Penalties. The make or break lottery that so many clubs – and countries – have been or will be subjected to this summer.

Players will be hailed as heroes or derided as zeroes. There is no in-between.

The tension starts as a gruelling extra-time period enters its final throes. When the whistle goes, the manager will pose that dreaded question: Who fancies it then boys?

Some will shuffle to the back of the group, others will look at the floor. But five brave souls will put their names forward to be lauded or lambasted.

Surely the cruellest part of the penalty routine, though, is the sadistic 38-yard walk from the halfway line to the penalty spot. This, certainly, has been where many penalties have been missed – before a ball has even been kicked.

Footballers will tell you: 'Don't change your mind'. Decide where you want to hit it and do not, at all costs, deviate from that plan.

Suddenly the goalkeeper looks nine feet tall and seven foot wide. The goal posts move closer together and the bar lowers.

The keeper politely hands you the ball and wishes you the best of luck. How good of him. He seems to have something wrong with his boots that only a tap on each goalpost will cure.

Step back, take your mark and wait for the referee's signal to proceed. Run forward, draw back your foot and fire...

Where did you put it? Keeper's left? His right? Straight down the middle? Were you bold and go for the top corner or cheeky and chip it goalwards? Or did you just put your boot through it and hope for the best?

There are no rights and wrongs. At the end of the day, if it goes in, great penalty, right? If you miss, bad penalty. However, so often that is not the case.

Miss-hit dribblers down the middle have found the net, while well-struck arrows in to the corner have brought a stunning one-handed save from the keeper.

So what is the best way to strike a penalty? Is there a tried-and-trusted method? Or is it all down to bottle and who can handle the pressure best?

Kevin Prince Boateng I'm sure will try to tell you his effort against Chelsea in the FA Cup final last weekend was just a miscue, although it seemed clear that the pressure simply got the better of him. The same cannot be said of Frank Lampard who, although he missed his kick in the same game, so often finds the net in vital situations, often managing to hit the side-netting just inside the post, giving the keeper no chance.

Don't talk to Charlton's Nicky Bailey about penalties, either. He went for glory, aiming for that elusive top corner, but instead skied his shot into the stands as Charlton lost their League One semi-final against Swindon. Leicester City's Yann Kermorgant is another who won't want to be reminded of his recent attempt from the spot in the Championship semi-final shootout against Cardiff. He tried to wrong foot David Marshall by dinking the ball down the middle, only for the keeper to stand his ground and make a routine save.

But this will just be the start. There is sure to be much more spot-kick drama this summer, as the knockout stages of the World Cup finals in South Africa get in to full swing.

So, how DO you take the perfect penalty?

I believe it depends how confident you are standing over the ball. If you've picked a spot and you fancy yourself to hit that mark, stick to your guns. If you can feel your legs wobbling as you trudge towards the ball and you haven't made your mind up as to where you should aim, get your head down and knock the leather off the thing.

Take it from me. I've missed my last two.

How would you hit a penalty? Do you believe there is such thing as the perfect penalty? Or is it all down to nerves? Have your say below and tell us what you think.