Keeping Powerful Shots Low In 5 And 11 A Side?

[Tony Dellbird]

I hadn't posted a thread in a while and was thinking on what i could do with help on, and i have some problems in keeping my shots down in 5 a side, I don't want to find the bottom corner everytime because that i can do, but i want to be able to hit powerful Dietmar Hamman like shots that rise and glide into the top corner. Does anyone have any ideas on how i could do this or just add their own height problems here, I'm easy baby.

[servotron]

Obviously, don't lean into the shot (or out of it) as much!

I'll tell you my secret to keeping my shots low (which USUALLY translates into results in the games) : Practice shots from 20-25 yars, but with ONE ball. Preferably somewhere that if you sky your shot, you'll have to run a long ways to get your airball. This way, you really learn to keep em down, OR you get into much better shape by running around after your errant shots all the time. ;)

As far as form is concerned, you need to remember... you DON'T need to absolutely blast a shot, even from distance. It's WAY too easy to completely overreact and sky it. Concentrate on your form, and make sure you're standing over the ball instead of being leaned too far back. Make sure your support foot is no more than a foot or two from the ball when you strike, and kick with the "top arch" (don't know the proper term) of your foot... not the instep or even the front-top of the toe area (where preds have that rubbery grippy stuff).

Form, form, form....practice it over and over and over, and you will learn to keep your shots down. I've been practicing that way now for more than a year, and now if I want to bring a shot to the top shelf, I can, and it's still rising when it goes in (or hits the crossbar!)

Lastly, overexertion. If you're having to make a grimacing face and go "UUNGH!" to wack a shot from 20-30 yards, you're trying too hard, or you need to work on your strength.

On the opposite side of things... this weekend after the game a bunch of guys from another team and I were doing some skills competitions. We were shooting from way out, like 30-35 yards, and getting some good stuff in. Someone said I couldn't score from the center, in the air, no goalie. First try was perfect, a nice floater that tiked the back of the net without touching ground. I let them try it, NO ONE could get it (these guys are better players than I am in general) in dozens of tries. After someone finally got one (barely over the line in the air) I went back and kicked three more in a row, and retired as the champ, having not missed at all. :D

[dasoccerplayafosho]

The best trick I found to keeping the shot low, was hitting the ball a little higher (with my foot) just hit the top part of the ball not the bottom, and you should be fine.
Austen

[gimpy]

I guess this is kind of the right thread to put this. My PK shots SUCK. I just do um, i dunno if it is the presure or what. My low shots are to weak and my high shots are to high. Could anyone suggest anything?

[smith07]

if you place your plant foot slightly in front of the ball, that will help, same as golf

[gimpy]

i'll try that thanks. I suck at golf as well but i don't think even Tiger Woods could help me there

[dex1]

i ussually keep my non kicking foot infront of the ball and keep my eye on the ball to avoid leaning back.

[dasoccerplayafosho]

things I concentrate on
Knee up
toe down
ankle locked
torso (I dont know what else to say) over the ball
lean forward
on laces of foot
never look away from where the ball is and then was

[Tony Dellbird]

As i said thought i want really powerful like 70mph shots to jus glide top corner, i did a few today, but i want to be consistent! I'll try what Servotron says, cheers for the tip buddy, i posted this thread also as a break from all the equipment threads floating around, and thought it was a valid area of the game that could create good discussion.

Oh yeah Servotron i reckon i could beat you on the old getting in from halfway line, think 19 in a row is my record! You should try what they do on a program called 'Soccer Am' that's on Skysports 1 every saturday morning? Every English football fan would watch i'd imagine, but they do a thing called the Crossbar Challenge where they get pro teams to line up and see who in that team can hit the bar in one attempt from the halfway line, maybe you lot should give that a go? Obviously have more than one go though lol

[slipnslide]

This may only work for me, but I can usually shoot well when I step on the balls of my shooting foot for the last step or two.

[CC05]

I got this as an email a little while back.

Shooting and Passing

with the instep (laces).

1. Approach the ball at an angle. The power and accuracy in the instep pass or shot comes from the abdominals and back, not just the legs. Approaching at an angle generates the twisting motion of the hips that helps generate this power. Take small steps to approach the ball, big ones unbalance the body and have an adverse effect on placement of the non kicking foot.

2. Place non kicking foot next to ball, point toes toward target, bend the knee slightly. If the non kicking foot is in front of the ball, the pass or shot will be driven into the ground as the striking foot will contact near the top of the ball. If it is placed behind the ball, the striking foot will contact the ball low, causing the ball to rise.... doing this is a good way to teach players to hit long passes. The non kicking foot should not be placed right up against the ball, but should be at least one ball width away to ensure a better strike. Pointing the toes at the target directs the ball where you want it to go, and bending the knee of the plant leg helps involve the hip and the butt more in the effort to drive through the ball.

3. Striking Foot - Toes down, ankle locked, strike the ball with laces part of foot. The biggest problem with teaching kids to strike a ball with their laces is that they do not want to keep their toes pointed down because they do not want to kick the ground. If the toes flip up the foot strikes the ball weakly, and underneath, causing the ball to rise and not go very far. The secret to teaching this part of the technique is to tell the player to curl his toes under as he strikes the ball - this locks the tendons in the ankle, and shortens the foot making it less likely to kick the ground. The player should be striking the ball with the part of the foot just above the toes, not high near the ankle. Have them bend down and actually touch the part of their foot they want to use, helping establish the connection in their mind between that part of their foot and where they are about to kick the ball. Have them visualize that part of the foot striking the ball, and then have them slowly approach the ball and practice it repeatadly. Reiterate over and over to curl the toes under to lock the ankle.

4. Eyes on the ball, body moving forward, knee of striking leg should be over ball as it is struck. The player needs to keep eyes on the part of the ball they want to strike until impact. The body must not lean back, or away from the target, as this will cause the ball to rise or fade left or right. Striking with the knee over the ball helps drive the ball further and more accurately as it helps ensure proper body posture.

5. Follow through. The body, especially the shoulders and chest should end up pointed at the target at the end to strike. To help ensure this, the player should imagine an arrow coming out of their chest live a great big pointer. Because the player has approached from an angle and generated a lot of torsion or twisting on their body, the kicking leg is going to want to cross over the body's center line on the follow through - the player should let it - concentrating instead on finishing with the chest and the shoulders squared up and pointed at the target, (Goal, player, space, ect).

[diablo_nyc]

AWESOME post cc05

[riceburner3508]

if your like me and you have long legs, sometimes its ok to lean back a bit. if i lean straight over the ball, i end up kicking almost downwards, causing the ball to bounce from under my foot, which causes a Class A SHANK. i also find that doing an exaggerated, almost ridiculous follow through helps a lot, because it helps guide the ball more, giving you a more accurate shot.

[dasoccerplayafosho]

I don't think I'll ever have to worry about being tall. hahaha I'm 5'3" ;)

[Tony Dellbird]

Doesn't mean you can't be a threat in the box lil' man make a lil step ladder of yellow pages and dive in, no-one will see it comin.....least of all the player you head butt after you miss the ball!

[PeletoFreddy]

anyone have like a sequence picture of it?

[riceburner3508]

yea, look at someone like Roberto Carlos. hes a real small guy in comparison to all the other professionals around him. hes not 5'3, but the difference is almost the same. even with his height disadvantage, hes got one of the most powerful shots in the game, and i know everyone knows about his patented outside the foot kick ;)

[GreenDay]

yea, look at someone like Roberto Carlos. hes a real small guy in comparison to all the other professionals around him. hes not 5'3, but the difference is almost the same. even with his height disadvantage, hes got one of the most powerful shots in the game, and i know everyone knows about his patented outside the foot kick ;)

Since when is height an advantage for powerful shots?

[slipnslide]

Since when is height an advantage for powerful shots?

If it was, imagine how hard Carlos could kick if he was 6'3'' :eek:

[jahmerican]

how do you rip the ball so it dips?