Kicking the ball with power and strength while playing soccer is a distinct advantage, but it is not as important as kicking the ball with accuracy, quickness and precision. Learning how to handle the ball so you can get rid of it quickly when shooting is vital to becoming a dependable scorer. Throwing power into the equation can make you a difficult player for any team to defend.
Accuracy Drill
If you can hit the four corners of the net when you are shooting, you will have a much better chance of scoring goals than if you just aim for the center of the goal. Set up two cones at the right lower corner of the net and two corners of the lower left corner of the net. Hang a 2-by-2-foot flag from each corner of the goal as well. Take 10 shots at each of those four corners from the penalty kick stripe--right in front of the center of the net--and keep track of how many times you can hit those targets. If you do this before the start of each practice and when you are working on your own to get better, you will see your accuracy increase quickly.
Shooting Off the Pass
In soccer, you don't have much time to get rid of the ball when a teammate sends you a pass. A second may be a long time to prepare yourself to shoot. Good players anticipate the pass from their teammates and quickly fire a shot on goal. In order to improve the quickness of your release, practice taking the pass and firing a shot on goal quickly. Start off at the top of the penalty area. One teammate will be on your right side and another will be on your left. Each one will alternate giving you passes that you will receive, gather and shoot. You should take five passes from each teammate. This will help you develop a quicker release. You don't need to add a goalkeeper to this drill because your concern is releasing the ball quickly. As you get quicker releasing the ball, you will have more success in games and scrimmages when a goalkeeper is in net.
Increase Leg Strength
Kicking the ball harder may result in a shot that travels faster, but it will also result in a loss of accuracy. In order to get more power on your kicks, do leg press and leg curl exercises at the gym. This will increase leg strength. You should work out at the gym every other day and use lighter weights with more reps to build functional soccer power.
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