The Penalty Kick

Riddle: The Soccer Penalty Kick

What’s the smartest kick? To the shooter’s strong side, which the goalie is more likely to guard? Or to the shooter’s weak side, which the goalie is more likely to block if he guesses right? The authors of Think Like a Freak give us some details to help us decide.

• The goal is 12 yards away.
• It’s 8 yards wide and 8 feet tall.
• You will kick the ball at 80 miles per hour.
• The kick will arrive at the net in 0.306818 seconds.
  • I know that because: https://www.calculatorsoup.com/calculators/math/speed-distance-time-calculator.php/
• The goalie cannot wait for you to kick. He has to guess and fling his body toward his choice before you make contact with the ball.
• Overall, at the elite level, 75% of penalty kicks are successful.
• If he chooses wrong, your odds of success are about 90%.
• You want him to choose wrong.
• Whether you’re left- or right-footed, 57% of goalies will guard your strong side. 41% of the time, they’ll guard your weak side.

Answer in the Reply field below and Post Comment:

1. What’s the most logical way to improve your odds of kicking the ball where the goalie isn’t?
2. Why do so few kickers make the most logical choice?