In this blog, we are going to go over the best soccer shooting practices.
In my early adolescence, I started soccer training for the first time. At the beginning I was never one of the main picks for my coach. I was the last player to be picked from the bench, and most matches I didn’t even make the bench.
It was really hard for me back then. I always felt that given the chance I could perform! The beginning is always hard, and if you quit something you’ll probably do it right after you start. Me however, I never missed a lesson, or a training session, I was always there, always ready to go. This persistence would pay back big time.
A few months went by and I had a total of probably 5 games, where I was picked to even be on the bench and I had a total of less than 10 minutes of playtime. Until one match. My team was having a hard time scoring, the result was a tie and had been so for the past 85 minutes.
No goals were scored. I get subbed in the last five minutes. I am passed the ball, I move one step forward towards the goal, shoot and score. This was the beginning of my career. This was the day that I proved my worth to my coach.
Experiences like this taught me that the best thing to possess as a soccer player is shooting technique. So, allow me to help you improve your shooting technique, by showing you some of the best soccer shooting practices. This will hopefully help you prove yourself when opportunity comes knocking.
Best soccer shooting practices to do by yourself
You need to keep in mind that the most important thing about shooting is precision. If you can nail that down, the rest will be easy. The best soccer shooting practices are ones that help you develop precision. Try to make shooting a reflex! Start simple: place the ball near the goal, and just take shoots. It is as simple as that.
After a few shots you’ll eventually get a feel for it. At this point introduce targets to your practices. Aim for the right coroner, then aim for the left bottom corner, then somewhere else in the goal. The point is for you to be able to shoot the ball in whichever direction you so please.
This is something that you should do even as a pro. The reflex of netting the football in, is a reflex that can be lost. To keep it alive and kicking, keep doing soccer shooting practices.
Introduce cones to your soccer shooting practices. Put a cone near the penalty area, tun towards it, try dribbling past it and then shooting. This will help you stimulate the in-game experience. Most of the time, the shots you will take in-game will be to a moving football. You will rarely be given the opportunity to shoot a still football.
Combine all of the above mentioned techniques. One of the best soccer shooting practices you can make is a “Frankenstein’s monster”. Combine all the shooting drills you have been doing so far into one. Dribble past a cone, and try to shoot a moving football into a specific area of the goal.
Try different angels. Shoot from the left of the goal, then from the right side. Try going further away. Think about all the positions from which you will have to shoot in a real game. Try to emulate them. Repetition is key here.
Best soccer shooting practices to do with a partner
Again, it is important that when doing your soccer shooting practices, you try and create a situation like the ones you will face in real games. A partner can help you a lot with that.
Do the “double-pass and shoot” drill. You start walking with the ball towards the goal, pass it to your partner, he then gives it back to you, and you shoot it with the first touch.
Have your partner be a defender and try scoring while he tries to stop you. You can take turns doing this, as it will help you both grow you techniques.
“Double-pass and shoot” but with cones. Place a cone near the penalty area, do the double-pass with your partner, then dribble past the cone, and then shoot.
“Airborn”, have your partner cross the ball to you, then try shooting the ball mid-air. The cross shouldn’t be so high, it should be low enough for you to reach it with your foot.
Don’t focus on shooting techniques. You can master the curve ball or something similar later. These are in my opinion the best soccer shooting practices to give you the reflex of shooting.
The best soccer shooting practices will help you improve your shooting game a lot. With a proper guidance on how to effectively kick the football, you will be able to astonish everyone next time you have the ball and you see the opportunity for a shot.
