15 Soccer Shooting Drills to Finish Past Any Goalkeeper

Shooting is a critical part of football, particularly for attacking players. A player who can shoot consistently well is invaluable to a team and that skill alone can help set you apart from the rest.

Top 15 Soccer Shooting Drills

The following article will run through the 15 best soccer shooting drills to improve various aspects of shooting to build the ultimate shooting repertoire.

1. Penalties

This is a great starting point for simple shooting practise. Penalties allow children to have an unobstructed shot at goal with a stationary ball. Not only are they potentially useful in a match situation but penalties also give kids the opportunity to develop power and precision.

2. Weak Foot Penalties

This is fairly self-explanatory but weak foot penalties will put the emphasis on developing the shooter’s weak foot. The weak foot can often be neglected, particularly in shooting drills where the option to use your stronger foot is available.

3. Direct Free-Kick Practise

Much like penalties, direct free-kick practise presents the chance to kick a stationary ball. This will allow more focus on technique as well as doubling up as great practise for in-game situations. This drill can be practiced both with and without a wall.

4. 1-2 Shoot

There’s a little bit more to this drill. Start with the ball at the feet of the shooter on the edge of the box and ask them to pass it to a player/coach standing in front of them. The ball will then be laid off back to the shooter who should advance towards the ball and either hit it first-time or take a touch and shoot.

5. Dribble and Shoot

This drill is set up in much the same way as the last but with one major difference. Instead of passing it off to someone to play a 1-2, ask the player to dribble the ball into the box before shooting. This gives the shooter the opportunity to decide whether to take the shot early or whether to wait for the keeper to commit.

6. 1v1 Shooting

In a similar vein to the last, this drill is all about the shooter vs the keeper. Have the ball passed into an area in front of both the shooter and the keeper. The shooter must race to the ball whilst the keeper must judge whether to come for the ball or whether to hold their position.

7. 2v2 Shooting

This drill requires a goalkeeper and a defender as well as two attackers. One of the attackers starts with the ball and must attempt to either score or assist their teammate. Players should make use of their numerical advantage against the defender to create the best shooting opportunities.

8. 3v3 Shooting

This drill is a lot like the above except with more players and more possibilities. The attacking team will have an additional player (when you discount the goalkeeper) so they must make the most of this to create a good shooting angle. Precise passing, clever movement, and good timing are important here.

9. Awkward Bounce

In a match situation, the ball doesn’t always fall perfectly at your feet. This drill is all about dealing with imperfect passes, deflections, and bobbles and making the most of them. The drill works best when a coach throws the ball in different ways towards the shooter, giving them different problems to deal with before getting their shot away.

10. Attacking Headers

Headers are an important and sometimes overlooked part of shooting. A great way to practise attacking headers is to have someone throw the ball up around the penalty spot so that the shooter can attack it. To mix it up, the thrower can vary the direction and power of the throws.

11. Corner Deliveries

This puts the skills from the last two drills together. Have someone cross the ball into the box for the shooter to attack how they see fit. This could be a header, a volley, or a touch and finish. This drill is dependent on the quality of the delivery and the movement of the shooter.

12. Long Distance Shooting

The drills covered above have primarily dealt with close-range shooting. However, long distance shots are sometimes the best option. This drill asks the shooter to remain outside the box, lining up to take a touch and shoot from distance.

13. Chipped Shooting

Chipped shots can sometimes be the best choice in certain situations. They are a very specialist type of shot like no other and as such practising them via a drill is a great idea. In order to practise chipped shots, ask the goalkeeper to rush out and close down the space between them and the shooter. The shooter must then pick the right moment to dink the ball over the keeper’s head.

14. Curved Shooting

This type of shot can be added to virtually any drill. Take your preferred drill from above and ask the shooter to exclusively shoot with curl. The aim of this shot is to bend the ball away from the goalkeeper and back towards the goal.

15. Match Scenarios

This drill has a lot of flexibility. Employ different match scenarios into a condensed drill to mimic real situations. Some examples that could be used in this drill are having a player cross the ball from deep into a crowded area after a half-cleared set-piece, placing the defensive line far from goal with the attacking players starting with the ball in a counter attacking shape, or having the ball thrown to the edge of the box where all the players are waiting following a saved penalty.

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Soccer Shooting Drills FAQs

How can I get better at shooting?

The above article has a variety of drills that will improve various aspects of your shooting ability.

Is shooting important in football?

It isn’t necessary for all players to be excellent at shooting but it is an important part of an attacker’s game.

What are the different types of shot?

There are lots of different types of shots including chips, curved shots, driven shots, and placed shots.

Can anyone be good at shooting?

Yes, with enough practise shooting is a skill that anyone can improve.