The Glancing Header

The glancing header is ideal when you are under pressure and don’t have time to receive and put the ball under control. To give you a hint of what I mean with the sentence above, I want you to consider this example; let’s assume that your team is awarded with a corner kick. You are standing about 5 yards from the post closest to the corner arc.

Suddenly, the ball is flying towards you; however your scoring chances are pretty low because you are almost in line with the post. Instead of wasting a goal scoring opportunity you are letting the ball deflect off your head and another teammate that is better positioned scores. This example describes a common situation where this type of header is pretty useful.

When performing it you should try to use the center of your forehead and not the side of the head. To produce deflection on the ball you need to turn your head just before impact. The amount of deflection depends also on the angle that your head is turned at.

So, how to perform a glancing header? Well, let’s see…

1. First of all, you need to identify the speed and path of the ball.

2. Second, try to take one or two yards towards the ball.

3. Once the ball arrives, simply deflect it with your forehead and follow throught. So, if the ball arrives from the left you will perform a follow through to the right and vice versa.

4. This technique is similar to a standard header. However, in this case you are not arching your back to generate power on the ball. Instead, you are just letting the ball deflect off your head.

Summary
To add more difficulty you may involve jumping before heading the ball. However, if you are new to soccer I recommend you to first learn the basics. Good luck with your practice.