How To: Improve Your Shooting Ability For Soccer

Shooting technique: Locking your ankle and pointing your toes down when striking the ball is probably the most important factor in developing the proper shooting technique. It is probably the hardest skill to learn in soccer, but not anymore because I am here to guide you through and help you improve. Down below I have put down some steps to improve your shooting ability and I have also applied some pictures to make it easier for you to understand and apply while shooting. Enjoy the rest of the article.

Steps to improve your shooting ability

1. Before you start this excersise you must have a warm up prior to starting, and make sure you have stretched. This is an important fact to avoid injuries as you do want to gain any injures while trying this.
2. Plant foot: Your plant foot prior to striking the ball should be a foot and a half from the ball. This makes it more comfortable for you as a player to strike the ball. It also allows your  striking foot enough space to follow through the ball afterwards to complete your strike. Your plant is also very important because it acts as a stabability through the motion of the strike and keeps you balanced, so again a foot and a half away from the ball is perfect.
3. Flexability: To have flexability for you in your legs allows you as a player to generate more power from the ball, because you are able to raise your striking leg much higher before striking the ball, therefore you have more of a swing to striking the ball generating more power. Flexability as a player also prevents injuries, and helps you with your running as well as you will be able to run quicker and again will help you to generate power with your shot.
4. Leg Positon: The reason why you see top players around the world scoring brilliant goals with such power is simple, because of their leg position. The way to generate such power through the ball is to lift your striking leg as high as you can, prior to striking the ball. This will give you more of a swing to striking the ball therefore you generate more power through the ball.
5. Body position: When you strike the ball you want make sure your body leans slity forward keeping the ball lower to the ground. If you lean back too much the ball will automatically will go in the air flying over the goal as you do not want that to happen. You also want your head to be over the ball at the same time because this will automatically bring your body slightly forward keeping the ball lower. The reason why you would want to strike the ball lower is because it makes it harder for goalkeepers to dive onto the ball. Its easier for a goalkeeper to be able to save a shot in the air then a shot low and hard on the ground because he has to dive on the ground rather then being standing up. I guarantee that all goalkeepers in the world find it harder to dive on the ground.
6. 45 degree angle: The 45 degree angle is showed in the picture above as his striking leg is coming closer to the ball. Basically, if you do not have this angle this is a high chance that went you strike the ball you will not strike the ball with your laces but instead you will strike the ball your toes leading to a poor shot. The 45 degree angle allows you to strike the ball with your laces creating a smooth strike of the ball. It also provides accurancy an power. 
7. Follow through: After you make contact with the ball make sure you follow through with your striking leg. Following through with the ball will create a smooth strike when striking the ball and will add more power. Not only that this will help you direct the ball to where you want it to go.

A very important thing when striking the ball while attempting with these steps is too always keep your eye on the ball. Keep your eye on the ball before you make contact and after you make contact with the ball. This is very important because as soon as you take your eye off the ball it will ruin your strike of the ball.

I hope this article will or did help you strike the ball to perfection.