Becoming a Great Striker

by Raul Carrillo
(California)

Question/Comment:

My name is Raul Carrillo and I'm trying to make it as one of the best proffessional soccer players one day..I am a striker/finisher!! I need some advanced pro drills..if you can please help me. Thankyou!!


Answer:

Raul, before you start to work on your game to develop as a great striker you first need to know what makes a great striker. Before I give you some drills to work on you need to ask yourself if you have these qualities as a striker.

1) Great posting striker (holding the ball up to lay off or combine with your teammates.)

2) Great finisher of the ball with the inside and top of your foot.

3) Ability to create your own goal

4) Work ethic on the defensive pressure side of the ball

5) Ability to take players on at speed on the dribble

6) Technically gifted (ball control, passing, first touch)

Posting this list of qualities that make a great striker in your room will help you strive to improve your all around game.

There is more information on what makes a great striker at the page below:

What Makes a Great Striker


Now on to some drills. I'm not sure of your level so I'm going to assume you need to start with the fundamentals (like every great player)

Having a friend or using a wall you can balls driven in to you from different distances with a man on your back to see how your control is. This simulates holding off a defender when your teammate serves you a ball in a game.

When you're done with that one try and lay it off to your right and left as if you were laying it off to a teammate in a game.

For more advanced pro drills for strikers have a look at Pro Level Soccer Drills and you will find high level difficult drills there.

These should be repeated every day until these skills become automatic. Good luck to you.

Filip
Soccer-Training-Methods.com

Skills

by Andrew
(Faribault Minnesota USA)

Question:

Hi I have just received my English citizenship and am going over this summer. I play right back I will be training with Sheffield Wednesday but I noticed they are all huge and I'm not. What does a right back need to not only make the u 18 team but stay in the club and make it to the first team. What should my summer program consist of to make sure I have the best trial i can? Thanks
Andrew


Answer:

Andrew, It's exciting that you're going over to England to train with a quality side. I've had some professional experience training and trials in England myself.

For you to become a quality outside back the number one quality you need to have is being a terrific 1v1 defender. That is what will get you in a side and keep you there. All the other elements will follow naturally but that is the starting point of any great back.

I feel all great outside backs have these three non soccer qualities about them or character traits:

1) Fiesty
2) Take personal pride in getting beat
3) Competitiveness

These three qualities make for a great 1v1 defender.

Now as your game develops you will want to be composed on the ball as center mids will often look to you as their release. So being able to play the easy pass and maintaining posession is the next step.

Finally (and this may take years) is the combining going forward piece. Looking for overlaps and linking up with your outside flanker will be the last part of your game which produces something in the offensive third. This will be crosses, shots on net or balls played into dangerous areas.

In terms of your summer program from a phyiscal satnd point is you should incorperate speed and agility workouts, strength workouts and above all your fitness has to be at the pro level.

What's the pro fitness standards? Well to get training like a professional you have to be fit like one and if you're truly considering playing professionally then this
6 Week Pro Training Program is perfect for players like you who need to get top level fitness before a trial. It's actually why I designed this program taken from pro teams i've played with.

Hope this helps Andrew and good luck to you.

Filip
Soccer-Training-Methods.com

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