If you are missing your shots badly or you’re just having a difficult time kicking the ball in general then read on to discover five of the most common mistakes players do incorrectly when trying to hit the ball.
The obvious and too easy answer to this problem might be just to say you need to practice more but by correcting these mistakes and focusing on the techniques outlined below you will soon be shooting like a pro.
Makin the wrong contact when striking the ball
First, you need to understand the basic laws of physics which come into play when making contact with the ball. If you hit the ball on the lowest part of the ball it will fly in the air and if you hit the top of the ball it will roll on the ground. If you kick the ball on either side you will generate some curve. Now problems start happening, and this is where most of the beginners get it wrong when you try to achieve something but instead you’re doing the exact opposite action. For example, if you’re aim is to hit the ball really long and high but you can’t seem to get it off the floor you’re probably making contact with way too high on the surface of the ball. Making the right contact with the ball is one of the most important things when it comes to achieving an effective shot so make sure you understand what you’re trying to achieve and how the contact you make with the ball will affect the end result.
Leaning back too much
Similar to the previous point it’s extremely important for you to understand how the rest of your body also affects the outcome of your shot. Leaning back too much is unfortunately something beginners do a lot when trying to kick the ball. Leaning back too much when approaching to shoot the ball will steer the ball way over the goal or way above the heads of your teammates. Even if that actually doesn’t happen the act of leaning back too much eats all the power away from your shots because you’re in an extremely awkward position. What you should do instead is to make sure to put your chest and your upper body over the ball which will really help you in keeping the ball low. It will also make sure that you maintain power in your shots. It’s practically impossible for you to lean over the ball too much have a look at few clips when Cristiano Ronaldo is shooting the ball. His upper body is always leaning aggressively over the ball.
The bad run-up to the ball
This mistake is similar to making an incorrect contact area on the ball. Unfortunately, a lot of beginners will take a run-up to the ball that doesn’t support the outcome of what they are trying to achieve. If the player is planning to curve the ball they will incorrectly take a run-up that’s in a completely straight line. This makes it very difficult to execute the technique of putting the whip and curl onto the ball. You’re more likely to achieve the desired curve of the ball when approaching the ball from an angle. Another mistake a lot of beginners make is trying to achieve a more powerful shot by just simply taking a much longer run-up. Taking a 10-yard run-up to the ball is never gonna help you because you’re only going to be focusing on your run and the power instead of the technique. The best advice when you’re out practicing by yourself is to practice shooting with a short run-up.
Floppy ankle and toe pokes
Most beginners have no idea how the foot is supposed to act when kicking the ball and usually when they start practicing shooting their toes are pointing upwards. The contact with the ball becomes a weird mix of a floppy ankle and a toe-poke which always ends in a disaster. The floppy or soft ankle will eat all the power away from their shots. So stay away from hitting the ball with your big toe, stay away from shooting the ball with a floppy ankle, and instead, keep your ankle locked and firm and your shots will improve in no time.
Too much power not enough technique
By focusing only on trying to smash the ball with everything you’ve got instead of trying to master all the other aspects that are important in shooting the ball will mean more balls in row z and fewer balls in the back of the net. The main problem when focusing only on power is you forget about all the other important aspects of kicking the ball. Such as making sure your upper body is positioned correctly. Making sure your ankle is locked. Making sure that you’re hitting the correct area of the ball. So in order to achieve the perfect shot, the simplest advice here is to focus on technique. This is especially important when you’re out practicing by yourself. When you’re out by yourself positioning and hitting the target is not important. The only thing that’s important is mastering the technique. Shot power will come later.
