How to shoot an unstoppable penalty

Do you know what Antonín Panenka, Ronaldinho, Steven Gerrald or Cristiano Ronaldo have in common? You guessed it Apart from the fact that they are or have been soccer players, they are considered within a list of very few players, the best penalty shooters of all time.

Taking a penalty is perhaps one of the most exciting moments in a football match, especially when it is thrown by your team. But what does science say about taking a penalty? Is it all math or is there something more like the experience or the sixth sense of a footballer? In order to compare the two, we are going to expose what science says and how Robbie Keane , player for the Los Angeles Galaxy, does it.

What the scientists say

According to Jay Williams, a professor of sports at Virginia Tech University and creator of the science of “soccer dot com,” “to maximize precision and speed from the penalty spot , players should plan the placement of the ball before they hit it. launch and use your natural approach speed. On the other hand, they should not try to guess the position of the goalkeeper by approaching staggered as it will increase the risk of making a mistake. Instead you have to pay more attention to momentum . “

In turn, a study carried out by the University of Portsmouth discovered that making an approach with an angle of 45 to 60 degrees can alter the technique of the kick, improving the rotation of the pelvis, to give more force to the thigh to allow better contact .

With all this, the objective is a strong and low shot from the penalty spot using this technique, and improve by 28% the success of the goal in what is called “the insurmountable zone” (low shot to the post and to the squads).

We must know that fortune favors those who aim higher or the squads, since if a low shot is made to the post, the goalkeeper has a better chance of stretching and, with the help of gravity, reaching the ball, especially if It is about a very tall goalkeeper. However, it is practically impossible to jump, stretch and reach the squad, since gravity itself will cause the goalkeeper to collapse little by little.

cómo lanzar un penalti

What Robbie Keane Says

This Irish player who currently plays for the Los Angeles Galaxy and who was also part of Inter Milan or Leeds of England, is considered one of the best Irish players in history and an exceptional shooter from the penalty spot. What better way to learn how to shoot an unstoppable penalty from his explanation.

Conclution

Science is a great tool to explain and improve hitting techniques in football, but the truth is that when facing certain extreme situations during a match such as the launching of a penalty, other factors such as talent also intervene. natural and different psychological variables such as pressure management. However, thanks to the explanations of science, of the best footballers in the world and, above all, of constant practice, we can learn to take penalties in a very effective way.