Objective
Develop clean, powerful long-range shooting from 20–25m: plant the standing foot, strike through the ball with the laces and a locked ankle, and keep the effort low with dip toward goal.
Setup
Area
A shooting zone 20–25m from goal, with a set-up line just outside the box
Players
A shooting line, a feeder and a keeper
Equipment
A full goal and keeper, A large supply of balls at the feeder, Cones marking the strike zone and lay-off spot
Duration
15–20 minutes
How it works
- 1
Mark the long-range zone
Set a strike line 20–25m from goal with a feeder positioned to the side and a keeper in goal. Place a cone where each ball is to be struck so every attempt starts from a consistent distance and the coach can judge technique rather than luck.
- 2
Groove the laces on a dead ball
Players first strike a stationary ball, focusing purely on contact: plant the standing foot beside the ball, swing through with a pointed, locked ankle and connect with the laces on the ball's middle. The follow-through lands toward goal, driving the ball low and hard.
- 3
Set touch and strike
The feeder rolls the ball to the strike cone. The shooter takes one touch out of their feet into space and drives the follow-up first-time-quick — the set touch must go slightly ahead and across so the standing foot can plant cleanly without stretching.
- 4
Strike on the move
Now the feeder lays the ball into the pocket just outside the box and the shooter runs onto it to strike in stride from distance. Meeting it on the move adds pace for free, but the contact point stays the same — laces through the middle, ankle locked, effort kept down.
- 5
Shoot under a closing defender
Add a defender who steps out to close the shooter as the ball is laid off. The shooter must get the strike away early and accurately before the block arrives, rehearsing the real trigger for a long shot: a defence that backs off and invites it.
Coaching points
Plant the standing foot firmly beside the ball, pointing at goal — a solid base is where long-range power actually comes from, not a wild swing.
Strike through the middle of the ball with the laces and a locked, pointed ankle to keep the flight low and driven rather than ballooning it over.
Lead with a strong follow-through toward the target; cutting the swing short kills the pace and lifts the ball.
Keep the head steady and the eyes on the ball through contact — pulling the head up early is the classic cause of a skied effort from distance.
Favour the bottom corners and force the keeper to save; a low driven shot that is parried invites a rebound, a high one rarely troubles anyone.
Variations
Curl versus drive
Alternate a laces-driven strike with an inside-foot curl bent around an imaginary wall into the top corner. Contrasting the two contacts teaches players when raw power beats placement and when to trade a little pace for a bending, unreachable finish.
Rebound and re-strike
The keeper is told to parry rather than catch, and the shooter follows their effort for a second, closer finish. It rehearses the reality that many long shots create chaos and second balls rather than clean goals, keeping the shooter switched on after the strike.
Build it in Coach Board
Set a strike zone 20–25m out on the Coach Board pitch and animate a lay-off into the pocket, the shooter running on and a driven strike arrowing low into the bottom corner, using a labelled path to show the flat, dipping trajectory. Build a second frame with a curling effort into the top corner so players can compare the driven and bent techniques side by side in one loop.
Open Coach Board