I'm not sure whether anybody has ever suggested this before but I find that when I take free kicks from close range (i.e. 16-18m) I have more joy using the circle button (lob) than the square button (shoot).
There are two methods that I use.
1) Over the wall - If you aim approximately a yard inside the post that the goalkeeper is not covering, tap the circle button and then hold the direction button up + left/right (depending which side you are aiming at) so that the ball is curling away from the goalkeeper you can usually get the ball over the wall and down again just below the crossbar. Unfotunately the ball travels quite slow and the keeper sometimes gets to it in time but I have quite a high success rate.
2) Around the wall - If you have a powerful free kick taker (eg Beckham or Roberto Carlos) it is possible to drill the ball hard and low into the corner of the net that the goalkeeper is covering. To do this aim just inside the post and give full power using the circle button. Hold down the directional pad down +left/right and sometimes you can get the ball past the keeper before he reacts.
I prefer method 1 but have had some success with both - certainly more than I get using the shoot button from close range.
There are two methods that I use.
1) Over the wall - If you aim approximately a yard inside the post that the goalkeeper is not covering, tap the circle button and then hold the direction button up + left/right (depending which side you are aiming at) so that the ball is curling away from the goalkeeper you can usually get the ball over the wall and down again just below the crossbar. Unfotunately the ball travels quite slow and the keeper sometimes gets to it in time but I have quite a high success rate.
2) Around the wall - If you have a powerful free kick taker (eg Beckham or Roberto Carlos) it is possible to drill the ball hard and low into the corner of the net that the goalkeeper is covering. To do this aim just inside the post and give full power using the circle button. Hold down the directional pad down +left/right and sometimes you can get the ball past the keeper before he reacts.
I prefer method 1 but have had some success with both - certainly more than I get using the shoot button from close range.