Sunday's eagerly-anticipated Euro 2012 clash against Italy pits together two well-organised and well-matched sides and could well end in penalties being needed to separate them.
'You do practise them and you do hope one day it will make a big difference,' said Hodgson after guiding England through the group stages of the competition.
'But in my experience in penalty shoot-outs it's really the composure, the confidence and strength of mind of the individual. And sometimes we've seen the best players miss and the best players you think are not penalty takers are the ones that smash them in.'
Roy, who has worked wonders with the England team in a short space of time, will be hoping for a better ending than the penalty shoot-out he was involved in as Liverpool manager in September 2010.
Already under pressure after a slow start to the season, Hodgson's side were beaten by Northampton in the League Cup on one of the most famous nights in Town's history.