What is half-touch mentality?
Briefly the half touch mentality is about fast thinking process and quicker decision making, from this definition we can divide the players into 3 categories:
1- players doesn't know what's happening in the game.
2- players knows what's happening as it happening.
3- players who already know what will happening next.
The first one when he\she receive the ball he\she will kick the ball randomly because they don't know what is going on. And surely the best decision maker will be the third one because for example when he\she receive the ball he\she already has information's about the game.
One touch training:
When we talk about half touch skill, we must know it's had a big relation with one touch training because it's the way to acquisition this skill, how? at one touch training the players must look and think many times before they receive the ball (because they forced to play like this because of the training rules), and this make them have time and space to execute the pass perfectly, and teach players when to play one touch and when not. The one touch training is not just about playing one touch as we saw.
Principle of what one touch training improving (half touch mentality):
One touch training improving the player mind by look and think.
One touch training make player know when to pass one touch and when not, and when to receive and turn, and how to move off the ball to support his teammate.
One touch training make player recognize where, when and how to play the ball.
One touch training makes player more awareness about time and space.
One touch training improving the player body position especially when he\she receive the ball.
One touch training improving communication skills, vital by eye contact and verbal by speaking together.
One touch training improving the player footwork and improving accuracy and pace of pass.
One touch training when repeated it many times it becomes a subconsciously decisions and that is the ultimate level we want to reach.
Sometimes one touch training doesn't work because of bad body position, poor accuracy and pace passes and the player doesn't found support around him.
The famous one touch training is called rondo, it's had a lot of shapes and rules. A simple detention of it: it's a group of players who passed ball at closed area and there is a smaller number of groups who want to cut the ball. Xavi Hernandez is at ultimate level of half touch mentality this is his talk about the subject:
"When you arrive at Barcelona the first thing they teach you is: think. Think, think, and think quickly. Lift your head up, move your head, see, and think. Look before you get the ball. If you’re getting this pass, look to see if that guy is free, make a decision before you get the ball”
When the real match comes and there are unlimited touches with ball and more space, the player will find the game easier after theses training and acquisition half touch mentality skill.
Written by- Ahmed Hussein
