Finishing with Power

Purpose:

The purpose of this session is to train your players in the fundamentals of striking a ball properly in order to place a well hit ball accurately on frame.  A team that possess the ability to score from long range possess a much greater threat to the opponent than a team that does not.  Not only because they can score from distance, but also because the team must shift its defensive philosophy to mark tighter further from the goal, thus opening up more valuable space in front of the net.

Equipment:

Cones, pinnies, balls.

Progression:

Fundamental:
The warm up begins with players shuffling and moving. Place them in two teams and add a ball to the movement as they get warm. As the players are moving they will be doing the movements that will get the body ramped and ready to shoot on frame.

Match Related:
The sessions continues by adding the pressure of a few defenders in a game with many opportunities to shoot on goal and limited pressure from the defenders.

Match Condition:
The session ends with 4 v 4 in a half field with a few restrictions added to encourage shooting from a distance.

Coaching Points:

• Plant the planter foot to the side and parallel with the ball
• Get your weight over the ball
• Get a good backswing
• Lock the ankle
• Point the toe down to strike with the laces
• Align the knee head and toe just in front as you strike the ball.
• Follow thru lifting the head driving the ball off the ground with pace.
• Look for the appropriate transfer of weight.
• Is the body in position before the shot is taken such that maximum power is achieved?

Activity

Setup

Unrestricted movement

• Play in a 40x40
• The players shuffle and move, stretching intermittently.
• Occasionally mimic a shot bringing the foot thru, landing on the shooting foot.
• Add balls and make short passes, once in a while driving a long hard ball on frame.
  

Coaching Points:

• Plant the planter foot to the side and parallel with the ball
• Get your weight over the ball
• Get a good backswing
• Lock the ankle
• Point the toe down to strike with the laces
• Align the knee head and toe just in front as you strike the ball.
  
  

2v1 to goal

• 2B v 1 R to goal. Play offsides.
• Blue-Decide to turn and shoot,
• or lay off (in orange lines).
• Alternate red and blue knocking ball in.

There are pretty much two options.
a) turn and shoot shown in black
b) lay off and 2nd attacker shoots (in grey dots)

Coaching Points:

• Head steady, body over ball.
• Take a chance when its there.
• Be aggressive
• Use laces or inside of boot to finish depending on distance.
• Step back to get a shot, or make sideways “rounding” steps to get shot.
• Be sure to place “Planter foot” in right direction.
• "Did you make the right prep touch?"
• Keep the head steady.
• "Can you make the right decision to turn or to lay off based on pressure"
• Get a look before the ball arrives to know what to do
  

4v4 with offsides lines

• Play in 50x45
• Goals on the endline and inside the circle
• Players can only be behind their offsides line if there is a defender with them (similar to the midstripe in a real game)
• 1pt for a goal
• 2pts for a goal behind 1 line
• 3 points for a goal behind 2 lines.
• Encourage hard driven shots but also smart intelligent play
  

Coaching Points:

• "Can you find a middle runner for an easy shot by playing the way you face?"
• "Can you move the ball quickly to find a quality shot?"
• Are the fundamentals right?
• "Can you turn with time and drive a ball into the back of the net?"