Properties2
| Type | Practice |
| Note created | Apr 7, 2026 |
PES 2021 (and Football Life mods that share the engine) offers three shooting modes: Basic, Advanced, and Manual (FUMA). Each changes how the power bar and left stick interact.
Basic Shooting
Basic Shooting in PES 2021
The default mode. The AI assists your aim, and the power bar controls both force and height — they’re coupled. More power = ball goes higher. You cannot hit a powerful low shot.
- Left stick → horizontal aim only (~3 zones: left / center / right of goal)
- Power bar → force AND height
- The AI auto-corrects your aim toward the goal frame. Higher Finishing stat = more generous correction.
Workarounds
Technique Input What it does Double-tap low shot Tap shoot twice quickly Forces a low driven shot — the key Basic workaround Manual override L2 + shoot + stick Activates an arrow for precise manual aim Controlled/Finesse R2 + shoot Reduced power, added curl Chip L1 + shoot Lobs over advancing keeper Knuckle shot Charge ~⅔, tap shoot again No-spin swerve. Needs skill card. 30m+ only Link to originalPES 2021 tap-in quirk
Tap-ins are notoriously unreliable on Basic. Use the L2 manual override for close-range finishes.
Advanced Shooting
Advanced Shooting in PES 2021
Advanced Shooting decouples power from placement. Unlike Basic mode — where more power means a higher shot — Advanced mode lets the power bar control only force while the left stick independently controls where on the goal the ball goes. This means you can hit a full-power shot into the bottom corner, which is impossible in Basic.
Enable it in: Pause → Select sides → Edit personal data.
The Reference Point
When charging a shot in Advanced mode, a yellow circular indicator appears on the goal face showing which zone you’re targeting. This is the reference point — it moves in real-time as you adjust the stick, giving visual feedback before you release the button.
The goal is divided into 6 target zones. Stick directions are relative to the goal you’re attacking (not the player’s facing direction).
Stick Mapping (attacking left-to-right)
Left Stick Target Zone ↗ Diagonal up-right Top-left corner ↘ Diagonal down-right Top-right corner ↖ Diagonal up-left Bottom-left corner ↙ Diagonal down-left Bottom-right corner → Toward goal Center mid-height ← Away from goal Bottom center Charge first, aim later
You can fill the power bar first, then choose direction just before releasing. The shot placement is read at the moment you release the button.
Unintuitive mapping
Pushing toward the goal = mid-height (not low). Pulling away = bottom center. As the community puts it: “‘towards goal’ is ‘height’ in Konami’s minds.”
Power Bar Guide
Situation Power Notes Close range / tap-in Light tap Placement over power 1-on-1 with keeper ¼ – ½ Aim bottom corners Edge of box (finesse, R2) ½ – ¾ Far post, ~45° angle Long range (25+ yards) ¾ – full Needs high Kicking Power stat Chip shot (L1 + shoot) ¼ – ½ Only when keeper commits forward In Advanced mode, power has no effect on height. A full-power shot aimed low stays low.
Link to original
Manual / FUMA Shooting
Manual Shooting in PES 2021
Full 360-degree free aim. No AI assistance. If you point the stick away from goal, the ball goes away from goal. The stick picks a direction on the pitch (like a compass), not a zone on the goal.
How Height Works in FUMA
Unlike Advanced (where the stick controls height), in FUMA the power bar is the dominant height factor. The stick only works on the horizontal plane.
Want this Do this Low hard shot Double-tap shoot Low placed shot Low power + stick toward goal Mid-height Medium power, no double-tap High / rising Full power (ball naturally rises) Chip / lob L1 + shoot Controlled / flat R2 + shoot Super Cancel Technique (R1+R2)
- Long-range curlers: sprint with Super Cancel held → power up when the player pushes the ball slightly away
- Inside the box: hold Super Cancel just before powering up (don’t hold too long or it cancels the shot)
L2 manual override works on any mode
Holding L2 + shoot + stick activates an on-screen arrow for precise aiming, even on Basic or Advanced. Great for learning manual aim gradually.
Link to originalFUMA is not 100% raw input
Even in FUMA, PES 2021 applies some contextual automatic curve. Gameplay mods can reduce this.
Comparison
| Basic | Advanced | Manual/FUMA | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direction control | AI-assisted (~3 zones) | 6 fixed goal zones | Full 360° free aim |
| Height control | Power bar (coupled) | Left stick (decoupled) | Power bar + stick (both) |
| AI correction | Heavy | Moderate | None |
| Powerful low shot? | No (double-tap workaround) | Yes (trivially) | Yes (with skill) |
| Precision ceiling | Low | Medium | Highest |
Recommended Progression
Basic → Advanced → Selective L2 Manual → (optionally) Full FUMA
- Switch to Advanced ASAP. Lower game speed to -1 or -2 while adjusting.
- Add L2 manual for tap-ins and awkward angles.
- Full FUMA is a lifestyle choice for offline simulation depth, not a competitive optimization.