Want to add lob shots to your striker skills? With our video you'll learn how to dink the ball over the keeper.
After close range shots, long-range shots, and bending the ball, now we move on to duels with goalkeepers. If you're a striker just starting to play football and you're looking to learn more techniques, or you play regularly but had trouble in your last match, we explain how to dink a ball.
This programme was developed in partnership with the NGO Sikana.
With the support of Decathlon, Sikana has developed a global learning platform to support sportsmen and women, schools, associations, and NGOs who want to make the benefits and pleasure of sport accessible to all. You can access dozens of digital programmes and hundreds of videos for free at www.sikana.tv.
Dinking the ball is a technical move that is complex to execute but spectacular to see and can really help out near the goal.
The aim is to use this move when you find yourself in a duel situation, particularly when the goalkeeper is advancing towards you to protect their goal. When they do that, the space opens up and gives you an opportunity to try a lob.
And if you're crazy for dribbling and other technical moves, you might like to try dinking your ball to avoid an opponent's tackle.
The aim of dinking the ball is to achieve a bell-shaped trajectory to your ball so it passes over an obstacle: a goalkeeper's stop, a sliding tackle from your opponent, tourist towels on the beach.
To perform a successful dinked ball, stay upright, with your feet facing towards the target your body slightly bent forward. Use the top of your toes to hit the part of the ball closest to the ground. Your foot should be at a right angle to your leg as you kick.
Here you need to achieve a nice, crisp shot: put some power into your kick but stop as soon as the ball goes. The shorter the contact between your foot and the ball, the higher it will go!
Now you know how to dink the ball to land a goal in a one-on-one. Head to the pitch to train, or check out our next video on free kicks.
