Football Tips On How To Score A Penalty

How to Score a Penalty? Sometimes, the game comes down to one play. If you get the chance to put the ball in the back of the net on a penalty kick, you’re overjoyed. Unfortunately, most penalty kicks that fail are not the result of a great save by the goalkeeper, but of a poor shot that goes wide. Don’t let that happen. Learn and practice how to shoot high-accuracy penalty kicks correctly, so your team can rely on you when it matters most.

Shooting a Penalty Kick

1
Possess the ball yourself. Don’t let the referee, goalkeeper, or another player place the ball for you. You’re the one doing the kicking, so you should place the ball on the penalty marker. Run your hand through the grass to remove any tufts, stones, or sticks, then place the ball as high on the grass as possible.

Ideally, the ball should be slightly inflated on the grass so you have the best chance of hitting it clean. If the spot is worn out, don’t worry too much. Kicking it on the ground is a high-probability shot anyway. Just make sure you take the height of the ball into account in your approach.

2
Take three or four steps back. Plant the ball, then take three steps back, and take a step forward on the side of your non-kicking foot. You don’t have to go very far to kick the ball, and most players only need one approaching step and one planting step to get enough power behind the ball to score a penalty. More than that is usually unnecessary, but do what feels comfortable to you. Practice different approaches and find out what works best for you.

Some players find that starting from mid-field will give you more power in your shot. Although this may seem scary, the truth is that you need to slow down as you approach the ball to make sure you don’t get hit on the wrong foot. Walking fifty steps to take a penalty kick gains you nothing but fatigue.

3
Win the psychology game first. Don’t look at the goalkeeper, listen to your opponents’ chatter, or pay attention to what anyone is saying. Keep the field quiet, watch the ball, and think about what you’re doing. Nothing else matters right now except putting the ball in the back of the net. The goalkeeper will probably be jumping around, waving his arms, and acting confident.

That’s because the goalkeeper knows you’re about to score. Stay focused and calm, and you’ll be that much closer to the goal.  Alternatively, if you’re feeling alpha, stare at the goalkeeper with all your might. Burn holes in the back of the net with your eyes. Intimidate your opponent.
Statistically, more penalties are missed than saved. Your biggest opponent in a penalty kick is not the goalkeeper, but yourself. Remember this.

4
Pick a spot to aim at and stick to it. Where is the best place to take a penalty kick? Wherever you feel most comfortable. A penalty kick is a high-probability shot anywhere on the net, but thinking too much causes many players to get in their own way and change their minds at the last minute. You won’t see anything before the kick to help you change your mind. Pick a spot and be confident it’s the right one. Remember the golden rule, “A spot once chosen for a kick should never be changed. No second thoughts.”

Statistically, it is true that most penalty kicks are scored in the bottom left corner of the net. The top left corner is the second-highest percentage, followed by the bottom right. This is because most players are right-footed, and naturally hook the ball to the left.

When in doubt, keep the ball down. Shots aimed at the top corners are rarely saved but are missed the most often. If you are a very accurate shooter, you give yourself the best chance by aiming at the top post, but statistically, the chances of missing are very high.

5
Relax and breathe. When you have placed the ball and decided where you want to shoot, just relax. Feel confident. Over 70% of penalty kicks end in a goal. Focus on your task, focus on the technique of the shot, and wait for the referee’s whistle. Tell yourself that you are going to score.

Regardless of where you are going to shoot, imagine the shot going past the goalkeeper and into the net. Imagine yourself moving the ball, hitting it clean and powerful, and scoring a goal for your team.

When you hear the referee’s whistle, it is best to move as quickly as you can and not give yourself too much time to think about it and make the wrong decision. You don’t need to bother the goalkeeper anymore. The time is now.

 

6
Kick the ball with the front of your foot. Place your non-kicking foot a few inches to the side of the ball and push the ball in with the back of your kicking foot. This gives you the best control over the ball, allowing you to push it to the spot you want and into the back of the net. Continue your kicking motion, moving your foot upward and pointing your toe in the direction you want the ball to go.

The curveball is all about follow-through. The more you practice this technique, the better you will be able to manipulate the ball in different ways. Some players like to use the laces, applying more power to the ball by moving backward, which is also a great way to kick. This usually results in less accuracy, but more power. If you want the ball to go higher, place your plant foot just behind the ball and lean on it so that the ball stays under the bar. If you want to aim for the top corner, you have to do this.

If you want the ball to stay on the ground, use the front of your foot and move the ball forward forcefully. Don’t try to be too fancy with your aim. The ball doesn’t have to hit the post, it just needs to reach the net.

7
If there is a rebound, let your teammates get the rebound. If you miss, be careful before moving forward and taking another shot. Another player, whether it’s an opponent or a teammate, must touch the ball before you do. If the goalkeeper saves the ball but it bounces out, run to the ball as fast as you can and try to put it in the net. If you head the ball off the post, another player has to touch it first or you’ll be called for a foul.

Practicing Penalty Kicks

 

1
Develop a list of shots. Whenever you go into the box to take a penalty kick in soccer, you should have no more than three options for shots. Don’t make it harder than it needs to be. Practice taking penalty kicks from three different locations and make them your shot list. Perfect each one of them, so you know that when the time comes and you make that decision, you will be able to score from any of the three locations.

Wherever you’re most comfortable, most likely shots are, practice them, and don’t worry about any other options. Most goalkeepers randomly dive left or right, making it very difficult to predict where the goalkeeper will be when you take a shot. Since this happens so quickly, you are always playing a game of chance.

However, if the goalkeeper is familiar with your style of play, it’s a good idea to have a few options in your bag at all times. Again, more shots are missed than saved, so it’s mostly up to you. Most saves are in the bottom right corner of the goal. Some goalkeepers anticipate that right-footed kickers will try to outwit them by going to the unnatural corner. It’s best to keep the process easy and simple. Shoot to the corner that feels best.

2
Take penalty kicks when you’re tired. Anyone can hit the ball in the back of the net a few times, but what about when you’ve been working hard on the field for half an hour, fighting for balls, taking corner kicks? Your legs will be tired, you’ll be sweaty and exhausted and suddenly all eyes are on you. Your legs might feel like lead, but you have to score a great goal that will put your team ahead. Train properly. Take penalty kicks when you’re tired and learn to slow yourself down and calm down, focusing on mechanics and movement so you can score.

3
Measure your approach and practice the different phases. For some players, a two-step approach will be enough to get the power they’re looking for. Others may need a different number of steps, or they may want to play to intimidate the goalkeeper with different approaches and fancy footwork. That’s fine. Practice leading your kick from different phases and see what feels most comfortable to you.

Some players like to take a few steps back before they advance the ball, so they can force a stutter-step, or take a few small steps forward. This helps throw off the goalkeeper’s timing and can force the keeper to jump early, which means you may be able to hit a shot into an open net.

4
Practice with distractions. Again, it’s easier to hit the ball into an open net. Practice with a keeper who’s talking crap. Practice when your little brother is mocking you from behind and telling you you’re going to miss. Practice when the music is loud, the insects are screaming, and it’s raining. Practice in the worst conditions and you’ll be prepared for anything.

5
Practice blindly. It’s time to focus on the PK game. If you really want to take your penalty kick shooting to the next level, practice them with your eyes closed. Literally, the distance from the penalty spot to the goal and the dimensions of the goal will be the same every time you want to take a penalty kick. This means that your approach, your mechanics, and your shot placement should be automatic. You should be able to do this with your eyes closed. Why not give it a try?

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