Detecting a Confident Penalty Taker: Ronaldo or Messi?

It’s easy to tell a confident PK taker from one who isn’t..

It’s written in their body language and other times, facial expression.

It’s not mysterious or something you can’t decipher yourself.

I’ll give you a few pointers to watch out for whenever someone is about to take a PK and you’d be surprised how accurate this is…

In penalty kick taking.

Confidence matters the most.

You want someone who is not doubtful of his abilities. Someone with a strong sense of self belief.

Ronaldo, comes to mind.

That’s why in most teams, it’s the striker or the player who leads the attack that takes the PK.

And in teams where the striker or attacker isn’t as productive or much of a leader performance wise, you could even have a defender step up.

When a confident right footed player steps up to take a penalty.

Their preferred spot is usually the keepers right hand side.

8/10 times…

A confident right footed player will kick the ball that way. The keepers right hand side is the viewers[our] left. When the camera is on the keeper, he will dive to the left side which is the keepers right hand.

I hope this isn’t confusing.

Lots of confident right footed PK takers.

• Harry Kane.
• Maddison.
• James Ward-Prowse
• Kevin De Bryune.

Always to the left of your screen.

The keeper knows these players are more likely to go there but can’t catch it because of the power and curvature of the shot.

Goalkeepers don’t like shots that feel like they need to stretch more to get, shots that when an observer looks at, it seems like the ball keeps distancing itself from the keepers reach.

If a right footed player where to shoot to the keepers left, due to the curvature of the shot. The ball would keep spinning closer to the keepers reach.

A less confident right footed player will find it difficult generating the required shot power and curvature. Which is why they choose the right side of your screen which is the keepers left.

Remember I told you that you wear your confidence on your face and body language.

The keeper can see through you if he is a top keeper at the top of his game.

He knows you’re not confident, and he knows the easy out for less confident right footed players is to his left or middle.

If he is smart, he will not only dive to his left but also throw his legs should you choose the middle. 😉

Same logic applies to left footed players.

And for some weird reasons.

Left footers aren’t as effective as right footers or maybe it’s because there aren’t as many left footed PK takers.

But then…

They are easier to predict.

This is also because they usually do not generate as much shot power as right footers.

Left footers generate more curvature on the ball but not the shot power to go with it.

So if you do a good job predicting their body language.

Catching their PK won’t be difficult.

It’s even difficult listing out confident left footed PK takers. The highly revered Leo Messi isn’t as frightening as Cristiano Ronaldo in front of a GK during a penalty.

• Salah
• Saka

These are average PK takers who are arguably some of the best right wingers in world football.

Finally, while players like to mix up their shot selection to be a tad unpredictable. They will always prefer where they generate the most power and finesse.

Written by Prince Jaja