Skills & Drills: Offense

Shooting
Uses the same techniques as described in "Shooting and long passes". There are a few things you may want to emphasize with your strikers, forwards and midfielders who are primarily charged with scoring. Since players want to score a goal, it should not be difficult to get them to focus on shooting drills. Basic tips include:

1. Shoot the ball away from the goalie.
   
2. Strike the ball forcefully and generally with the instep or ‘shoelaces’ of the foot.
   
3. Remind them the differences between shooting and passing. With passing, the passing player should be concerned with delivering the ball in a manner the receiving player can control it. With shooting, just nail it. The player doesn’t want anybody to control it! Younger players can have difficulties discerning the difference.
   
4. Shoot often, and follow the ball into the goal. Many scoring opportunities are missed from uncontrolled balls by the goalie. If the player follows the ball in, any missed balls or rebounded balls can be shot again while the goalie is down or out of position.
   
5. Follow through. Players generally do not realize the power that is left untapped by not following through with the leg and the body. Great increases in ball speed can be had by simply ‘following through".