It’s important to practice as a quick clip. It’s easy to keep the ball close while you walk around, but it’s much harder to do at a full sprint. Gradually build up your speed and your dribbling stamina, aiming for a touch on the ball every 2-3 strides.
To work on your speed, do wind sprints with a ball. Try to go as fast as you can with as many touches on the ball as possible. Time yourself and work on getting your time faster from one end of the field to another. Run lines, or suicides. To build your fast-twitch explosiveness, start running suicide drills that’ll have you moving back and forth across the field, from the goal line to the 6 yard (5. 5 m) box, the 18 yard (16. 5 m) box, mid-field, and back.
If you’re right-footed, most defenders will instinctively guess that you’ll go right, which might be your natural tendency anyway. Use that misconception to your advantage.
You don’t have to go super-fast to find space, you just need to make the smart dribble and catch the defender flat-footed and out of position. He won’t be able to touch you.
