How to Shoot a Soccer Ball

Detailed Guide and Shooting Drills

Learning how to shoot a ball with accuracy and power in soccer is more challenging than most think. 

Especially when the ball you are trying to hit is bobbling unpredictably along the field or flying your way during the middle of the game

If you've never been trained before by an experienced coach, even approaching the ball at first can be a great challenge. 

Knowing how to shoot a ball is among the most basic and exciting part of playing the beautiful game. Kicking a ball with precision and accuracy is a beautiful thing for the soccer player who strikes it and the people watching it from the sidelines.

You can learn how to shoot a ball and set yourself up for success by doing regular practice, preparation, and putting in the work. Here is a complete guide on how to shoot a ball in soccer.

A Step by Step Guide on How to Shoot a Soccer ball

How to Shoot a Soccer Ball

Take a touch: The first touch is critical and will go a long way when it comes to determining your shots' power and precision. Once you receive the ball, you must control it using your first touch to set yourself up for a good shot. That means that the ball should end up a couple of meters away from you to help you reach it in a single step before striking it. 

If the ball is too far away, you will be forced to stretch to make contact, and if it's very close, you will lose accuracy and power. The way you set yourself up for the kick is the most important aspect of striking the ball with precision.

Maintain your eyes on the soccer ball: If you have taken a touch and have set yourself up for success, you should have an idea of where everyone else is on the pitch, know your target, and the ball should be settled nicely in front of you.

Since you know what to do to get the ball into the back of the net, keep your eyes on the ball following a quick scan of the pitch. That will significantly help you to boost your precision and ensure that you strike the ball into the back of the net.

Plant your leg next to the soccer ball: In this step, you need to plant the foot firmly you utilize to stand on for a good balance next to the ball and don't use the kicking leg. Plant your foot on the ball's side, but it should not be very close to it because you won't be able to shoot accurately.

Again, your standing leg should be pointed towards where you would like the ball to end up when you kick it. If done the right way, leg placement and keeping your eyes on the ball will help with your power and accuracy.

Drawback the kicking foot: The power you require to put into shooting the ball will determine how far you need to draw your kicking foot backward. For instance, when you wind up for a shot, you need to draw back your leg when bending at your knee until you create a V shape to help you produce lots of power.

However, for a simple and short pass, you only have to draw your foot back shortly to get enough power to strike your target. Over time, every player will learn the amount of power they require on every kick.

Allow your body to relax: Setting yourself up to shoot, planting your leg, and running to kick the ball will make your body mold itself naturally into a very comfortable shape. Also, your arms will fly out in a natural way to help you maintain your balance.

The arm on your planted foot's side will naturally fly upwards while the other will easily fall backward in synchronizations with your kicking leg winding up to shoot the ball. By allowing your body to move naturally and relax, you will help control your kicks by not forcing the body to do things that don't feel right.

Correctly position your body: When playing soccer, the ball will head in the direction where your body points in most cases. That means you need to position your body in your target's direction because it is challenging to get the ball in the intended direction when you are looking in the wrong direction.

Generally, it is quite difficult to control the precision and flight of the ball if some parts of your body conflict. In the same way, you lose accuracy and power when you stand very close to the ball, you'll also lose precision and power if your body is incorrectly positioned when making shots.

Kick the soccer ball: To have a powerful shot towards the goal, you should kick the ball with boot laces with your body angled towards the target and your foot back in a V shape. The big bone in your leg after the big toe will serve as a club, which will forcefully propel the ball towards the goal.

You need to strike the ball in the middle, not too close to the ground for maximum power. If you would like to curve the ball into the back of the soccer net or put some spin on it, then you need to kick the ball on either side of its center based on the direction you want it to go. 

Follow the ball: The momentum of your body should easily follow the ball after making contact and kicking the ball. If you are trying a powerful shot, for instance, your kicking foot will fly in the air once you strike the ball.

To improve your shooting precision, you need to allow that to happen naturally because sudden stops can easily disrupt your kick. Also, you will discover that the rest of your body will naturally move with your shot.

Your follow-through will also help in determining where the ball ends. To prevent the ball from rising higher in the air, you need to limit how far you raise your striking foot. Also, ensure you land on the kicking foot before continuing with the game to avoid injuries.

Soccer Shooting Drills

  • Shooting Agility Drill

  • First to Finish Shooting Drill

  • Final Pass & Finish Shooting Drill

  • 1, 2 Shoot Shooting Drill

  • Turn & Shoot Shooting Drill

  • 1-on-1 Shootout Shooting Drills

  • Team Sniper Shooting Drill

  • Cross & Finish Competition Shooting Drill

  • Moving Goal Shooting Drill

  • Cross Control Shooting Drill

  • Quick Finish Competition

  • Diagonal Shooting Drill

  • Sequence Shooting Drill

Shooting Agility Drill

This drill can help you work on your check-runs and agility after passes. It makes your body flexible enough to make perfect shots after a pass.

Drill Setup

  • You need about ten to twelve cones to make a channel that is close to the penalty area.
  • Use four to five cones to make a line-shaped towards the corner flag. This line should be created above the already made channel.
  • The coach should stand at the far end of the created channel, some few meters in the marked penalty area, and close to the goal.
  • The player shooting the ball should start four to five meters at the far top-end of the cone channels with a soccer ball.

Drill Instructions

  • The shooter or the player at the leading position in the queue takes the soccer ball and passes though the cone channel to a target player or the trainer.
  • The shooter then makes a quick check-run to the opposite end of the channel where the target player or coach stands.
  • The trainer passes back the ball to an advancing attacker within the channel.
  • The advancing attacker or the shooter again pass the soccer ball to the trainer and speedily backpedals to the top end of the channel where he/she began.
  • The trainer then kicks the soccer ball off in any direction. A coach may decide to point to a specific direction to lay off the ball or kick it without signaling and allow the player to follow the ball quickly.
  • The advancing attacker and shooter should quickly react and run to the side in which the pass was made. He/she then sprints around the channel end. The shooter finally takes a shot.

Drill Variations

  • You can let the players know the side you are to lay off the soccer ball in making the drill more straightforward.
  • Create a variation of shots through stopping, spinning, or bouncing the soccer ball as you kick or lay off in an unannounced side.

Coaching Points

  • Encourage the shooters to work on their full speed when practicing the drill.
  • Let every player work on enhancing their quick movement and agility after making a soccer pass.
  • Make the players enhance their reactions to the ball pass and the direction to which the pass was made.
  • Emphasize the need to have intense strikes on the ball when making the stride shots.
  • Every player should follow through the ball towards the goal and maintain full control of the ball using all parts of their foot.
  • The sudden turns, dribbling, and other soccer agility skills should get emphasized during the training.

Equipment

Drill Ages

  • This shooting drill suit players who are playing in the junior leagues of ages nine years and above to those in the professional leagues of seventeen years and above.

Drill Focus

Best Soccer Training Equipment for Shooting

Soccer Goal Targets

When it comes to practicing shooting and scoring in soccer, one of the best ways is to utilize soccer goal targets. Most of the popular soccer stars known for their excellent scoring ability not only possess their skills from their talent but also regular practices. Practicing using soccer goal target refers to a training routine that can help you develop your shooting muscle memory.

It also helps you enhance your shooting skills regardless of whether you are getting started in soccer, a recreational weekend-amateur player, or a professional player. 

However, to get proper practice, you'll require the right gear, and that is why you require soccer goal targets for training purposes. By utilizing soccer goal targets, you can train yourself even to the point that placing the soccer ball on the appropriate area becomes a breeze.

Soccer Rebounders

The main reason soccer is one of the most played group sports across the globe is that it is simple. Find somewhere and someone that you can kick the ball with, and you have a game. 

However, one of the things that might hold you back when you want to play is when you don't have someone to play with, making you miss out on crucial practice time. And that's where soccer rebounders come into the picture.

A soccer rebounder refers to a soccer training item that serves as a second soccer player that allows you or your team to practice the art of volleying, passing, and striking.

Soccer rebounders are usually the difference between soccer players who commit themselves to train to become pros in the sport and those who play for sideshow amusements.

Working with soccer rebounders means that you can easily practice your team skills every day and excel in the game without the rest of your team. By repeating different plays and sharpening your skills with practice, you can develop your talent, and position yourself for successful shots during competitions.

Soccer Defender Mannequins

When practicing soccer shooting skills, you will sometimes find yourself in need of some stand-in walls that act as defenders, and that is where mannequins come into the picture. The main purpose of soccer mannequins is for accurately practicing free-kicks.

A single soccer wall mannequin can make a significant difference when it comes to soccer shooting precision practice. However, you can also use them for almost every other soccer drill where you require a defender.

Soccer mannequins are ideal for developing spatial awareness when you or your team are training give and go skills. For soccer drills with some forwards, you can use them to practice timing runs off the defender's shoulder. You can also use them as slalom obstacles close when practicing ball control drills.

Whether you are coaching a soccer team or sharpening your free-kick skills, soccer mannequins are an integral piece of your training equipment because it is incredibly beneficial.

Although they cannot fully replace defenders for every exercise, they are great devices that can help you increase the realism when practicing different soccer drills. It is one of the best training equipment that can have a great level of impact on your personal or team skills.

FAQ

How can I improve my shooting in soccer?

One of the best ways to improve shooting techniques and accuracy is to get your soccer players working through various soccer drills and having many practice sessions.

Luckily the tactics used in soccer shooting are similar to those used in soccer passing. 

Therefore, as the ability of a player to move the soccer ball progresses through the use of the outside foot, side foot and instep to swerve the soccer ball, their shooting capacity will always develop as well.

How can I get my team to take more soccer shots?

The soccer game is all about scoring some goals. Therefore, if you encourage your soccer players to take some more shots and aim the soccer ball at the spots the goalkeeper finds quite challenging to reach, your chances of scoring success will improve.

The quickest and best way to get your players to take some more shots during the game and scoring more regularly is to change their attitude on shot taking.

How can I help players who are afraid of missing shots in a soccer game?

It is normal for some players to become afraid of missing shots during a soccer game. To help them overcome this fear, you can implement the tips below.

  • Praise your team for taking on shots. Doing that will help boost their confidence is shooting and even make them more encouraged to take a shot every time they get an opportunity.
  • Prevent your players from moaning any time their teammate misses a shot. That will build confidence and also improve the team spirit.
  • Tell your players it is better to take on a shot and miss than fail to shoot.

Which angles are good for soccer scoring?

Once you get closer to the goal, understanding the best scoring angles is vital. You need to decide fast as to whether your angle is better for passing off or shooting.

Although it's a good idea to play the best positions, you can get away with what angles that look impossible at times. 

The best angles you can use for scoring in soccer are those slightly near to the goal's side or straight in front of the soccer goal.

How can I improve my finishing in soccer?

The art of finishing and shooting is an important aspect of soccer regardless of how good you are in the sport.

Generally, goal-scoring opportunities are usually limited in soccer games, and that's especially true the higher you go in the sport.

That further emphasizes the significance of being able to shoot to take your chances whenever an opportunity presents itself during the game, which eventually determines the results of the game.

The best and only way to become better at shooting and finishing is to keep shooting more.

What are the right questions to add here?

Just like ball passing and control drills, you need to ensure that your body's position and foot swing are correct before each shot.

You need to be conscious of the foot part you use to make contact with the soccer ball. It's important to work on the contact of your foot with the soccer ball to achieve the type of shots you would like.

Always challenge yourself during the game. Instead of the ball remaining static, you can limit yourself to two or a single touch before shooting.

You can try doing a volley shot or one touch to prevent the soccer ball from juggling when moving in the air.

Doing that will help you mix various shots you are conversant with and also allow you to react appropriately to a range of game scenarios.

Final Thoughts

When you master shooting in soccer, you'll be able to take on more shots and score more goals. Soccer shooting is not all about power. To master the art of soccer shooting, you'll also require good accuracy and make fast decisions when you want to fire well-placed shots. Those will be the key points for the number of goals you can score during a match.

Good scoring capability is also essential because it might help increase your chances of becoming a professional soccer player. However, just because you are great at scoring does not mean that you'll become a professional. You need to work hard to enhance your weaker sides because there is no perfect player in the world, and they will never exist.

To enhance your shooting skills, you need to practice the drills discussed above during your training sessions regularly. You can also look for videos of the individual drills highlighted in this post because visual guidance might be beneficial if you would like to fully understand the steps, we have compiled for you the ball shooting and control drills.

These drills and shooting guide can be used by players at any age or experience level to enhance their power, accuracy, and effectiveness of shooting or free kicks. 

Keep practicing your ball control, footwork, and shooting drills and you'll soon be on your way to totally controlling, passing, tricking, and accurately shooting the ball. The most important thing you need to master the beautiful art of soccer shooting is to keep practicing and getting your feet to follow every command.

Last update on 2023-09-29 / This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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Lazy Legs

"I learned all about life with a ball at my feet." Soccer allows me to push the limits of creativity and express myself without saying a word. Soccer is my addiction. I train, I play, and I repeat every single day. I hope you like my site. Feel free to say hey. I don't bite. :)