Taking Penalties in Soccer
Kick the Ball
Everyone loves taking penalties in soccer training- then hates it when there is the massive pressure in a match! But I’d like to refer you to my section on shooting in soccer before we look at penalties beacuse first you do need to be able to shoot.
If you’ve looked at shooting already, here’s how to physically take a penalty.
Power penalty;
1) Take a reasonably large run up to the ball
2) Aim where you want the ball to go but don’t look there
3) Drive your laces through the ball and keep your head over it
4) Watch the ball fly into the back of the net…hopefully
Placed penalty;
1) Take a short run up
2) Aim where you want to put the ball but don’t look there- the best place to put it is in the corner away from the keeper
3) Kick the ball with the side of you kicking foot
4) Watch the ball slot into the corner of the goal
The Real Skill of Penalties in Soccer
The key to taking a good penalty is…there are may key points. Here they are:
1) Place the ball away from the keeper in the corner of the goal- either in the bottom corner or the top corner but not in between the two. If you place it at average height then the keeper will reach it easily.
2) Even though you are concerned with the placement of the ball, still kick hard enough that the goalie won’t be able to just walk across the goal and pick the ball up.
3) Don’t tell the keeper where you are going to put the ball by looking there. (Having said that, if you’re really clever you can trick the goalkeeper into going the wrong way by looking at a certain place)
4) Keep your COMPOSURE. Stay cool under the pressure and focus on the task in hand without getting distracted.
So you’ve mastered taking penalties in soccer, now you could try shooting in general…