Unfortunately, there is no option to lock onto a target without subsequently back pedaling. When I used a controller, I rebound the lock-on key to R3, which allowed me to easily cancel target while moving. Another possibly option, though not one I have tried myself, would be to rebind the Target Nearest to Farther and Target Farther to Nearest keys to two different buttons on your controller. This will make targeting somewhat smoother as you won't have to cycle through enemies with the soft targeting.

It's best to get used to strafing instead of relying too heavily on lock-on. What should also help is to make sure "Automatically face target when using action" is checked on. You can find this under Character config --> Target.