Lobbing The Keeper (Soccer)

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The other team have just taken a corner in your half, and the defender has cleared the ball from the penalty area. The ball lands at your feet, and you now have a chance to score on the break. This is why your striker. You use your pace to beat the last defender. You run down the middle of the pitch with the ball. The keeper comes out, ready to pounce at your feet and steal the ball from you. However you have read this article, so you have the situation covered. You confidently flick the ball over the keeper and under the crossbar, and bury the ball in the net. Your team run to congratulate you, and they don’t know it yet, but that goal will mean the difference between promotion and relegation. Lobbing the keeper is an important skill to have, especially as a striker.

First we’ll get to the basics. The only way you are going to lob the goalkeeper really is on the break. A good chance to do this would be from a corner from the opposition. Before the game, tell your manager/coach what you hope to do, and if he thinks your up for it then he’ll tell the defenders. Wait just past the halfway line, in your half, and try to lose your marker. When the ball is cleared, make sure you get to it first. This means the opposition won’t have time to pull defenders back. Once you are confident that you can do the above, and beat the defenders in your way, you are ready to read on.

Once you have beaten the last defender, you have to run through the oppositions half. If you have beaten the last defender then you should be free to run with the ball, and this is a lot easier if you have pace. If you look at the greatest strikers in the world, they are quick and composed. This is what we are moving onto next.

Staying cool in front of goal is the greatest task of all. If you panic, you may end up losing the ball or scuffing the shot. If you take the shot too late, the keeper will pounce at your feet and steal the ball off you, the defender will push you off the ball, or the keeper will get a touch to the ball once you have kicked it. If you strike the ball to early, you will sky the shot or the keeper will easily catch it. Practice in your garden with a friend, find the moment thats perfect for you, and when your ready you can begin to use it in a competitive environment.

To lob the keeper, get your toes under the front of the ball, and flick up you leg in an exaggerated running movement, and the ball should chip up and over the keeper. Go to your local park with a friend, and practice your technique and timing. It will seem hard at first, but one day you’ll question all those one on one opportunities you missed before.