Soccer shooting drill

Penalty Kicks

A soccer penalty kick drill: pick a corner, use the same run-up every time and aim low at targets in the bottom corners.

FixesPenalty kicks that go down the middle or miss wide

Who: Solo, no partner needed
Ages: 8–18
Time: 15 minutes
Dose: 20 penalty kicks (5 to each of 4 corners), 2–3 days a week
Equipment: Soccer ball (size 3 through age 8, size 4 for ages 9–12, size 5 for 13+); 3 or more saves chasing
Goal
2 cones or water bottles to mark the corners

How to do the drill

1
Put a cone inside each post, 1 step (2 feet) in.
2
Set the ball 12 steps (24 feet) out. At ages 11–12 use 15 steps, at 13+ use 18 steps.
3
Pick a corner before your run-up. Strike with the inside of your foot or your laces.
4
Take 5 low left, 5 low right, 5 high left and 5 high right.
5
Count every kick that goes in between a post and a cone. Log your total out of 20.

Your kick goes where you picked, hard and close to the post.

Keep people, pets and windows out of the area behind the goal. Warm up with a few easy kicks, and take a short run-up so you stay balanced.

Penalty kicks decide games and shootouts. Picking a spot and hitting it the same way every time makes you calm and accurate when it counts.

FixesToe pokes and kicks that fly off to the side

10 kicks with each foot (20 total), 3–4 days a week

FixesWeak shots and shots that sail over the goal

10 shots with each foot (20 total), 2–4 days a week

FixesStraight shots that go right at the goalkeeper or wide of the post

20 curve shots (10 with each foot), 2–3 days a week

Have a soccer drill your players do at home?

Player development

Players watch the clip, do the drill at home and check in from their phone. You see who did it, and you pick how many days a week.

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