“I’m a decent striker, but ended the season with quite a poor goals tally. How can I improve my finishing over the summer?”
Sam Cormack, via email
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says:
“Finishing is so many things. I used to watch strikers all the time. The best training session is simply to watch them, then go out and copy them.
To be a good goalscorer and a finisher you need to know what to do first, and then you go and train to become as good as you can be.
I used to always work on finishing techniques – hitting the ball correctly and getting a good strike on the ball.
One of the best exercises is just hitting the ball against a wall, getting it back, hitting it against the wall again, getting it back, striking it on the half-volley and on the volley and making sure you get your head and your knee over the ball.
I used to go out by myself all the time and practise in the afternoons when everyone else had gone back home. I’d throw the ball in the air, take a touch to the side and finish.
As a striker you have to be a bit selfish and you have to be ready to take the responsibility, so maybe the best thing to do is practise by yourself so that you’re mentally ready.”
For more football tips see:
Andy Cole: Finishing a one-on-one
Jermain Defoe's six-step guide to striking
Michu: Break through the defence
Demba Ba: Hit the target every time
Rickie Lambert: How to hit the back of the net
