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If you’re here, it’s likely because you’re serious about getting better at soccer.
Whether you've recently got into the game or started playing soccer as a young child, as a U17 player there is plenty of potential for improvement.
You might be aiming to make varsity, earn more minutes on the field or have a future goal of landing a college scholarship. Whatever your reason, every great player not only needs to put in work outside of practice, but also put in extra time practicing by themselves on a regular basis.
If you have 3 practices per week, putting in even just one more individual practice can increase your practice time 25%.
So if you want to be improve, you have to put in the extra work to sharpen your skills and separate yourself from the competition. This guide is built for that.
What You’ll Need
- Soccer ball: Your BFF
- Cones or markers: Don’t have cones? No problem. Use whatever you’ve got - get creative.
- A wall or sturdy fence: You need something to send the ball back to you.
- Training space: You don’t need a full field. Most of these drills can be done in your yard or a small section of a park.
- Water: Stay hydrated. You’d be surprised how much hydration affects performance.
- Grit and determination: You don’t have to be the most naturally gifted player, but if no one outworks you, no one will outplay you. That mindset will manifest into every part of your game and life.
Warm-Ups: Get Your Body Activated
Warming up is non-negotiable. It loosens up your muscles, increases blood flow, and wakes you up so your body and mind are in sync. When you are a young adult, stretches can seem useless and boring, but you will understand how important it is the more you play and as you get older.
Movement Warm-Ups
- Jogging: 2-3 minutes of light jogging to get the blood flowing.
- High Knees: 30 seconds. Gets your core activated and stretches all the muscles responsible for explosive speed.
- Crossover Running Drill: Shuffle sideways, stepping one foot over the other in front, then behind. Great for loosening up hips and legs for dribbling.
Soccer-Specific Stretches
- Quad Stretch: This one’s easy - stand up straight, grab your foot, and pull it up behind you toward your butt. You should feel the stretch in the front of your thigh. Hold it for about 30 seconds, then switch legs.
- Hamstring Stretch: Sit down with one leg straight and the other bent. Reach toward your straight leg while keeping your back straight. Hold it for up to 30 seconds, then switch sides.
- Calf Stretch: Put your hands against a wall for balance, step one foot back, and keep that heel flat on the ground. Lean forward until you feel the stretch in your calf. Hold it for 30 seconds, then switch legs.
Ball Juggling Drills For Better Control
Ball juggling isn’t just for fun or showing off, it is a very important skill that develops first touch and ball control. Juggling enables players to practice controlling the ball with different parts of their foot and body, like thighs, chest, shoulders and head. Being comfortable and confident controlling the ball in different ways will make you feel calmer when playing on the field.
Here are a few variations of jugging that will help improve your ball control. All of these are featured in the video below.
- Alternating Foot Juggles – Go from one foot to the other, hitting the underside of the ball with the laces. Keep it hip-high or lower for control.
- Thigh Juggles – Keep the ball in the air, alternating between thighs. Bend your knees so they’re parallel to your hips to create a flat surface.
- Thigh-Foot Juggle – Start with a thigh touch, let it drop to the foot of that same side, then alternate.
- Low-To-High Juggles – Mix in soft and hard touches to learn control at different heights.
Dribbling Drills & Ball Mastery
Lionel Messi, Diego Maradona, Pele, Neymar, Cruyff. What do these soccer all-time greats have in common?
They were all masters of dribbling and had the ability to split defenses, penetrate and move the ball into scoring positions. Watch this video to inspire you ahead of trying the drills below.
Here are a list of curated dribbling and ball mastery drills that develop control of the ball at all speeds, as well as integrating feints to get past defenders. Perfect these through diligent practice and they will make you a dangerous player with the ball.
- The Cone Weave – Set up 10 cones in a straight line, about a foot apart. Dribble through them using only your right foot. Too easy? Decrease the space between cones or speed up.
- Figure 8 Dribble – Set up two cones, 5 yards apart. Dribble in a figure 8 pattern, working on quick direction changes.
- V-Pullback Dribble – Drag the ball back with the sole of your foot, then push it forward at an angle to create a V-shape.
- Body Feint and Fake – Dribble forward but fake in one direction before exploding the other way.
- Ronaldo Chop - This is a trademark move by Cristiano Ronaldo used to cut inside an opponent after a dribble. Here he is bamboozling defenders with it...
Wall Drills For Better Control
Incorporate wall drills into your practice to develop your passing and ball control. This simple practice will help you learn how to pass using different parts of your feet, how to control the ball speed of your passes, how to manipulate the ball using spin, and how best to control the ball as it immediately travels back towards you.
Here are some examples to get your started - all of these are featured in the video below.
- Inside-Outside Touch - Pass the ball against the wall using the inside of your foot, then take a quick outside touch before passing again. Keep alternating feet and maintain a controlled rhythm to improve ball control and first touch.
- Elastico Touch - Pass the ball against the wall, then use an outside-to-inside Elastico move before passing again.
- Snap Back Touch - Pass against the wall, then quickly pull the ball back toward you with the sole of your foot before passing again. Focus on a quick reaction and smooth, controlled movement to refine close control.
- Half V Tap Touch - Pass the ball to the wall, then use the sole of your foot to drag it diagonally backward before tapping it forward and passing again.
Scoring and Finishing Drills
Now let’s focus on putting the ball in the back of the net. Scoring isn’t just about blasting shots - it’s about placement, positioning, power and sometimes touch. The best players have all of these characteristics and can not only help you with scoring goals in the game, but they will also help with PKs, free kicks and corner kicks as well.
Finishing Drills for Deadly Accuracy
These drills will help you develop precision and adapt to different scoring scenarios that you will experience many times in games. They start with controlled situations to refine your accuracy and precision, then move to more dynamic exercises so that you can execute that same precision under different conditions. All drills are featured in the video below.
- Stationary Shot – Set the ball 10 yards in front of the goal. If you don’t have a goal, head back to the wall and visualize one. Take a few steps back, plant your standing foot beside the ball, and strike the ball straight down the center using your kicking foot. Take 20 shots with each foot.
- Corner Shots – Now that you're warmed up, shift your focus to accuracy. Instead of going straight down the middle, aim for the corners. Hit the bottom left, bottom right, top left, and top right - one shot per corner. The order doesn’t matter, just make sure to hit all four with both feet.
- Rolling Shot – Place your foot on top of the ball. When ready, roll it 2-3 yards diagonally forward to the right or left. Approach and strike the moving ball cleanly, focusing on solid contact and accuracy. Take 20 shots with each foot.
- Shoot On The Move – Place one cone 12-20 yards from the goal, then step back 10 paces and place another cone - this is your starting position. Dribble toward the first cone, perform a move (feint, chop, or another quick manoeuvre), and immediately take your shot. Practice from different distances - closer to the goal and at range to understand what shot power you need from different ranges.
Level Up Your Soccer IQ
Practicising your skills is one thing, but understanding the game on a deeper level is what separates good players from great ones. Every elite player has a high soccer IQ - it’s what allows them to make split-second decisions with confidence.
There will be moments in a game where it’s loud, intense, and chaotic. You won’t always be able to rely on your coach to guide you through every situation. That’s why you need to train your mind just as much as your body. The best way to do this? Study the game.
The best players in every sport are obsessive about watching film.
Yes, you watch soccer games as a fan, but do you study soccer games with the interest of learning? Watching a game through a coach’s eyes is one of the best ways to build your soccer IQ. It’s not just about enjoying the goals - it’s about breaking down the game, recognizing patterns, and learning how the best players make decisions.
Here are a few tips on how to watch smarter and take your game to the next level:
- Lock in on One Player - Pick a single player (perhaps a player who plays in your position) and focus on them for 10-15 minutes. You’ll start to see the details that get lost when watching the full game - how they move off the ball, scan the field, create space, and handle defensive pressure. Pay close attention to how they win the ball back and position themselves to regain possession. Studying one player’s habits gives you a deeper understanding of decision-making and movement at a high level.
- Stop Ball-Watching – See the Whole Game - Don’t just follow the ball - expand your vision. Watch the players, how they move in units, how the opposition sets up, how does a team change when attacking or defending. If your eyes are glued to the ball, you’ll miss the little things that separate great players from the rest. Of course, you need to track the ball, but train yourself to also read movements, spacing, and positioning.
- Decisions – Use pause and ask questions - Watching a game can be educational, but actually stopping the play and analyzing positions can give you time to properly analyze a situation. Then while on pause, ask yourself, “What would I do here?” or “Should I be in a defensive mindset or a defensive mindset?” Pausing and asking these questions are a more interactive and participatory way to view games that can increase your soccer IQ to understand the best teams and players.
Some great tips about how to study soccer film that uses this pause and question process is here.
Want to take it even further? Start watching yourself. Record your scrimmages and games so you can analyze your decisions. A simple tripod and your phone is all you need. Watching your own footage lets you break down what worked, what didn’t, and what you can improve. Doing this consistently will level up your soccer IQ and help you see the game in a whole new way.
VR Training – The Next Best Thing
Can’t get outside to train? VR is a game-changer because it uses technology to immerse players into a realistic game environment. VR is a great option to improve your game on days that you don’t have access to physical training or even while recovering from a match or injury.
Professionals have been using VR training to increase their soccer IQ, learning new positions and training during recovery. Below are some of the training tips for VR training from the pros.
- Improve your Game-Speed Decision Making - If real life is 1x game speed, what if you could train your brain to work at 1.20x game speed? This is what professionals do to help real life games feel slower. Playing at higher speeds can improve your decision making so that you are almost predicting what happens in a game as well as analyzing complex situations to make them simpler during a match.
- Increase your in scanning skills - Gain valuable performance insights with real-time data tracking. See where you excel and what areas need improvement with AI-driven feedback.
- Measurement to track progress - VR training apps are able to put quantifiable measurements into behavior to increase techniques like scanning. Instead of going out and simply saying, “I have to scan the field more,” VR can actually measure how many times you are scanning so that you can accurately improve this aspect of your game.
The Be Your Best VR training app that allows you to work on your soccer IQ anytime, anywhere. It tracks your progress, has a leaderboard, and lets you train in real-game situations. It’s perfect for rainy days, off-days, or when you just want to get extra reps without needing a field.
Final Thoughts
At the end of the day, it all comes down to how much effort you're willing to put in. The best players aren’t just the ones who show up to practice, they are the players who will put in the extra work outside of practice. While it is important to rest on your off days, fitting in 1 to 2 more training sessions a week will make you a better player.
We hope this solo training program will help you achieve your goals and please share with us on any changes you might suggest as well as letting us know how helpful it has been for you. We would love to hear from you.
Want to take it even further? Check out this article on Getting Better at Soccer Without Touching the Ball - because there’s always another level to improvement. It’s not just about the physical reps; it’s about training your mind, studying the game, and finding creative ways to level up.
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