Finishing

[coppa]

I've always played defense, which is partly to blame for my horrendous finishing ability. I play at a high level (going into National League for club, just made varsity as a sophomore) and am good at most facets of the game. But finishing eludes me. I don't know, whenever I get a cross sent to me I struggle to figure out what to do. It's just not natural to me. Does anyone have tips for me?

[Kevin8833]

I've always played defense, which is partly to blame for my horrendous finishing ability. I play at a high level (going into National League for club, just made varsity as a sophomore) and am good at most facets of the game. But finishing eludes me. I don't know, whenever I get a cross sent to me I struggle to figure out what to do. It's just not natural to me. Does anyone have tips for me?
Repition, keep working on it until you get it right.

[snolly g]

do you have a crisp, accurate pass?

then think of it as passing the ball to the net.

[SamuraiB1ue]

If you can find a racketball court around your area or a nice and big concrete wall, I suggest kicking the ball against it. I've used the wall for training and I can tell you that it helps with your technique. You can practice volleys against the wall and I can guarentee that your technique will get much better if you practice against a wall.

[clarke_19_rangers]

i dont know if im wrong but i thought u couldn be learnt finishing ( you were born with it) but i might be wrong

[garethchelsea]

you cant learn abilities but you are born eith them and everyone has them its ust wether you train them right or not. so lots of training, skills can be learned but also need practice. If you are just shooting the best option is away from the keeper in the opposite corner across him because then he can only parry it out into open play for a rebound if he does save it.

[ReadyToDoIt]

ofcourse you can learn to finish its hard to, but it can be done.

but it is true that some people are just born with that predator finish.

I started as CM and never really was a good finisher, but over the last 3/4 years i moved upfront, and after playing upfront in training/5 a side/every time i got a change my finishing really got good.

[Ronny`]

I've always played defense, which is partly to blame for my horrendous finishing ability. I play at a high level (going into National League for club, just made varsity as a sophomore) and am good at most facets of the game. But finishing eludes me. I don't know, whenever I get a cross sent to me I struggle to figure out what to do. It's just not natural to me. Does anyone have tips for me?

I have a funny habit of volleying the ball over the net at short speeds, so you and I have a similar prediciment. What my coach told me is to just square up to the cross, and NEVER be caught Flat-Footed or you will just fall head over heels over the ball when you try to finish on goal. But just an idea ;)

[yufu14]

1. If the ball is coming too fast, go ahead and take a touch first.
2. If you're dribbling, finish to the wide area of the net, where it is hardest for the keeper to get to.
3. If you are at close range, finishing with the inside of you're foot can be deadlier than with the outside. Once you get to a certain range, accuracy trumps power.
4. Try to surprise the keeper with things like finishing off the one touch, switching attack sides, or making play right in front of the net etc.
5. Practice, practice, and practice any time you can, whether by yourself or during soccer practice, just take a couple of shots at the net and experiment with what is most comfortable and effective for you.

[markluvceltic]

the only way to become a clinical finisher is practice. i'll admit that im not the best finisher on crosses, maybe because im small, but if you want to get better you have to go out of your way to practice more. finishing is one of the most difficult skills to master and takes more time maybe than any other skill. its really frustrating and you wont see immediate results, but with the right drills and exercises, eventually your finishing will improve. first, just try dribbling into the penalty area, and simply try to beat the goalkeeper. strike the ball low, goalkeepers hate it. then try finishing crosses, with the head and feet. just keep at it until you can score 9 out of 10 times. then practice more until you can score 10 out of 10 times.

[BigGuy]

The good finishing strikers continuue to practice after the team practice is over. They use servers and backs and they take on 1 or two defenders off there dribble, and they play using a keeper.

There are not too many good finishing backs except on fk's, and on corners.

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You have to always be up when the ball is up if you want to be in a position to score when team mates have the ball. Push yourself to do that.

Better running on to a pass to the
left or right then just waiting for a pass with a man on you.

Get service more underneath the back then over the top of the back.
Coming to a ball underneath the back clears space for your mid to attack if
your movement pulls the back. You can't wait for a pass underneath to come to
her. You has to go to the ball or you will be bumped off the ball by the
back.

You have to be comfortable playing the ball coming from the left and right
side of the field as well as from the back a ton of repetition. So you have to work on your weak foot if you has a weak foot. Most have a weak foot so
get service that forces you to use the weak foot.

Di you have a compact quick shot. Get the space, shoot it has to be
that fast so you need to think a head.

You also most learn to shield, and shoot. So work on 2 touch
in a small space with someone leaning on you. Once you can do that and score,
you will feel you could beat any body two touch is a great confidence builder.

Do you have a move to reverse your field by yourself. So use that to loss pressure,
and get a quick shoot off it a soon as you lose the defender like the cryuff move.

Get comfortable with service from all over the field, so no matter where
the ball comes from you have seen it all before.
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Set up the keeper for your shot if you are one on one with the keeper. You have to do something that will get the keeper to move left or right. Then
when the keeper moves just pass the ball where keeper was he will not make
that save.

If you get the keeper to commit to you, and there is a team mate open don't
force a shot instead pass to that player. Be a good decision maker.

Use takeovers in the area to make space for a shot using your team mates. Get the defender moving with you, and lay the ball off to a player moving in the other direction where you came from for a quick shot. They should do the same
for you to help you get that quick shot off. Two man tactic easy to do and it
works.

Beat your last defender, then get into his lane of pursuit so she can't
recover her defensive position on you. Then you can forget about him, and
just worry about setting up the keeper.

Dribbling on the keeper from a flank. Keep going inside past the near post
until the keeper moves inside then shoot your near post.

If a back is on your inside shoulder, and goal is on your inside shoulder push the
ball further out away from goal. That gives you time and space for a shot
where you had no space to shoot before.

Keeper comes out to take away the angle and the near post on you. Push the
ball further outside again away from goal, and then shoot near post high and hard. That
might leave you some near post angle to shoot at and score.

Repetition is boring at times, but it works. The fun part is when you can do
stuff in games and score

You won't get all this is a day or a week or a season. But get some of it.

[Henry Porter]

Lots of good ideas here but the biggest thing is to stay cool when you get your opportunities. Staying calm will help you, especially since you obviously have the talent.

[Wasted]

Here is the biggest thing that people do to miss the shot: Trying to put too much power behind the ball.

Accuracy is much much more important than the power of the shot.

So practice hitting spots without killing the ball. Moving to the right, left, forward and hitting a certain spot on a wall for example. Once you get better at this slowly work on adding more power to the shot.

[krnsoccer]

I have the same problem... Even when playing games. I guess what works is just looking at a corner and shooting? IDK, several of the other replys seem like good advice.

[Henry Porter]

I have the same problem... Even when playing games. I guess what works is just looking at a corner and shooting? IDK, several of the other replys seem like good advice.

When I was playing in college it wasn't putting the ball in the corner but rather where the keeper couldn't get to it. I feel if you are just aiming at the corner it's more likely to be a miss and a shot on target always has a chance of being fumbled or going in.

[Remedar]

It´s all about self-confidens! Believe that you can, it works for me.

[BigGuy]

I have the same problem... Even when playing games. I guess what works is just looking at a corner and shooting? IDK, several of the other replys seem like good advice.

Don't look for a corner shoot at the outside wall of the netting shoot at that.

[CCSC_STRIKER20]

It´s all about self-confidens! Believe that you can, it works for me.

Bingo.

Look at some strikers who are great finishers.

For example, Thierry Henry.

The man knows he is good. He is self-confident, maintains his cool, and uses his talent to put away a ton of goals.

It was more apparent when he played for Arsenal.

[Big Soccer Member]

Imagine that you are going to score and that you will be wheeling away celebrating in a few seconds. This actually works. For me, when I do this my brain automatically picks the spot in the goal that makes this out come most likely and then I place it there and score. Imagine yourself scoring. Imagine yourself scoring. Imagine yourself scoring (repeated for memorization).

[BigGuy]

Imagine that you are going to score and that you will be wheeling away celebrating in a few seconds. This actually works. For me, when I do this my brain automatically picks the spot in the goal that makes this out come most likely and then I place it there and score. Imagine yourself scoring. Imagine yourself scoring. Imagine yourself scoring (repeated for memorization).

Just like Maximus told his men before the battle in Germania in Gladiator, and it does work.