These are five of my go to sessions when I want to coach shooting or to give my players a good workout using both feet to put the ball in the net… it’s also the thing they love to do at training better than anything.
Accuracy is more important than power. If your players are not getting shots on target, they will not score. Great fun for the players trying to knock the balls off cones – you may need a helper to gather balls with this one!
This session gives players the confidence to shoot from outside the penalty area when the opportunity arises. Often young players will want to get closer to goal before they take a shot but that gives defenders time to get across and cover.
Sometimes players get a quick opportunity to score a goal when the ball is passed to them and a one touch shot can be the ideal way to catch a keeper off guard.
Even at the top level, strikers can often be seen wasting presentable chances because they lack the confidence to shoot with their weaker foot. If practised enough times your players will start to have more confidence on their weaker foot.
This drill will teach your players to attack the ball when trying to connect with a cross into the area. Often a shot from the cross will come back off the keeper or a defender and players must be ready to score from the rebound.
Keeping possession of the ball is key to winning games – if you have it your opponents haven't got it. There are tactical musts that go hand in hand with a possession game. Being aware of where the ball is and where your teammates are is essential so get your players to have a picture in their head of what they’re going to do with the ball before it comes to them. MORE
Shooting chances may only be there for a split second and young players miss the opportunity while moving the ball from one foot to the other or by passing when a shot would be the best option. MORE
Over the next few weeks I plan to work on box-to-box passing moves – counter-attacking play that involves passing and receiving between the lines, well-timed movements and crossover runs, and the exploitation of space behind the opposition’s back line. MORE
in Shooting, Soccer dribbling drills
This game helps to get your players dribbling past defenders and shooting at goal. It will help your players win 1v1s and get them finishing off good moves. MORE
One of the things I have done a lot of work on this season is getting my team to play right to the very end of matches. Not only that, whether we are losing or not in the last 10 minutes as a collective we up our game and try to score a goal. It helps us end on a positive note. MORE
Simple answer is “Yes”, particularly if your players regularly struggle to hang on to the attackers they are marking, or if they fail to organise themselves each time they face a corner or free kick. Given a set position, your players will grasp what they have to do and respond well to their part of the defensive responsibility. MORE
