Quick answer
A shot fake works when the goalkeeper believes you are about to shoot. Show the shot with your hips, shoulders and eyes, delay the release by half a second, then move the ball to the open side and finish low. The fake must look real, cost no balance, and be followed by a quick shot. Practise two fakes (shoot-fake and drag) until you can do them without thinking.
Key takeaways
- A fake only works if the goalkeeper reacts to it. Sell the shot with your whole body.
- Change pace: a short slowdown followed by a quick finish confuses the goalkeeper's timing.
- Read the goalkeeper before the fake. A goalkeeper who moves early is easy to fool.
- Finish low and near the post. A high finish gives the goalkeeper time to recover.
- Keep the stick below waist height in backswing and follow-through, also during the fake.
- Two fakes, practised 100 times, beat ten fakes practised twice.
Why do shot fakes work?
A goalkeeper has to guess. He sees your stick, your body and the ball, and has less than a second to decide where the shot is going. If he commits early to a corner because you showed a shot, he cannot recover when you move the ball. That is all a shot fake is: you give him a picture, then you change it.
Most players I coach make one of two mistakes. Either the fake is too small and nobody reacts, or the fake is so big that they lose the ball and balance. The goal is a clear, quick fake that keeps you ready to shoot in the next movement.
Which fakes should you learn?
| Fake | How it works | Best used |
|---|---|---|
| Shoot-fake, then shoot | Show a wrist shot, pause the blade, then shoot with a quick release to the other side | Against a goalkeeper who goes down early |
| Fake and drag | Show the shot, then pull the ball one step across your body and shoot | When the goalkeeper slides to one post |
| Look-away | Look at one corner, shoot to the other | When the goalkeeper follows your eyes |
| Slow-fast | Slow your approach, then accelerate and shoot | Against a goalkeeper who waits for the ball |
| Fake pass, shoot | Look at a team-mate and then shoot | When the defender and goalkeeper watch the pass |
Choose two. You will see that the shoot-fake and the fake-and-drag cover most game situations. For the basic shots, see the wrist shot step by step and the drag shot.
How do you do a shoot-fake step by step?
1. Approach with a plan
Move toward the goal with the ball in front of your front foot. Read the goalkeeper: position, weight, hands.
2. Show the shot
Open your hips toward the target, bring the blade back (low!) and drive your weight onto the front foot as if you were shooting. Your eyes should go to the corner you are "aiming" at.
3. Hold the blade for half a second
Do not release the shot. Keep the ball on the blade and let the goalkeeper commit. This pause is the hardest part, because it feels like losing time. In reality it takes your opponent's time.
4. Move and finish
Pull the ball a short step to the side or hold it still, and shoot into the open space with a wrist shot or snap shot. Keep the shot low.
How can you practise fakes without a goalkeeper?
A fake needs an opponent to react to it, and the problem at home is that nobody is there. A goalie target helps: the Extreme Floorball Goalie (€129.95) turns any full-size goal into a realistic goalkeeper, so you can see the gaps and practise sending the goalkeeper the wrong way in your imagination. Add the Extreme Floorball Shooting Targets (€34) to mark the corners, and you can practise fake-then-shoot into a chosen spot. The Extreme Floorball Goal (€149) gives you the right size, and a Shooting Pad 120x60 cm (€59) or Tiles 15-Pack (€139) gives a smooth surface.
Better Floorball is a Swedish brand and everything is designed in Sweden and tested for maximum durability. The tiles and the 3-target set are Made in Europe. A ready package is the Extreme Floorball Shooting Kit (€199). See also the shooting collection.
Coach Erik's tip: Practise the fake in slow motion first. Walk through the movement, hold the blade for a count of "one", then shoot. When it feels natural at walking pace, increase the speed in small steps.
Four drills for shot fakes
- Slow-motion fake (6 minutes). Walk in from 5 m, show the shot, pause for one second, shoot. 3 sets of 6. Cue: eyes on the corner you pretend to shoot at.
- Fake and drag (8 minutes). Show a shot, pull the ball one step across and shoot. 4 sets of 6 on each side. Watch for: a pull that is too long and loses the ball.
- Read the goalkeeper (10 minutes, with a partner). The partner acts as a goalkeeper and moves early or late. You choose the fake that matches. 15 attempts.
- Target finish (8 minutes). Do a fake and finish into a called target. 3 sets of 8. Score your hits.
For quick-release shooting, read quick release: shoot before the goalie is set, and for penalties see penalty shot tips.
Which extra drill tests your fakes against a defender?
Cone defender (8 minutes)
- Place a cone 2 m in front of the goal as your defender.
- Approach at a jog, show the shot with your shoulders and blade, then move the ball around the cone.
- Finish at the corner you chose before you started. Do 8 reps, then switch to the other side.
- Repeat with a second round where a partner stands in for the cone and reacts only to your shot fake.
Cue: sell the shot with your eyes, then change direction. Watch for: a fake that is too slow, because a defender reacts to anything longer than half a second.
How do you know your fake works?
Ask a partner to stand in front of you and say "shot" the moment they think you will shoot. Do ten fakes. If they call it before you shoot more than three times, your fake is too obvious. Make the first movement bigger and the second one quicker. Film a few reps from the side and compare your shoulders and blade on the fake and the real shot; they should look almost identical.
Common mistakes
- Too small a fake. The goalkeeper stays still. Fix: use hips, shoulders and eyes, not only the stick.
- Too big a fake. You lose the ball. Fix: keep it compact and stay balanced.
- A high backswing. It breaks the rules. Fix: show the shot with a low blade.
- Faking against a passive goalkeeper. It is wasted effort. Fix: if the goalkeeper stands still, just shoot low.
- Finishing too high. It gives the goalkeeper time. Fix: shoot low near the post.
FAQ
How do you fake a shot in floorball?
Show the shot with your hips, shoulders and eyes, hold the blade for half a second without releasing the ball, then move the ball to the open side and shoot low.
Which fake is the easiest to learn?
The shoot-fake followed by a quick wrist shot is the easiest. Once you have it, add the drag version to move the ball across the goalkeeper.
When should I not use a fake?
When the goalkeeper stands still, or when a defender is about to challenge you. Shoot early in those cases.
How can I practise fakes at home?
Use a full-size goal with a goalie target or corner targets, a smooth surface and enough balls. Practise at walking pace first, then increase the speed.
Do fakes work for kids?
Yes, but start with simple fakes and play them as small games. Kids learn well from one-on-one challenges.
How many fakes should I know?
Two or three that you can do without thinking. Quality of practice matters more than variety.
Summary
A good shot fake gives the goalkeeper a false picture and finishes low into the open space. Learn two fakes, practise them slowly, keep the stick below waist height and test them against a real or imagined goalkeeper. Find more guides in the Floorball Shooting hub, and follow us on Instagram @better_floorball.
