Players who hesitate to shoot on goal even when it appears that they have a clear shot are obviously holding onto the ball too long. There are many drills that can help forwards and midfielders to take more shots on goal even if it doesn't look like they have a clear shot. A common misconception that many players have is that they can only take that "perfect shot," and many will wait for that very rare moment when they have a perfect angle and a perfect touch on the ball. Unfortunately, if all players waited to score until the perfect moment, we'd end up with a lot of scoreless games ...
The first drill to get your players shooting more frequently is the Four Goals Square drill. On a half-field area, set up goals on each of the four sides of the square. Divide the players into two equal teams of 4-6 players. Place the ball in play. Whichever team has possession may try to score on any of the four goals, and the opposing team has to defend the shots (no goalkeepers). This drill, taking place in small space, keeps your players focused on the shot rather than keeping the ball away from the opponent. If the players are still having trouble going for the shot, make the playing field smaller.
A second drill that can help the players to go ahead and take the shot is a two touch drill. Again, use a half-field space but only set up two goals, one on each opposite end. Divide your players into two sides of 4-6 players each. Again, the object is to score goals, but each player can only take two touches on the ball before either passing it or taking a shot. If a player takes a shot with only one touch on the ball, that goal counts for two points rather than one. See how your players perform in the Two Touch drill; if they are still having trouble taking a shot, again, make the playing field smaller.
Finally, develop a word or words that you can use during games to remind players to shoot when they are on the attack. Whether it be "shoot," "take the shot," "release," etc., this word will remind your players that they are holding onto the ball for too long and that they need to take more shots. Remind your players that the more chances or shots that they take out on the field, the more chances they will have, and the higher rate of goals they will score.
