Ever remember the gasps in the stadium when Neymar brings a long ball down effortlessly? Or remember Lionel Messi’s silkiest of touches every team the ball opted to meet his foot? Well, all that magic is in the first touch.
Everyone would love to have a great first touch but most of us do not know how to develop it the right way. So, here is our technical head, Nikhil Menon, explaining and demonstrating the basics in the simplest way possible.
All set to try out the perfect first touch now? Before you do that, watch the first and second video in this series on dribbling and shooting, if you haven’t already.
Now that the basics are clear, have a look at some of the world’s best take a delightful first touch by applying the basics.
1. Mesut Ozil
Be it for Real Madrid or Arsenal, Mesut Ozil has been wowing fans with the smoothest of first touches time and again. The German combines it with great ball control and vision to devastating effect every time he gets the opportunity.
2. Lionel Messi
One of the greatest technical players ever, the Barcelona man’s first touch is a thing of beauty. Messi regularly highlights how a great touch can combine with an excellent reading of the game to outfox opposition.
3. Neymar
The Brazilian superstar currently plies his trade at Paris Saint-Germain and is one of the best attackers around. Among his arsenal, his insane first touch constantly helps him pull off the extraordinary.
Finally, here is a bonus video of some of the best first touches ever for you to take inspiration from.
Thus, these are the basics of first touch and how some of the world’s best implement them every single time.
Feel free to share your views in the comments below.
