren’t born; they’re built one drill at a time.