Two-Footed Like Ousmane Dembélé: 3 Fantastic Drills to Boost Your Ambidexterity

When it comes to ambidextrous soccer players, few can match the prowess of Ousmane Dembélé. The Paris Saint-Germain winger is renowned for his ability to use both feet with equal skill, making him unpredictable and versatile on the field. This unique talent was on full display during PSG’s historic 5-0 victory over Inter Milan in the 2025 UEFA Champions League final, where Dembélé provided two assists and played a key role in securing the club’s first-ever Champions League title.

Of course, Dembélé brings more than just ambidexterity to the pitch, but his two-footedness is arguably one of the most impressive aspects of his game—and one of the hardest to defend against. If you’re aiming to develop similar abilities, we’ve selected three excellent drills that target this exact skill.

These drills are drawn from Peter Schreiner’s latest book, Two-Footedness in Soccer – Train Players Completely. In this new release, Schreiner combines theoretical foundations with 84 practice-oriented training exercises designed to help players of all age groups develop and perfect their two-footed skills. Whether you’re a coach or a player, integrating these proven methods into your sessions can make a major difference in becoming more unpredictable and effective on the pitch.

Drill 1 – Group of 3 – Left-Right-Open to the side

Set up three dummies staggered as shown, with one player at the central dummy without a ball, a passer with the ball at a starting cone, and a target player without a ball on the other side at a cone.

• A passes to B, who starts behind the dummy and moves towards the ball.
• B passes back to A with the left foot and quickly moves to the other side of the dummy to receive another pass from A.
• B passes directly back with the right foot and opens to the dummy on their right side.
• A passes to B’s foot, who expects the ball in an open position and takes it past the dummy with the first touch.
• Then, B passes diagonally to C and takes their position.
• C dribbles towards the dummy, passes the ball to A, and the sequence starts again.
• After several repetitions, A and B switch roles.

Drill 2 – Finishing passes from the goal line and the side

2 small goals as target zones in the corners of the goal, two dummies 8-11 meters in front of the goal. Four cones as markers for the passers and the shooter’s running path. One shooter, four passers, 2 at the goal line, 2 next to the dummies, each with 2-3 balls.

• The four passers alternately pass two balls from the left and right into the path of A.
• The shooter runs to the first pass from C and finishes directly or with two touches with the inside of the right foot, diagonally into the target zone behind the dummy.
• Then, the shooter runs around the dummies to the other side, receives the pass from B, and finishes flat and powerful with the left foot into the right target zone.
• The shooter runs around the dummies again and receives a pass from the goal line, shooting it parallel into the goal.
• After another sprint around the dummies, they receive the second ball from the goal line, which they also shoot parallel into the goal.
• The second series follows. Afterward, the players switch positions and roles.

Variations

• The diagonal passes should be played parallel into the target zone.
• The parallel passes should be played diagonally into the target zone.
• Vary the goal distance and the location of the dummies.

Drill 3 – 1v1 on two large goals after running up

Divide eight players into two teams, A and B. Set up two large goals 16-24 meters apart with goalkeepers, and position six passers on the outside (four at the goal lines + two at midfield) with two balls each. One attacker and one defender position themselves in the center of the field.

• The attacker sprints toward a passer in any order.
• The passers pass a ball into the attacker’s run.
• The balls from the goal lines should be finished with the right foot from the right side and with the left foot from the left side.
• The balls from midfield are controlled by the attacker, who then finishes after a short dribble.
• Once all pairs have been in the center, the defender and attacker switch roles.
• Which team scores the most goals?

Variation

• The passers have one ball on the ground and one in their hand. This should result in one ball being finished with the foot and one with the head.