Practicing your soccer finishing and shooting skills does not always require a goalie, or even a goal. You can perform several creative drills that help you re-create scoring situations in games. It helps to have more than one soccer ball for most of these drills, since that it cuts down on the time you spend retrieving the ball after each shot. Certain drills emphasize shooting only, while others focus on your approach toward the goal before you shoot the ball.
Shot Placement Drill
Step 1
Line up your soccer ball or balls near the long line of penalty area. Ideally, you should line up five balls.
Step 2
Focus on aiming your first five shots at the upper left-hand corner of the goal. Try to consistently place each shot into that exact section of the goal.
Step 3
Shift the focus of your next five shots to the upper right-hand corner of the goal after shooting at the upper left-hand corner. Continue to change the location after every fifth shot, aiming at the lower corners, as well as the center of the goal.
Dribble Approach Drill
Step 1
Dribble a ball along the left side of the field, and then cut toward the right as you near the penalty area. Try to dribble with your left foot first and switch to the your right foot as you make the cut.
Step 2
Square up to shoot the ball once you've dribbled to approximately the midway point along the penalty area. Aim at a specific portion of the goal for the first five attempts, and then switch the aim of your shot.
Step 3
Switch sides and perform a mirror image of the drill from the right side of the field after you performed the drill from the left side 10 to 15 times.
Header Finish Drill
Step 1
Stand in the penalty area near one goalpost and have a training partner service balls into the goalie area. Your training partner should be positioned near the sideline, from an area where players typically make crosses. You can use corner kicks for this drill. You should be positioned at the goalpost farthest from where your training partner is standing.
Step 2
Charge into the goalie area straight on and head the ball into the opposite corner of the goal from where you are standing. Repeat this five to seven times.
Step 3
Shift toward the other goal post after completing the cross-corner headers. Have your training partner service balls into the goalie area and head the balls into the short corner. Repeat this five to seven times. Then flick five to seven service balls across the goal into the opposite corner.
Tips and Warnings
- You can do the shot placement drill by using a soccer wall, or a wall that is about the size of a regulation soccer goal. For the dribble approach drill, set up some cones you can dribble around to further develop your ball control.
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