Trying to hit it in the top left or right corner is so risky though - for a high-profile example of what can go wrong take a look at Baggio's penalty miss in the 1994 World Cup final or when Beckham skied his against Portugal in 2004. In a high pressure situation like a penalty it's so easy to get under it and send it soaring over the bar.

I think it's more about going with what you are confident with, and having the resolve to not change your mind just before you hit the ball. I had a pretty solid right footed drive, so I'd just crack it low and hard into the bottom left. That way I didn't have to be particularly accurate to get a good chance of converting it (it didn't have to be tucked JUST inside the post) but the keeper had to:

1. guess the right side

2. know I was going low

3. dive very quickly

4. dive quite far

I know that any time I missed I doubted myself or changed my mind at the last minute and tried something different or fancy. I was not a famous footballer facing an opponent who had studied my stats though - so I doubt this is a strategy that works outside Sunday League :-)

edit: I went back to check Beckham's penalty against Portugal to check my memory wasn't misleading me ... man that was some shootout: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlEUdZgH0gc

- David Beckham kicks his penalty over the crossbar, out of the stadium and into orbit

- Rui Costa kicks his penalty over too, not quite as high

- Nuno Gomes (I think?) does a Panenka

- Ricardo saves a penalty for Portugal without his gloves, then proceeds to take penalty himself ... and scores, winning the game