You most likely know by now that soccer is a sport based on kicking the ball. From passing to shooting, soccer is all about how you kick the ball, with varied strength, and parts of your foot.
Shooting on goal requires different skills and knowledge of how to kick the ball than passing does. If a player can become comfortable shooting the ball with various parts of their foot and with both feet, they can have more opportunities on the field for scoring goals.
So which part of the foot should you use when shooting?
It’s a complex question and depends on the situation. Let’s break it down…
Distance
The distance between the goal and the ball plays a major role in how you shoot the ball. If you are further away, you need to prioritize power over accuracy. To hit the ball with more power, you need to use your laces.
As you get closer to the goal, you need to prioritize accuracy over power. The closer you are, you will use the inside surface of your foot.
As you get to higher levels in competition, the angles on goal become a factor as well. At some point, you will need to curve the ball. To curve the ball, it is a combination of laces and the inside.
Wow! That’s a lot of information on which part of the foot to use when shooting!
Free Kicks
A free kick is an unopposed kick on the ball. This happens when the game is stopped because a foul is committed. The team that was fouled kicks the ball to restart the game. Free kicks can take place anywhere on the field.
Free kicks are not penalty kicks. A free kick is taken outside of the 18-yard box. Any player can take a free kick. The ball is placed at the spot of the foul and the opposing team must stand at least 10 yards back.
A free kick allows a team a chance to maintain possession of the ball. Free kicks can be far and hard, or a short, small pass to a teammate. It all depends on the location of the free kick on the field.
Many times, teams get lucky and a free kick is just outside the penalty area. Because they are a further distance from the goal, the kicker will want to use their laces to kick the ball.
Direct vs. Indirect Free Kick
Free kicks are ruled either direct or indirect. The difference between the two is that the player taking the kick can score a goal from a direct free kick. But the ball must touch at least one more player with an indirect free kick.
Direct free kicks are the most common type of free kicks in a soccer game. A direct free kick is when a player taking the kick can score a goal directly from that kick. The ball does not have to touch another player (on any team) before entering the goal.
An example of this would be when a player kicks a ball up and over a human wall and it flies into the top corner of the goal.
Indirect free kicks are less common in soccer, but they most certainly do still occur. With an indirect free kick, the player taking the kick cannot score a goal directly from that kick. The ball must touch another player (on any team) before the ball enters the goal.
An example of this would be the player taking the kick passes it to a teammate who kicks the ball in. Or the player taking the kick swings the ball high into the middle of the box for their teammate to head the ball into goal.
How to Score on a Free Kick
When shooting a free kick with the purpose of scoring a goal, you will want power and placement. Again, being further away from the goal, power will be essential. Goalkeepers have the advantage of reaction time when free kicks are further out. This is why the shooters need to kick the ball hard and with placement.
To become a strong free kick taker, you will need to train frequently to refine your technique and strength.
To shoot hard, you need your body to be very close to the ball. Hit the ball with your laces, as low as you can without hitting the turf. You want to finish with your contact leg as straight as possible.
Inside the Box
Penalty kicks are different from free kicks. Penalty kicks, or PKs, are given to a team when the defending team commits a foul in their goal box. As PKs are taken closer to the goal, the kicker will want to focus more on placement over power.
During the penalty kick, the goalkeeper and the player taking the shot are the only ones allowed in the penalty area. All other players stand outside of the 18-yard box. These players may only enter the box after the ball is kicked. If they enter before, or if the goalie comes off their line, the penalty kick is retaken.
The ball is placed on a penalty spot. The goalie can only move from their line when the player kicks the ball.
How to Score on a PK
Penalty kicks may look easy, but they are not. To master the PK, it takes power, technique, quality, and a bit of trickery to make your shot cross the goal line. The goalkeeper is also trying to read you and trick you into second-guessing yourself. So, PKs also require mental strength!
As previously stated, because you are closer to the goal, you will want to focus more on placement than power. But shooting the ball hard helps it fly past the goalkeeper before they have time to react.
A goal is too big for a goalkeeper to reach the corners and stumps of the posts. Reaction time might be fast, but a perfectly placed shot to one of the corners is ideal and much harder for the goalkeeper to reach.
First, pick your spot. Where you will shoot the ball is the most important part of taking a PK. You should have an idea, based on your training, of which corner you want to aim for in the goal. Visualize yourself placing the ball in that corner.
Next, make sure to relax. Half the battle of a penalty kick is maintaining confidence and composure. Take deep breaths to help you focus your mind and visualize your technique of kicking the PK.
Using the inside of your foot, aim for the corners of the goal. This is the area that gives you the best chance of scoring the goal! When you use the inside of your foot, you have more control over the accuracy of the shot.
Make a clean strike on the ball. You want to follow through with your kick leg and keep your body loose. You want your head over the ball and focus on which corner you want to place the ball.
Practice as much as possible when you can. Perfecting a penalty kick takes training. Work on placing the ball in multiple corners. This way you will become more confident each time you take a PK.
Why Isn’t the Ball Going Where I Am Aiming?
If you find that the ball is not going to the spot that you are aiming at, there could be some reasons why.
Most likely you are watching your shot as opposed to keeping your head down and following through with your kick. It is a common error and many players do it. Try not to look up to see where your ball goes until you’ve finished the mechanics of your shot.
Another issue might be that you are leaning back too much. Have you seen a player shoot a ball far above the crossbar? This is usually because they leaned back too much. When you lean back, you force your swing leg much higher than it needs to go.
Maybe you took your eye off the ball? When you take your eyes off the ball, it can lead to a missed shot by losing focus.
Make sure you are not flexing your foot too much. You want your foot loose so as not to compromise both power and accuracy.
Where you strike the ball is also important. If you want power, aim for the middle of the ball. For placement, aim for the lower third or under the ball.
How to Kick a Curve Ball
In some instances, you will want to put a curve on the ball. This is also referred to as bending the ball. To do this, you need to put a side spin on the ball.
When you spin the ball clockwise, it will curve to the right. If you spin the ball counter-clockwise, the ball will curve to the left.
Being able to put a spin on the ball takes a lot of patience and practice to perfect your technique.
You want to strike the ball slightly off the center. Place a ball on the field and line up to it about three full strides away. If you are right-footed, approach the ball with a slight angle from the left. Use the inside of your foot to strike near the bottom right corner of the ball.
To spin the ball in the other direction, you will want to approach the ball from the opposite.
Practice striking the ball from different angles and with various amounts of power. You will eventually find an approach that you prefer to help you get maximum spin. Spinning the ball can become a type of art form for some players.
Are you still struggling with goal-scoring? Then reach out to your Blayze coach for more guidance!
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