How To Be a Good Striker in Soccer
Step-by-step Instructions
Here is what you need to do...
Step 1
Know your spacing and movements. There are many different types of strikers that can be great, and there is only one thing that all of those great strikers have. They all have a nose for goal, what I mean by that is, they know where to be to get the ball in good positions. They have a hunger to find the ball near the goal and put it away. Find a way to get the ball in or near the box and you will find that you can be somewhat effective no matter your other skills. Practice moving around without the ball to get yourself open. Another big part of finding good space is moving in unison with your striking partner, you need to see the movement of the other player and work off his movement. Work on staying parallel with your teammate and not taking up the space he moves into.
Step 2
Perfect your touch, being upfront means that you will be going against 3 to 4 defenders sometimes by yourself. To be an effective striker you will need to have the ability to lose defenders and keep the ball. Work on receiving a pass at your feet, in the air, and running onto the ball because without a good first touch you might not have a second.
Step 3
Practice with targets. Not all strikers have a powerful shot, but you will still need to be accurate, even the slowest shot has a chance to go in if placed in the correct spot. Set up your goal and instead of using a goalie place a cone a few steps inside each post, also hang a shirt from the top bar about the same distance as each cone. Now practice receiving the ball and hitting between the cone and the post. You will find that your accuracy can increase by using this drill.
Step 4
Using your body is very crucial to being a good striker, you don't have to be big to be able to keep the ball under pressure. It's all about keeping your body between the defender and the ball. Use your hips to seal the defender from the ball and maintain your balance.
Step 5
Strikers need to be to use both feet when under pressure as well, so make sure you practice using both feet to become a more effective striker and overall player
Special Attention
Difficulties people often experience or parts that need special attention to do it right.
Remember that you need to practice all elements to become a better player and get to work.
Stuff You'll Need
| Brand | Product | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Cintz 30 ft Fixed rungs Soccer Speed and Agility ladder in a bag (Ladder splits into two ladders of 15 ft each) | $27.66 |
Suggested Further Reading
| Author | Title | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Soccer Handbook for Players, Coaches and Parents | $31.50 |
This Student Author
This Student Author's Background
Funny or interesting story about this topic...
Being a striker is one of the most rewarding things in all of sports. You are the first man of attack, the big target that everyone wants to find close to goal. Playing striker also brings you a lot of attention from the other team, they see you as the biggest threat to their goal. If you do get a chance at goal make it count, if you score it is the greatest feeling in the world. One of my greatest memories was from my high school days as a youngster, as a freshman I scored the most goals I ever had. Specifically I can remember my favorite game from that year, down one goal to none with around 20 minutes left in the game I found myself awaiting a corner kick. I was looking for a gap between defenders to make a move towards goal, once the ball was played in I took off to the front post. The ball fell beautifully to me as I got one step ahead of my defender. I met the ball with my head giving a skillful little flick to the back post and saw the ball hit the side netting. It felt great so I grabbed the ball out of the net ran it to the circle to start the game back up as quick as possible. The game went on and continued to look in our favor, eventually I saw the ball in the final third once again and I looked for an opportunity. I drew a foul about 25 yards from goal and knew right away no other player was going to touch this free kick. I stepped up confidently and curled a ball around the wall, It felt good coming off my foot. I saw the goalie dive and knew he wouldn't be able to get to it, the ball smacked off the inside of the right post and in. I was instantly swarmed by my team mates, I felt on top of the world. We won the game and I became a hero in the eyes of my teammates.
When did you first do this & how did you get started?
I started playing soccer at age 4. I never played striker until I was around 10 or 11, I was put up top for one simple reason, my quickness and speed. It turned out to be a great move.