How to Trick the Goalie in a Penalty Kick in Soccer

Penalty kicks are one of the most exciting things about soccer. It's a one-on-one between you and the goalie. Penalty kicks aren't a sure thing--last year in European professional soccer, only 70 percent of shots were made. But it's the biggest advantage soccer has to offer for the offense.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Soccer ball
• Goalie
• Soccer goal

1. Approach the ball, never looking anywhere but at the ball, until you start to make your kick. Never look at where you are going to kick the ball. Never make eye contact with the goalie.

2. Keep your hips open, because it will keep the goalie guessing. It also gives you the option to go either left or right, up or down, without your body giving away. Just keep your hips open because your body language will keep the goalie confused.

3. On your approach to the ball after your first step, hesitate, then continue. This will throw the goalie's timing off, giving you a better opportunity at scoring the goal. If you do it all in one fluid motion, the goalie will have a better chance of defending. If you fake the goalie enough, he might even dive before you kick the ball, giving yourself an open shot at the goal.

4. If during this hesitation step, the goalie leans or flat out dives to one side, you can shoot the ball to the opposite side of the net.

Tips & Warnings

• Before the kick, only look at the ball.
• Never make eye contact with the goalie.
• Know where the ball is going even before you approach the shot.
• Be confident.
• It's only recommended at high levels of soccer to change the destination of the kick during the approach. It is very difficult, so therefore it is not recommended at the recreational level.

Resources

• Watch Zidane kick a penalty kick in the World Cup finals.

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