Is that how you spell mental? Whatever. I posted this thread to get opinions and comments about how to play strong, confident, winning soccer. For me, I can play well and it seems like every game all my shots go one half foot wide or off the post or i take just that little second too long. What do you guys do to stay confident and especially what do you do to improve your finish? I am a center mid who has just started to take shots from anywhere and I know that they are really close to going in I just have to change one little thing. In a situation where you have like a second to bring a ball down and volley it in how do you make sure that you don't panic? This has happened to me twice in 3 games now, I could have scored my team two goals but took just a half second too long and didn't shield the ball so I missed.
I'm a forward. Sometimes, I feel, the best thing to do is not really think about it too much. Maybe this isn't what you want to hear but it works for me. You just need to be confident, you need to know what you want to do and just do it, don't stress about your technique or anything. You should practice taking shots from long range, different tpes of shot. If you pratice enough, you will instictively know how to kick the ball better when shooting. Then when it comes to games you shouldn't need to stress as it will come naturally. If anybody here knew how to get players playing strong, confident, winning football, we'd be managers for top teams. You just have to find what works for you unfortunately. What I find hepfull sometimes is not to look around too much when you have a short time to shoot. (I don't know if anyone else feels like this). Just a quick glance to suss out where the goals and the keeper then get the head down and go for it. Another thing, don't try and place the ball to much if you're under pressure. The number one thing to do is get the shot on target. If you do that then, even if the keeper saves it, the ball's back out straight away and you can take advantage. Hope this helps a wee bit.
The fellow above is right on many accounts. Practice makes perfect. I have gradually been adding to my ball collection, and now I have 8 good practice balls, and I take them to my local field every chance I get (not in the winter, unfortunately) and practice the same move at least a few dozen times. Most often I practice volley-based breakaways or shots from 20-25 yards while at a run. Just about anyone can score from the 18 on a stationery shot (well, I certainly hope they would!). Mentally, I often have this problem on the attack: I'm excellent at passing and tricky flicks to get other people into scoring position, but when I'm in scoring position myself I "overthink" even if it's just milliseconds, and try too hard to get the shot on goal. Most of the time it results in a shot that goes too high, over the crossbar, or sometimes if I REALLY overthink it, it goes on the ground, wide by (you guessed it) about a foot. I do end up scoring quite a few goals though, and the goals that I end up scoring, I immediately know they are going in the second they hit my foot. After it's in the net (I don't celebrate, I jog back to midfield) I just *knew* it. Hard to explain.
Whenever I am about to score I can always see exactly what is going to happen before it does. I can see the ball going in and exactly where it's going to hit the back of the net. After I see that little "movie" of the goal everything is in slow motion and I can easily do what I just saw. I think you can increase the chances of having this happen by playing with people for practice instead of practicing by yourself.
Confidence Practice builds confidence. For your specific question, practice shooting. Do what you can to simulate game conditions but get lots of repetition. When you can reflexively execut the desired skill you will have the confidence to do it in a game. The confidence you are seeking is self confidence. I have also found mental imaging (I think that is what it is called) to be very useful. For me that means picturing myself doing it. Sit someplace quiet at a convenient time before your match and imagine yourself scoring. Build the entire scenario "cross comes in from right, I run onto it and drive it into the upper left corner beyond the GK's fingers." I know it sounds corny but it has worked well me and many others. good luck.
I get that exact same feeling when i score, as the ball is rolling to me I will just be like, "this is in." I like know it is going in before it gets to me. But, sometimes that just won't happen and i can't do anything when it comes to finish.
Many players have this problem. I had it, and then I fixed it by reading a book called "playing out of your mind" It helped like crazy. you have to read it Austen