In soccer, the most important aspect of the game is your touch on the ball. According to most ODP (Olympic Development Program) coaches, your first touch is the most important touch on the ball. With a good first touch, you are now enabled to perform a variety of other skills such as passing, dribbling, and shooting. At a young age, your first touch is not as important. But when you get older, the level of play becomes faster and more intense, requiring you to make quicker decisions. To be able to make quicker decisions requires complete control over your body and your touch. This is why it is crucial to develop a good feel for the ball.
To be a successful soccer player, it is important to have a great first touch. Like I said earlier, your first touch is what enables you to carry out other actions. With the rapidly increasing level and speed of play that you experience when you get older, if you do not have a great first touch, chances are you will not have the opportunity to do anything else with the ball. This is why your first touch is THE most important touch you get on the ball.
When you have established a good first touch, you can now be creative. After your first touch, you now have the ability to dribble. Dribbling the ball requires a lot of focus and takes a lot of practice to be the best. Along with a good touch, you must have the confidence to take someone on and know that you have the ability to beat anyone. Needless to say, to achieve this level of confidence, you must practice.
Here are some great ways to improve your first touch as well as your overall feel for the ball. Many of these exercises will require two or three people.
Here is a link to Nike's elite training program for control followed by the videos you will need in order to complete the drills. Many of the exercises listed require two to three people. This is a very good way to kickstart your training.
http://www.nike.com/nikefootball/content/training/downloads/pdf/Nike_Training_PDF_EN.pdf
