Proper shooting form; It’s what extends your range and how you make more shots.
Need some drills to get your shot where you want it?
We’ve got you covered in this shooting form drill video: ↓
Important Note: If you’re ever confused, always refer back to the video above for specifics. The drill breakdowns and a few extra tips are below.
1-2-3 Shooting Form Drill:
For this first drill, and perhaps the most fundamentally important to changing your shooting form, you’ll be only using your dominant shooting hand. What this does is force your form to adopt good habits.
For example, if you’re using your guide hand to propel the ball in your shot (when it really should just be “guiding” the ball) obviously not having your guide hand in this drill will force you to use your dominant hand. Work on getting your elbow in and show me that letter “C” when doing your reps. Make sure the ball isn’t resting on your palm.
I suggest making 10, 10, 10 reps from both base-lines and the top of the key.
Important Notes: Make sure not to “crank” the shot. You aren’t throwing this ball into the hoop–you’re accurately shooting. If you find yourself pulling your arm back for more power, cocked back like a football, make sure the ball is in front of you. I would work closer to the rim until you’re more comfortable.
Also, focus on the release point. Work on that last “bit of flick” on the shot. Let me see that goose-neck and really hold that follow through. Holding this flick, and making sure the ball rolls off of the proper fingers (Shooters tend to use their first two but some use three), can be applied to all of these shooting form drills. Really internalize these fundamental shot mechanics before you overcomplicate your drills and end up skipping over the fundamentals.
1-2-3 Guide Hand Variation:
Now that you’re shooting with proper mechanics, it’s time to shoot “regularly.” Now do these same mechanics incorporating your guide hand. Do the same amount of reps as before. Keep the same distance but move around the arc.
Remember not to jump and try to aim for dead-center swishes.
Important Note: Make sure you shoot with arc. These drills are pointless if you’re not consciously incorporating proper shot mechanics like arc. Be aware of your form. This is your time to focus on changing your bad habits. It’s going to need some TLC.
Rock Back Shooting Form Drill:
Now, let’s try to incorporate solid footwork. When doing a shooting drill with footwork, it’s best you incorporate two steps. Why? Because just moving one foot back and forth per rep means the other foot just stays there. A planted foot might seem comfortable but it rarely replicates an in-game shooting scenario. A good defender might not let you spot up with a planted foot wherever you please.
So for this shooting form drill, toss the ball to yourself or have a partner pass to you and then”rock back.” From this backwards momentum, now take both steps in for a balanced, controlled, proper shooting form mechanic shot.
Important Note: Again, be mindful of your form, but incorporate the footwork side of the shot as well. This is the time, you may want to slowly introduce the jumping aspect to the shot.
Spot-up Shooting Form Drill:
Spot-up Shooting is probably the most common shooting drill. There truly are a gazillion number of ways to perform this drill. It really depends on what you want to practice and accomplish. If you have a bad shot mechanic, for example, a late release (or a two motion shot), incorporate drop-shooting, as shown in the video. Essentially, pick the ball off the ground and go straight up into a shot.
It’s much harder to have a two motion shot when picking the ball from the ground and directly continuing your form. Pick the crucial spots around the court (wings, elbows, corners) and choose a certain number of makes per spot. I suggest 10 before you move onto the next spot. This should give you a bit of a cardio workout, as well.
Important Note: Remain mindful of your form! Now that these drills are getting more complicated, catch yourself before you slip back into old habits. It will be hard, but practice, repetition, and mindfulness should get you back on track.
Chair Release Drill:
This drill requires a chair or something you can stably sit on. Get close to the rim, and rep your shot. Make sure to be cognizant of your form as you flick shots up.
Really put that hand in the cookie jar with the follow-through. This drill should remedy flat shots.
Important Note: Remember to always shoot for swishes and accentuate that arc.
Changing Distances Drill (Game?!): (Compete with a partner if you’re looking to spice things up a bit)
Start close to the rim. Make two in a row, then step back. If you miss two in a row, you move to your previous spot. You can compete with another baller or go it alone. If you get to the free-throw line on the opposite end of the court, congratulations, you’re Steph Curry.
This drill sounds easy enough right? It is if you’re consistent. (Which is exactly what this drill teaches.) The consistent shooter is the one who’s going win.
Important Note: You don’t have to have a crazy percentage (Anything over 50% should do the trick), but it teaches you to re-calibrate a missed shot so you aren’t forced to move in a step. For example, say you just missed a shot and it was short. You’re going to have to make that slight adjustment to get the ball back into the net. Perhaps you should be using a bit more legs? If you can’t make these types of adjustments, you’re going to be pretty close to the basket…
Conclusion:
Shot tweaks will always mess with your shot. Perhaps you have a low shot-release, or you’re using your guide hand’s thumb to propel the ball–changing your bad habits will be difficult but absolutely possible. It takes an incredible amount of reps. (And you’ll miss a lot of those reps.)
However, the mind-set is, incorporating these small tweaks, over time, will give you the absolute best return later when you’ve perfected the intricacies of a perfect shot.
Also guys, If you’re interested in taking your shooting to an entirely different level, I strongly recommend checking out the Best Basketball Program Out There: The Scoring Academy.
Seriously, it’s beast mode for shooting. Take the form drills I’ve just taught you, get comfortable with them, and come back to The Scoring Academy when you’re looking to step your game up to a who0o0ole new level.
Leave A Response