Dribbling is one of the toughest skills to master, and one that many people take for granted. Dribbling creates space, both for yourself and for your teammates. With that space created from beating a defender 1 vs. 1, you can create the separation you need to find your open teammates and pass them the ball.
This drill is fairly simple. You need about 30-35 cones (or any object of a similar size if you don’t have cones). Scatter these cones around randomly in a small area with no set pattern or design (that’s the idea: make them look like land mines in the grass). The closer together the cones are, the more challenging this drill will be.
Now, it’s as simple as taking your ball, and for 2 minutes at a time dribble your soccer ball in and out of the cones, again in no set design. Really concentrate on keeping the ball close to you as you zig zag through the cones, trying your best not to hit any.
Note: the closer together the cones are, the more difficult it is to not hit a cone. Depending on your ability and playing level, you may want to start with the cones no closer than 4-5 feet apart. As you improve, you can move the cones closer together. Also, you can challenge yourself by saying you’ll do 9 sets of 2 minutes, and for each cone you hit, you do an additional 5-10 seconds in a 10th set.
Remember, as you start to fatigue, this is when you need to concentrate harder because you’ll start to lose control of the ball as your legs get tired. Good luck, and remember: Perfect Practice Makes Perfect!
