c. Shooting
Without shooting, soccer cannot be played. Often, strikers are regarded as the
world’s greatest –for example, Berbatov, Robin Van Persie, and Rooney etc. This
is because they score goals, which win them matches. Therefore, shooting is very
important in soccer, and it requires good technique.
Since we are talking about street soccer here, shooting is even more important, because shooting can practically be done from anywhere in the court because the court is so small. Thus, a huge emphasis is placed on shooting in street soccer.
Below are some very basic steps that you should observe when you want to shoot the ball.
§ If possible, you should look up to see the position of the goalkeeper, and choose a side to shoot the ball.
§ Move towards the ball ( if it is not with you)
§ Plant your non-kicking (support foot) beside or slightly ahead of the ball, which helps to keep the shot low ( shooting the ball low will be covered below)
§ Keep your head steady and focus your eyes on the ball.
§ Make solid contact with the ball.
§ The ankle of your kicking foot should be locked and the toe should be pointed down if shooting with instep.
§ The hips and knee of your kicking foot should be pointed in the direction of the
shot.
§ Follow through to keep the ball low and hard (weight going forward, landing on the kicking foot).
Tips on aiming
1. For actual shooting itself, a shot is just a pass to the back of the net. So all the techniques apply.
2. A common mistake made by strikers is shooting at the keeper. Don’t look directly at the keeper, just think to yourself that you need to pass the ball to the open corner of the net.
3. Also, don't aim a couple of feet inside the corner so the shot doesn't have to be perfect. Make sure you have good technique with your supporting foot pointing to where you are shooting.
Tip to improve your chance of scoring:
1. Shoot wide rather than high. There's a better chance of getting a deflection
that will wrong-foot the goalkeeper.
2. Shoot low. It's harder for a keeper to reach shots which are across the ground because it's further for them to travel. If you want to hit a low shot, you
should always lean back a bit. (Just think about it. If the shot is on the same
height as them the goalkeeper has to dive horizontally. However, if the ball is
on the ground, they have to dive both horizontally and vertically, making it
much harder to crouch down and get it.)
3. Shoot across the keeper. It's tougher for keepers to hold these shots, and
means there will be a higher chance of the keeper knocking the ball back into
the path of other attackers.
Have you guys ever wondered if there's actually a "sweet spot" in shooting a ball in soccer?
- A place where you could kick the ball and it would go in almost every time? That is for you to decide. However, here are some statistics done in a recent study, analysing where scored goals most often went into the net.
After analysing these imperative statistics, we can come to several conclusions.
By looking at the statistics, 62 percent of all goals were scored low. This
absolutely makes sense because it is very difficult for goalkeepers, especially
tall ones, to get down to the ground. Furthermore, they have to cover further
distance to get to the ground. It's much easier and more natural for them to
jump high. Another reason why low shots have a higher chance of scoring then
high shots is because when players go for high shots they often miss the target.
Next, looking at the statistics, 67 percent
of goals were scored in the corners versus 33 percent down the middle. This is
again perfectly sensible because keepers have to dive to get to a shot which is
further away from them, rather than saving a shot which is straight at them.
Shooting
methods
1. Powerful shots
Shooting a soccer ball with power or driving a soccer ball is quite an important skill in street soccer. As the court is small, if you hit the ball with a lot of power, the keeper might not have enough time to react to the powerful shot. It is also important to have a powerful shot, such that you can shoot from anywhere in the street soccer court…
The technique to shooting powerful shots is very simple - Shoot with your laces, as this allows more surface area on ball while shooting. This will give you maximum power while taking shots, and is especially good for long range shots.
Shooting the ball with power is better shown than explained. Please enjoy the
video below and practice to master powerful shots.
Without shooting, soccer cannot be played. Often, strikers are regarded as the
world’s greatest –for example, Berbatov, Robin Van Persie, and Rooney etc. This
is because they score goals, which win them matches. Therefore, shooting is very
important in soccer, and it requires good technique.
Since we are talking about street soccer here, shooting is even more important, because shooting can practically be done from anywhere in the court because the court is so small. Thus, a huge emphasis is placed on shooting in street soccer.
Below are some very basic steps that you should observe when you want to shoot the ball.
§ If possible, you should look up to see the position of the goalkeeper, and choose a side to shoot the ball.
§ Move towards the ball ( if it is not with you)
§ Plant your non-kicking (support foot) beside or slightly ahead of the ball, which helps to keep the shot low ( shooting the ball low will be covered below)
§ Keep your head steady and focus your eyes on the ball.
§ Make solid contact with the ball.
§ The ankle of your kicking foot should be locked and the toe should be pointed down if shooting with instep.
§ The hips and knee of your kicking foot should be pointed in the direction of the
shot.
§ Follow through to keep the ball low and hard (weight going forward, landing on the kicking foot).
Tips on aiming
1. For actual shooting itself, a shot is just a pass to the back of the net. So all the techniques apply.
2. A common mistake made by strikers is shooting at the keeper. Don’t look directly at the keeper, just think to yourself that you need to pass the ball to the open corner of the net.
3. Also, don't aim a couple of feet inside the corner so the shot doesn't have to be perfect. Make sure you have good technique with your supporting foot pointing to where you are shooting.
Tip to improve your chance of scoring:
1. Shoot wide rather than high. There's a better chance of getting a deflection
that will wrong-foot the goalkeeper.
2. Shoot low. It's harder for a keeper to reach shots which are across the ground because it's further for them to travel. If you want to hit a low shot, you
should always lean back a bit. (Just think about it. If the shot is on the same
height as them the goalkeeper has to dive horizontally. However, if the ball is
on the ground, they have to dive both horizontally and vertically, making it
much harder to crouch down and get it.)
3. Shoot across the keeper. It's tougher for keepers to hold these shots, and
means there will be a higher chance of the keeper knocking the ball back into
the path of other attackers.
Have you guys ever wondered if there's actually a "sweet spot" in shooting a ball in soccer?
- A place where you could kick the ball and it would go in almost every time? That is for you to decide. However, here are some statistics done in a recent study, analysing where scored goals most often went into the net.
- Top Left: 8 percent
- Top Center: 4 percent
- Top Right: 5 percent
- Middle Left: 7 percent
- Middle Center: 8 percent
- Middle Right: 6 percent
- Bottom Left: 22 percent
- Bottom Center: 21 percent
- Bottom Right: 19 percent
After analysing these imperative statistics, we can come to several conclusions.
By looking at the statistics, 62 percent of all goals were scored low. This
absolutely makes sense because it is very difficult for goalkeepers, especially
tall ones, to get down to the ground. Furthermore, they have to cover further
distance to get to the ground. It's much easier and more natural for them to
jump high. Another reason why low shots have a higher chance of scoring then
high shots is because when players go for high shots they often miss the target.
Next, looking at the statistics, 67 percent
of goals were scored in the corners versus 33 percent down the middle. This is
again perfectly sensible because keepers have to dive to get to a shot which is
further away from them, rather than saving a shot which is straight at them.
Shooting
methods
1. Powerful shots
Shooting a soccer ball with power or driving a soccer ball is quite an important skill in street soccer. As the court is small, if you hit the ball with a lot of power, the keeper might not have enough time to react to the powerful shot. It is also important to have a powerful shot, such that you can shoot from anywhere in the street soccer court…
The technique to shooting powerful shots is very simple - Shoot with your laces, as this allows more surface area on ball while shooting. This will give you maximum power while taking shots, and is especially good for long range shots.
Shooting the ball with power is better shown than explained. Please enjoy the
video below and practice to master powerful shots.
2. Finesse shot
A finesse shot is
quite useful in street soccer because it is a placement shot, curling the ball
into the corners of the net. Finesse shots are pretty much like taking curling
free kicks. It is the same technique. To take a finesse shot, you have to curl
the shot by wrapping your foot around the ball. Also, it is good to note that
approaching the ball from side on will mean more curl is applied to the ball.
You always have to remember that when taking finesse shots, you are passing the
ball into the goal. The technique of taking finesse shots is better shown than
explained.
A finesse shot is
quite useful in street soccer because it is a placement shot, curling the ball
into the corners of the net. Finesse shots are pretty much like taking curling
free kicks. It is the same technique. To take a finesse shot, you have to curl
the shot by wrapping your foot around the ball. Also, it is good to note that
approaching the ball from side on will mean more curl is applied to the ball.
You always have to remember that when taking finesse shots, you are passing the
ball into the goal. The technique of taking finesse shots is better shown than
explained.
3. Chip shots
Chip shots are useful when going 1 on 1 with the keeper. Even though it is rarely used in street soccer due to the small size of the court, it is still a valuable skill. These are some basic steps in chipping a soccer ball.
a. Swing your leg back (this depends on how far and high you want to kick it).
b. Hit the bottom half of the ball, but do not follow through with your foot. You should ‘stub’ your foot into the ball, stopping short as soon as you make contact with the ball.
c. Hit the ball with the top of your toes, getting underneath the ball. This makes the ball go in an arc and over the keeper into the goal.
Chip shots are useful when going 1 on 1 with the keeper. Even though it is rarely used in street soccer due to the small size of the court, it is still a valuable skill. These are some basic steps in chipping a soccer ball.
a. Swing your leg back (this depends on how far and high you want to kick it).
b. Hit the bottom half of the ball, but do not follow through with your foot. You should ‘stub’ your foot into the ball, stopping short as soon as you make contact with the ball.
c. Hit the ball with the top of your toes, getting underneath the ball. This makes the ball go in an arc and over the keeper into the goal.
In conclusion, there
are many types of shooting methods. It is for you to decide what type of shots
to use when faced with different circumstances. Practice hard after you grasp
the technique to become a master in shooting. However, the main principle in
shooting is very simple – shoot on sight! .. Because it is irrelevant learning
all the different techniques in shooting if you do not shoot.
are many types of shooting methods. It is for you to decide what type of shots
to use when faced with different circumstances. Practice hard after you grasp
the technique to become a master in shooting. However, the main principle in
shooting is very simple – shoot on sight! .. Because it is irrelevant learning
all the different techniques in shooting if you do not shoot.