LOOSE BALL OUSIDE THE BOX SHOOTING Drill

(This is 1 of 3 drills in a series of shooting from distance. We recommend practicing all 3, if your goal is to practice outside shooting, and to become a threat from distance especially as a midfielder. All 3 practice different circumstances you often are going find yourself in, when in a game)

This drill: This is where you practice getting the ball under control, either from a pass or from picking a loose ball. Then recognising your space, and then getting the shot off. 

Counter attack version: This version is meant to practice when you get space in front you, often created from some sort of counter attack. The difference in this drill is that you practice a shot at higher speed, and then make a quick decision of recognising the space in front of you, and then make the decision that the right thing to do is finish from your position. 

1v1 version: The 1 on 1 drill is to practice beating your direct opponent, creating space to get a shot off, pretty straight forward.

Why are these drills important for your game?

As a midfielder, mastering the shot from the edge of the box is a key element to your game, but also as an attacking player in general. It’s like a thing where the opposition team could defend flawlessly all game, but that one time, just a little space opens up and the opportunity rises…yeah i think you get the idea. 

Bottom line is that we want you to practice these shots thousands of times, so that when the one time you get the opportunity in the game, you have the absolute best possible odds of putting the ball in the back of the net.

There is also an element to being able to read and spot the opportunity of this shot. That’s also why we want you to practice all 3 versions, because it is some of the most common kinds of opportunities you are going to get in the game. We have made a video analysing and showcasing the keys to getting as many of these opportunities as possible. We see Kevin De Bruyne as the perfect example of this. He got countless goals from outside the box. He’s a master of both creating and recognising his space, and of course he got an absolutely deadly shot.

Lastly, do not be afraid to take the shot if there’s no better options, if you miss the first, doesn’t matter. If you miss the second time, doesn’t matter. Or even the third time for that sake. Keep shooting. Do not think about what happens if you miss, think about what happens if the ball goes in.