At the level of football that these guys play, they should at least be getting near the target with relative ease, even if they don't quite hit it.
I think the difficulties arise because they try to hit the ball so hard, right in the corner, with enough dip and swerve to beat the wall. It's a difficult skill, but some of the freekicks you see in the top level of football are simply embarrassing.
Comment deleted by Site Moderator
To be fair the balls normally change at WCs but even then players should get used to them by practicing over and over again, especially as they are also using them every day in training.
Golf balls and clubs etc are improving all the time along with spec changes and law changes but golfers still adapt simply enough by repetitive practice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuKIWfg_j1U
It's a good comparison with chipping golf balls. I play golf weekly and it's amazing how much my short game improves in the summer when I spend more time practising.
At the top level of football (well, at any professional level really), certain players should be practising freekicks every day after training. We would see remarkable improvements if they did.
What you hear about some of the best freekick takers, for example Beckham and Platini (I'm not saying these two are the best, just an example), all you hear their teammates say is that they would hang around half an hour after training and just take some freekicks. This is how they became so good - the art of freekick taking isn't something you're necessarily born with.
why do you always write ridiculously long articles
Sorry Greg, I prefer to actually set out a discussion including my view rather than simply write player X > player B or some other childish topic. Do you often see newspaper articles that are one paragraph? It's an article not a statement.
Biggest tip would be dont read them if it's too much for you.
Think the main problem is getting enough pace on the ball to beat the keeper, whilst also keeping it accurate. Anyone who plays football will back me up, the more power you try and put on a freekick, the harder it is to get the finesse right.
Park Ji (Sing us a) Sung
Exactly right.
But I think at this level of football, even the poor shots shouldn't balloon off into row Z. They should be at least reasonably close.
I agree Park Ji, as I'm sure most would, that pace impacts finesse but an accurate free kick is still going to really trouble the keeper whether it's fired in Ronaldoesque or not. You may get more saves than with pace, but as you say you'll get more finesse and accuracy.
Beckham is a great example of someone who pretty much strokes it into the net, almost like a pass, and IMO that sort of technique is what most pro specialist free kick takers should be aiming for, and it shouldnt be ridiculously hard for those pros to refine that art to the point they are at least hitting the target/woodwork 90% of the time.
IMO the current general standard is way below what it should be given how important set pieces are.
I meant to say above that 'you may get more saves with finesse than when using pace, but you'll get more accuracy with finesse'.
Our free-kick takers are particularly frustrating. Maybe attributable to poor memory but I genuinely can't remember us scoring a free-kick all season, apart from Rooney's two against Arsenal in the 8-2 game.
That's pretty much what I'm driving at Hodge. We are one of the world's biggest clubs, and we're supposed to have some of the worlds best players, but we aren't exactly maximising the potential of all the times our tricky, attacking players are getting fouled around the box.
It could be the difference between winning a title and not winning a title if you look at this season. Would we have got more points if Ronaldo or Beckham had been taking our free kicks this season? You'd have to think so.
Of course not everyone should be a Beckham, but I'm surprised the general standard of hitting the target isnt way above what it is now given it's relative simplicity and more importantly it's predictability, which allows you to practice it to death.
Interesting article. I think it's mainly down to te amount of power people put on the ball, coupled with the unpredictable flight these balls seem to have.
Ronaldo is a bad example. His rate of free kicks that go in or hit the target is probably about 10% or less. When they go in, boy do they go in, but it's a rarity that they do.
When referring to Ronaldo I just meant he's special in terms of goals to free kick ratio rather than just hitting the target. Beckham's more of a target man than coverts to goals as well.
His goals to free kick ratio is terrible. I think he took about 40 free kicks to score his first of the season. When they go in they are incredible, but Ronaldo is not a great free kick taker. Rooney probably has more accurate free kicks.
Darren I think we are talking at cross purposes because you're agreeing with my main point i.e. one of the best players in the world, a specialist free kick taker for a clubs like United and Madrid, and you're saying he's terrible at hitting the target. I'm saying the free kick specialists at pro clubs should be hitting the target far more often that they do.
In relation to Ronaldo specifically I believe he scores more goals than most from free kicks even if he doesn't hit the target regularly, and he doesn't hit the target regularly as he uses power rather than pure finesse.
I can't judge him on this season in La Liga as I've not followed Madrid much this year or seen his stats, but I did last year and he scored 10% of his goals from free kicks.
He was also the best free kick taker when he was at United in terms of getting goals even if 4 were wild to every goal. SAF and the other players wouldn't have him as the free kick taker if he wasn't seen as the best player for the job at the club.
In any case, on the main point of the article I think we completely agree
I just looked up Ronaldos stats for the completed La Liga season 2010/11 and it says
'Ronaldo took eight penalties, converting all of them, the longest 100% success run from the penalty spot last season in the top five European leagues. The Portuguese international scored four goals from direct free kicks, also a European league record in 2010-11.'
Unfortunately it doesnt say how many free kicks he had, but it does say he played 34 games and had 250 attempts on goal, but obviously the vast majority of those will be in normal play. He probably had 1 or 2 attempts per game which would mean 7.5-15% of his free kicks end in goals which I'd say is pretty good even if when he misses he misses big.
Madrid get a silly amount of free kicks and he takes all of them, and shoots from ridiculous ranges. He has a very strange free kick technique so it's difficult for him to score or hit the target.
I wouldn't call him a specialist as for the amount he takes, he scores very few. Alonso is a better free kick taker in my opinion. As are Messi, Xavi and Villa (he was seen as a specialist at Valencia).
Juninho, now there's a free kick specialist.
Darren Ive found out how many free kicks and goals Ronaldo has scored this year. 4 goals from 31 free kicks up to 2 weeks ago, and this is his worst season yet. However, he's still scored 13% of the free kicks he's taken which I think is pretty good by todays poor standards even if he doesnt hit the target regularly.
These stats also fit in with last years figures.
I totally agree his free kick style is unique, and doesnt aid regularly hitting the target, especially as he focusses on power and ball variation in the air, but it does mean when he does hit the target he often scores and that's why he uses that technique.
That's an average return. Ronaldo's a fantastic player, but his free kicks are hugely overrated. Due to the fact he's using power rather than accuracy, I feel it's more relying on luck that it will go in or hit the target, because effectively, his free kicks are unnacurate, as he rarely scores or hits the target.
Darren he doesnt 'rarely' score from free kicks, he's scores from around 15% of his free kicks, that's a fact.
He also scored more free kicks than anyone in the European leagues last year, actually a european free kick record, which he's equalled this year.
Yes he gets the opportunity to take a lot more than someone at a smaller club, but you say he took 40 before scoring one this season, but up to two weeks ago he had scored 4 from 31 all season, so that's not true.
I 100% agree that his free kicks vary wildly in their accuracy due to the technique he uses, and this is the point of my article as I think this should be improved drastically across most free kick takers, but to suggest he isnt a top scorer from free kicks or one of the best at scoring isnt backed up in fact.
Madrid and United wouldnt make him their no.1 free kick taker if there were better free kick takers on the pitch who were more likely to score such as Rooney and Alonso that you say both are better. Scoring is too important to put the lesser candidate in charge.
Anyway dont think we are getting anywhere now
Let's focus on tonight and hope Rooney scores a free kick winner
My friend is a Real Madrid fan and when we saw his first free kick go in this season they said it was off his 38th free kick.
Watching United and Real Madrid for the past 8 years I can see that, although he may score quite a lot, he is not a great free kick taker. You underestimate his ego, and that he makes sure he takes them all.
Accuracy is important in free kick taking, Ronaldo's free kicks are not accurate, so he's not a great free kick taker in my opinion. Stats can be twisted. He's scored a lot, but of I use Walcott's assists as an example to say he's a great crosser, most would disagree.
Anyway, I do think it's the fact people rely too much on power nowadays than finesse, the greats can combine both, but power relies more on chance than skill, in my opinion. You are hoping it goes on target knowing the power will make it hard to save. But if you try to curl it in, you have much more control over the ball.
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Should The Standard of Free Kicks Improve?
Page 1 of 2
posted on 29/4/12
NO
posted on 29/4/12
At the level of football that these guys play, they should at least be getting near the target with relative ease, even if they don't quite hit it.
I think the difficulties arise because they try to hit the ball so hard, right in the corner, with enough dip and swerve to beat the wall. It's a difficult skill, but some of the freekicks you see in the top level of football are simply embarrassing.
posted on 29/4/12
Totally agree MyNani
posted on 29/4/12
Comment deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 29/4/12
To be fair the balls normally change at WCs but even then players should get used to them by practicing over and over again, especially as they are also using them every day in training.
Golf balls and clubs etc are improving all the time along with spec changes and law changes but golfers still adapt simply enough by repetitive practice.
posted on 29/4/12
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuKIWfg_j1U
posted on 29/4/12
It's a good comparison with chipping golf balls. I play golf weekly and it's amazing how much my short game improves in the summer when I spend more time practising.
At the top level of football (well, at any professional level really), certain players should be practising freekicks every day after training. We would see remarkable improvements if they did.
What you hear about some of the best freekick takers, for example Beckham and Platini (I'm not saying these two are the best, just an example), all you hear their teammates say is that they would hang around half an hour after training and just take some freekicks. This is how they became so good - the art of freekick taking isn't something you're necessarily born with.
posted on 29/4/12
why do you always write ridiculously long articles
posted on 29/4/12
Sorry Greg, I prefer to actually set out a discussion including my view rather than simply write player X > player B or some other childish topic. Do you often see newspaper articles that are one paragraph? It's an article not a statement.
Biggest tip would be dont read them if it's too much for you.
posted on 29/4/12
Think the main problem is getting enough pace on the ball to beat the keeper, whilst also keeping it accurate. Anyone who plays football will back me up, the more power you try and put on a freekick, the harder it is to get the finesse right.
posted on 29/4/12
Park Ji (Sing us a) Sung
Exactly right.
But I think at this level of football, even the poor shots shouldn't balloon off into row Z. They should be at least reasonably close.
posted on 29/4/12
I agree Park Ji, as I'm sure most would, that pace impacts finesse but an accurate free kick is still going to really trouble the keeper whether it's fired in Ronaldoesque or not. You may get more saves than with pace, but as you say you'll get more finesse and accuracy.
Beckham is a great example of someone who pretty much strokes it into the net, almost like a pass, and IMO that sort of technique is what most pro specialist free kick takers should be aiming for, and it shouldnt be ridiculously hard for those pros to refine that art to the point they are at least hitting the target/woodwork 90% of the time.
IMO the current general standard is way below what it should be given how important set pieces are.
posted on 29/4/12
I meant to say above that 'you may get more saves with finesse than when using pace, but you'll get more accuracy with finesse'.
posted on 29/4/12
Our free-kick takers are particularly frustrating. Maybe attributable to poor memory but I genuinely can't remember us scoring a free-kick all season, apart from Rooney's two against Arsenal in the 8-2 game.
posted on 29/4/12
That's pretty much what I'm driving at Hodge. We are one of the world's biggest clubs, and we're supposed to have some of the worlds best players, but we aren't exactly maximising the potential of all the times our tricky, attacking players are getting fouled around the box.
It could be the difference between winning a title and not winning a title if you look at this season. Would we have got more points if Ronaldo or Beckham had been taking our free kicks this season? You'd have to think so.
Of course not everyone should be a Beckham, but I'm surprised the general standard of hitting the target isnt way above what it is now given it's relative simplicity and more importantly it's predictability, which allows you to practice it to death.
posted on 29/4/12
Interesting article. I think it's mainly down to te amount of power people put on the ball, coupled with the unpredictable flight these balls seem to have.
Ronaldo is a bad example. His rate of free kicks that go in or hit the target is probably about 10% or less. When they go in, boy do they go in, but it's a rarity that they do.
posted on 30/4/12
When referring to Ronaldo I just meant he's special in terms of goals to free kick ratio rather than just hitting the target. Beckham's more of a target man than coverts to goals as well.
posted on 30/4/12
His goals to free kick ratio is terrible. I think he took about 40 free kicks to score his first of the season. When they go in they are incredible, but Ronaldo is not a great free kick taker. Rooney probably has more accurate free kicks.
posted on 30/4/12
Darren I think we are talking at cross purposes because you're agreeing with my main point i.e. one of the best players in the world, a specialist free kick taker for a clubs like United and Madrid, and you're saying he's terrible at hitting the target. I'm saying the free kick specialists at pro clubs should be hitting the target far more often that they do.
In relation to Ronaldo specifically I believe he scores more goals than most from free kicks even if he doesn't hit the target regularly, and he doesn't hit the target regularly as he uses power rather than pure finesse.
I can't judge him on this season in La Liga as I've not followed Madrid much this year or seen his stats, but I did last year and he scored 10% of his goals from free kicks.
He was also the best free kick taker when he was at United in terms of getting goals even if 4 were wild to every goal. SAF and the other players wouldn't have him as the free kick taker if he wasn't seen as the best player for the job at the club.
In any case, on the main point of the article I think we completely agree
posted on 30/4/12
I just looked up Ronaldos stats for the completed La Liga season 2010/11 and it says
'Ronaldo took eight penalties, converting all of them, the longest 100% success run from the penalty spot last season in the top five European leagues. The Portuguese international scored four goals from direct free kicks, also a European league record in 2010-11.'
Unfortunately it doesnt say how many free kicks he had, but it does say he played 34 games and had 250 attempts on goal, but obviously the vast majority of those will be in normal play. He probably had 1 or 2 attempts per game which would mean 7.5-15% of his free kicks end in goals which I'd say is pretty good even if when he misses he misses big.
posted on 30/4/12
Madrid get a silly amount of free kicks and he takes all of them, and shoots from ridiculous ranges. He has a very strange free kick technique so it's difficult for him to score or hit the target.
I wouldn't call him a specialist as for the amount he takes, he scores very few. Alonso is a better free kick taker in my opinion. As are Messi, Xavi and Villa (he was seen as a specialist at Valencia).
Juninho, now there's a free kick specialist.
posted on 30/4/12
Darren Ive found out how many free kicks and goals Ronaldo has scored this year. 4 goals from 31 free kicks up to 2 weeks ago, and this is his worst season yet. However, he's still scored 13% of the free kicks he's taken which I think is pretty good by todays poor standards even if he doesnt hit the target regularly.
These stats also fit in with last years figures.
I totally agree his free kick style is unique, and doesnt aid regularly hitting the target, especially as he focusses on power and ball variation in the air, but it does mean when he does hit the target he often scores and that's why he uses that technique.
posted on 30/4/12
That's an average return. Ronaldo's a fantastic player, but his free kicks are hugely overrated. Due to the fact he's using power rather than accuracy, I feel it's more relying on luck that it will go in or hit the target, because effectively, his free kicks are unnacurate, as he rarely scores or hits the target.
posted on 30/4/12
Darren he doesnt 'rarely' score from free kicks, he's scores from around 15% of his free kicks, that's a fact.
He also scored more free kicks than anyone in the European leagues last year, actually a european free kick record, which he's equalled this year.
Yes he gets the opportunity to take a lot more than someone at a smaller club, but you say he took 40 before scoring one this season, but up to two weeks ago he had scored 4 from 31 all season, so that's not true.
I 100% agree that his free kicks vary wildly in their accuracy due to the technique he uses, and this is the point of my article as I think this should be improved drastically across most free kick takers, but to suggest he isnt a top scorer from free kicks or one of the best at scoring isnt backed up in fact.
Madrid and United wouldnt make him their no.1 free kick taker if there were better free kick takers on the pitch who were more likely to score such as Rooney and Alonso that you say both are better. Scoring is too important to put the lesser candidate in charge.
Anyway dont think we are getting anywhere now
Let's focus on tonight and hope Rooney scores a free kick winner
posted on 30/4/12
My friend is a Real Madrid fan and when we saw his first free kick go in this season they said it was off his 38th free kick.
Watching United and Real Madrid for the past 8 years I can see that, although he may score quite a lot, he is not a great free kick taker. You underestimate his ego, and that he makes sure he takes them all.
Accuracy is important in free kick taking, Ronaldo's free kicks are not accurate, so he's not a great free kick taker in my opinion. Stats can be twisted. He's scored a lot, but of I use Walcott's assists as an example to say he's a great crosser, most would disagree.
Anyway, I do think it's the fact people rely too much on power nowadays than finesse, the greats can combine both, but power relies more on chance than skill, in my opinion. You are hoping it goes on target knowing the power will make it hard to save. But if you try to curl it in, you have much more control over the ball.
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