Tip of the Week: Find a Wall at Home

Coaches are often asked "how do I improve my first touch and first time passing outside of practice?" During practice, players pair up and pass the ball back and forth. However, this takes away from the speed of the passing as it hinges on the ability of each player to be able to pass the ball back and forth accurately. Sometimes players use benches, go to a gym, or find some other type of wall around that they can bounce the ball against for increased velocity and challenge.

 

But how do we get around the fact that we don't have a wall to use at practices? Well, a great alternative option is to find a wall at home and score yourselves on how many passes you make against the wall. You start off with a longer distance (say 7 feet) and simply pass the ball against the wall. When the ball bounces you simply pass it back using only one touch. The purpose is to have the ball go and forth between and the wall at certain speed. Don't let the ball come to a stop! As you get better, you reduce that distance (5 feet) and then even a bit smaller (3 feet). The key is to master the rhythm first before you go and reduce the distance. Some great players have spoken about the benefits of doing this simple drill at home.

Dennis Bergkamp, said that when he was a young player at Ajax, they had little three foot high walls. He would knock the ball against it for hours. He would do it over and over, trying to establish a rhythm.

“I would also hit the ball against the side of the house… Hitting the ball with both feet, seeing how long I could return the wall passes without losing control. I found out later that so many pros spend lots of their childhood doing that.”
So what I would say to you is go find a wall at home. Get your touch down. Once you do, you can begin scoring yourself. For example, you can start on a Tuesday and count how many times you can hit the wall without losing control in a half hour period at a certain distance. The next time, try to go for more passes and once you have that down, aim at reducing the distance but increase the speed of the passes (this means hitting the ball harder so it bounces faster off the wall). Inevitably, you will find that when you are playing your first touch will be better, you will be able to adjust your foot quicker during quick passing in a game and ultimately you will see less turn overs.

I hope this gives you something to try at home on your free time. Aim to do it at least twice a week. You will be surprised at how quickly this helps you improve. For now, take care and see you this weekend.

 

Cheers,

 

Roberto