I took penalties for 7 years until I missed two in a semifinal which we lost 3-2. So I had my own technique. I would always firmly side foot it to the bottom hand corner very low to the ground. Firm, but with more emphasis on direction. The corner I chose depended on if the keeper was right or left footed. Even though this was a good number of years ago, keepers flapping their arms up and down like someone trying to swim up a waterfall was very much in vogue. I used to counter this by standing on the edge of the box with an eye on the referee. Just before he went to blow to take the kick I'd complain to the ref the keeper was not on his line. This caused enough of a pause for both the ref and the keeper to check before he would then blow the whistle. Then I'd take it without hesistation. The two that I missed in the semi, the first one hit the post. The second I broke my own rules and went for the opposite corner without 100% confidence and he saved it. But the best way to get good at penalties is to practice, practice and practice. A penalty taker should approach the kick without any doubt in his mind that he will score. that's why, after those two misses I never took another one (except in one penalty shootout that I converted).
These days most keepers always dive one way or the other. So I reckon if you took them nowadays like West Ham's Geoff Hurst used to do - a ball hit straight down the middle and rising upwards with such force that the keeper would be knocked sensless if it hit him - you'd have a 90%+ scoring rate.
And finally, I reckon the worst way to take a penalty is the showboater who stops just before the ball hoping the keeper will commit himself. Ronaldo nearly lost Man U the Champions league final with that caper.
zichi at Jun. 16, 2012 - 12:37PM JST
SimonB
great comment, I enjoyed that. I just hate it when a came comes down to a shoot out.
ADK99 at Jun. 16, 2012 - 01:02PM JST
Practice practice practice indeed. England's penalties record would be a damn sight better if not for a succession of managers making ludicrous comments like "Penalties are a lottery" and not getting the team to practice, practice, practice. Of course there is a certain element of luck but that's no reason not to work on the skills.
Hide Suzuki at Jun. 17, 2012 - 03:55AM JST
@ADK99
"Practice practice practice"
Did you not read the article ? Penalty shoot out is all about mental game as the article says. I can and will make a penalty kick against the best goalkeeper in the world most of the time, as long as nothing major is at stake. But even some of the best players miss it because of pressure. If it's a world cup game, then half your country is watching if you make it or not. It's not something you can practice, unless you can get the attention of millions of people for a practice.
Heda_Madness at Jun. 18, 2012 - 05:05PM JST
It's not something you can practice, unless you can get the attention of millions of people for a practice.
This has always been claimed by England managers often before England lose on penalties in a tournament. This has never been claimed by the Germans who practice and win penalty shoot outs. There may be SOME level of mental aspect to it but to be the best at anything in sport you need to practice, natural ability alone isn't good enough.
So if you don't practice you aren't going to be as good as you should be.
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SimondB at Jun. 16, 2012 - 12:27PM JST
I took penalties for 7 years until I missed two in a semifinal which we lost 3-2. So I had my own technique. I would always firmly side foot it to the bottom hand corner very low to the ground. Firm, but with more emphasis on direction. The corner I chose depended on if the keeper was right or left footed. Even though this was a good number of years ago, keepers flapping their arms up and down like someone trying to swim up a waterfall was very much in vogue. I used to counter this by standing on the edge of the box with an eye on the referee. Just before he went to blow to take the kick I'd complain to the ref the keeper was not on his line. This caused enough of a pause for both the ref and the keeper to check before he would then blow the whistle. Then I'd take it without hesistation. The two that I missed in the semi, the first one hit the post. The second I broke my own rules and went for the opposite corner without 100% confidence and he saved it. But the best way to get good at penalties is to practice, practice and practice. A penalty taker should approach the kick without any doubt in his mind that he will score. that's why, after those two misses I never took another one (except in one penalty shootout that I converted).
These days most keepers always dive one way or the other. So I reckon if you took them nowadays like West Ham's Geoff Hurst used to do - a ball hit straight down the middle and rising upwards with such force that the keeper would be knocked sensless if it hit him - you'd have a 90%+ scoring rate.
And finally, I reckon the worst way to take a penalty is the showboater who stops just before the ball hoping the keeper will commit himself. Ronaldo nearly lost Man U the Champions league final with that caper.
zichi at Jun. 16, 2012 - 12:37PM JST
SimonB great comment, I enjoyed that. I just hate it when a came comes down to a shoot out.
ADK99 at Jun. 16, 2012 - 01:02PM JST
Practice practice practice indeed. England's penalties record would be a damn sight better if not for a succession of managers making ludicrous comments like "Penalties are a lottery" and not getting the team to practice, practice, practice. Of course there is a certain element of luck but that's no reason not to work on the skills.
Hide Suzuki at Jun. 17, 2012 - 03:55AM JST
@ADK99
"Practice practice practice"
Did you not read the article ? Penalty shoot out is all about mental game as the article says. I can and will make a penalty kick against the best goalkeeper in the world most of the time, as long as nothing major is at stake. But even some of the best players miss it because of pressure. If it's a world cup game, then half your country is watching if you make it or not. It's not something you can practice, unless you can get the attention of millions of people for a practice.
Heda_Madness at Jun. 18, 2012 - 05:05PM JST
This has always been claimed by England managers often before England lose on penalties in a tournament. This has never been claimed by the Germans who practice and win penalty shoot outs. There may be SOME level of mental aspect to it but to be the best at anything in sport you need to practice, natural ability alone isn't good enough.
So if you don't practice you aren't going to be as good as you should be.