![]() ![]() Taller players can do the same thing, but it’ll take more practice and helps to center yourself low, squatting and staying on top of the ball. Not that height makes you a better dribbler, but he takes more strides per dribble than some other dribblers, and he’s forced to keep the ball close, taking short little quick steps as he moves. It’s almost unfair: Messi is a great dribbler in part because he’s short. Practice keeping your eyes looking up at the action around you, focusing on defenders hips to see which direction they’re moving so you can anticipate the best way to get them off balance or even catch them with their legs spread for a morale-killing nutmeg. Good vision is essential to good ball control and excellent Messi-style dribbling. Gradually build up your speed and your dribbling stamina, aiming for a touch on the ball every 2-3 strides. It’s easy to keep the ball close while you walk around, but it’s much harder to do at a full sprint. It’s important to practice as a quick clip. ![]() You’ll force yourself to control the ball and keep it close to make it around the cones without going all wonky. To build your close-dribbling skills, practice snaking through cones as quickly as possible. Messi and other great dribblers keep the ball extremely close to their body as they move, almost as if it were glued to a short rope around the ankle. If you want to learn how Messi dribbles, you can start building the fundamental dribbling skills and juke-maneuvers he uses to up your game to the next level. His dribbling recalls great players like Diego Maradona, and his ability to keep the ball in close to his body and change direction explosively is why he’s widely considered one of the greatest players of his generation, and maybe one of the greatest players of all time. Lionel “Leo” Messi makes professional defenders–great defenders–look like fools. ![]()
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