You may know this already that in Coaching soccer drills, every other skill leads to one final aim, a shot at the goal. It is both a matter of skill and intuition to cultivate the art of shooting. But there is something more that is equally important and that is a persuasive attitude.
It is the responsibility of every player but more importantly that of the forward players to shoot the ball. When teaching soccer, shooting should be at the top of your list.
There are so many things that may result from a shoot. Shots can be converted into goals. The goalkeeper might drop the ball exactly at the feet of your forward player. Unruly shots can turn into brilliant passes. Ground shots may return. You may even hit a goal through a straight shot.
During the soccer practice, attacking players are always on a lookout to shoot the ball into the goal at every possible opportunity. They are accustomed to think only about scoring a goal when in the field. In England, these attacking players are known by the term sniffers. This happens because they are always reviewing scoring chances.
They take every shot as if it was the last chance to score a goal. They are always present when the opportunity is right. Amazingly, they have the ability to be in the wrong place at the right time. Hence, in coaching soccer drills, you must instruct the players to hit the ball whenever they get a chance.
In most cases, when the ball is knocked with a view to get it through the goalpost, it is termed as a shot. Yet, one technique that is most effective is driving the ball through the middle by use of the laces of the foot. Make sure that the player’s head is over the ball, his toe remains extended, and his upper body keeps steady.
During the coaching drills, teach the players to shoot the ball low and wide of the goalie. Herein, low ground shots take priority over high shots. The reason is that low shots are especially difficult for the goalies to stop as they have to move their hands a greater distance than for high shots.
Young players while practicing inside regulation sized goals, tend to score more by kicking the ball over the head of the goalkeeper. You must discourage your players to do this as it instills the habit of shooting high goals. When coaching soccer drills, put a stop to this activity by not permitting kids to play in adult sized goals.
Now get out there and start teaching your players to look up once before they shoot the ball with a view to check the position of the goalkeeper.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Andre Botelho is the author of “The Expert Youth Soccer Coaching Guide” and he’s a recognized expert in the subject of youth soccer coaching. Learn how to explode your players’ skills and make training fun in less than 29 days! Download your free pdf guide at: Youth Soccer Training
