Free Kick Wall Beater

Develop three reliable free-kick strikes, over the wall with dip, curled around the wall, and driven low under a jumping wall, and identify each player's best option.

Full goal with a keeper. Three or four mannequins form a wall 10 yards from the ball. Three free-kick spots marked: central 22 yards, and left and right of center at 20 yards. Six balls at each spot.

1. Round 1, 'Over': strike with the laces, contact low on the ball, follow through short so it dips behind the wall. Six each.
2. Round 2, 'Around': from the wide spots, curl with the inside of the foot around the near end of the wall to the far corner. Six each.
3. Round 3, 'Under': the keeper calls 'Jump!' as the shooter strikes; drive it low under where a jumping wall would be. Six each.
4. Round 4, choice: each player takes four kicks from any spot using their best technique. Score 3 for a goal, 1 for on target.
5. Track each player's numbers to decide who takes free kicks in games.

• Plant foot beside the ball, pointing at the target.
• Over: strike through the bottom half, lock the ankle, short follow-through.
• Around: contact the outside-bottom of the ball, hips open to the far post.
• Pick the spot before the run-up and commit to it.

• Players lean back and balloon the 'over' strike; the head stays over the ball and the contact is low.
• The curl starts inside the wall and never gets around; aim the first yard of flight at the near mannequin's shoulder.
• Shooters change technique every kick and never groove one; six identical reps before any variation.

• Replace mannequins with real players who jump.
• Add a decoy runner who dummies over the ball.
• Add a rebound striker for anything the keeper parries.

• Move the ball in to 16 yards.
• Use a two-mannequin wall.
• No keeper: aim at cone targets in the corners.

• One run-up length for all kicks: three steps back, one to the side.