better basketball shooting

7/24/2019 Better Basketball Shooting

1/39

Human Kinetics

Dave Hopla

BetterBasketball

ShootingImproving Free Throws

and Midrange JumpShots


2/39

ISBN-10: 1-4504-6796-2

ISBN-13: 978-1-4504-6796-4

Copyright 2013 by Dave Hopla

All rights reserved. Except for use in a review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in any form or by anyelectronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying,

and recording, and in any information storage and retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission

of the publisher.

The content of this e-book is based on an excerpt from the larger work, Basketball Shooting,published in 2012

by Human Kinetics.

Human Kinetics

Website: www.HumanKinetics.com

United States:Human Kinetics

P.O. Box 5076

Champaign, IL 61825-5076

800-747-4457e-mail: [email protected]

Canada:Human Kinetics

475 Devonshire Road Unit 100

Windsor, ON N8Y 2L5

800-465-7301 (in Canada only)

e-mail: [email protected]

Europe:Human Kinetics

107 Bradford Road

Stanningley

Leeds LS28 6AT, United Kingdom

+44 (0) 113 255 5665


Australia:Human Kinetics

57A Price Avenue

Lower Mitcham, South Australia 5062

08 8372 0999


New Zealand:Human KineticsP.O. Box 80

Torrens Park, South Australia 5062

0800 222 062


E6106


3/39

3

Shooting Technique . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Free Shots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Midrange Jump Shots . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26

Contents


4/39

4 Better Basketball Shooting

B efore you can make a jump shot from the three-point line whileon the move, you must be able to make a shot from 2 feet (.6 m)while stationary. The problem is that most players want to go for the

shot that is worth the most points. From observing kids at camps andclinics and in pregame warm-ups, its apparent that the first thing kidswant to do no matter how small or big they might be is to get a ball,dribble it to the three-point line, and let it fly. Rarely do I see a young-ster come into the gym and start with form shooting. You must be likea baby in your approach to shooting. You crawl, you walk, and thenyou start to run. It is a process that requires patience and discipline. Justlike a little baby, you will stumble and fall, but the key lies in learningto pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and continue on your journey tobecoming a better shooter.

This e-book will cover in great detail proper technique for becominga great free shot and midrange jump shooter. To gain a complete under-standing of how to properly shoot a basketball, we will break the shotdown into parts. We will cover foot positioning, body positioning, howto hold the ball, how to release the ball, and where to target your shot.An evaluation checklist is included, making it easy for you to identifywhere your problem areas may be. Pay careful attention to the detailsprovided throughout and honestly evaluate your own technique. Thegreatest shooters are constantly critiquing their own form. You shoulddo the same.

Stance

When shooting, you build the shot from the ground up, just like build-ing a house. In this case, the foot position for shooting the ball is yourfoundation and should be the same for all shots, whether shooting ajumper or a free shot or shooting from beyond the three-point line.Consistency leads to greatness and consistency starts with the feet.

To begin, start with your feet together (see figure 1a) and slide thefoot opposite the shooting side, for a right-handed shooter this is theleft foot, back until the toes are even with the arch of the shooting foot(see figure 1b). Then, space the feet so that they are shoulder-widthapart (see figure 1c). This will ensure that the base isnt too narrow ortoo wide. If you have a narrow base, you will have poor balance andit will hinder the range of your shot (see figure 2a). If your base is toowide, you wont have the quickness or explosiveness necessary to getyour shot off successfully (see figure 2b). In this stance, the lead foot,

or shooting foot, is the foot on the same side that you shoot the ballwith. For a right-handed shooter, this is the right foot. The toes of thelead foot point toward the target. This positioning creates the shot line,


5/39

5Better Basketball Shooting

in which the toe, knee, hip, elbow, shoulder, wrist, and basketball aresituated as close to a straight line as possible in relation to the target(see figure 3). Maintaining this line will increase your shooting percent-age and eliminate unnecessary movements throughout your shootingmotion. This is the stance you should assume for all of your shots.

Once the feet are shoulder-width apart and positioned properly, youmust ensure that your knees are bent so that you have better balance,more power, and more explosiveness in the shot. When you bend yourknees, you should also bend slightly at the hips, bringing your headdown so that the shoulders are positioned in front of the feet and thehead in front of the shoulders (see figure 4). If you just bend at the knees

and dont bring the head and shoulders forward, your heels will stayon the floor, forcing you off balance when you catch the ball and startyour shooting motion.

FIGURE 1 Assuming the proper shooting stance.

a b c

FIGURE 2 A stance that is (a)too narrow and (b)too wide.

a b


6/39


Many shooters will bend at the knees but fail to bend at the hips,making the body too upright and leaving the heels nailed to the floor.To practice bending at the hips, lean forward and attempt to get asclose to the basket as you can without moving the feet. To do this, youwill naturally be forced to bend at the hips. Hold this position for afew seconds and repeat several times to become familiar with how the

positioning feels.

Arms

With an understanding of stance and body positioning in place, we nowtransition to the arms. While your legs and core body muscles serve asthe power source for your shot, your arms, wrists, and fingers take onmore of a finesse role. They control your touch and where you shoot the

ball. We will also explore finer elements that dictate how the ball willrelease off your fingertips. We will now discuss the shooting hand andhow you should grip the ball, as well as elbow positioning and how toproperly set your balance hand to maximize shot accuracy.

FIGURE 3 Creating the shot linewith the toes, knee, hip, elbow, shoul-

der, wrist, and basketball aligned withthe target.

FIGURE 4 Bending at the hips andknees for increased balance and

power.


7/39


Shooting Hand

Your shooting hand, the right hand if you are right handed and the left

hand if youre left handed, should be in the center of the ball in orderto balance and control the ball during the shot. To do this, positionthe shooting hand with the palm facing the sky or ceiling and placethe ball into the hand (see figure 5). The ball rests on your fingertipsand fingerpads. The palm does not touch the ball. This ensures thatyou can put proper rotation or backspin on the ball when you shootit. Putting your palm on the ball forces the ball to roll off the hand.No matter how big or small your hand,the ball will balance easily on the fin-gertips and fingerpads if your hand is in

the correct position in the center of theball. Now bring the ball back toward thehead to form the letter L with the shoot-ing arm (see figure 6). Make sure that yousee a little bit of daylight between yourshooting hand and the ball. A good wayto check to see if there is enough daylight,or space, is to place two fingers from yournonshooting hand between the heel ofyour shooting hand and the basketball(see figure 7). This technique will assurecomplete and total ball control as youposition yourself to shoot.

FIGURE 5 Proper grip on a bas-ketball when preparing to shoot.

FIGURE 6 L-shaped position of the shoot-ing arm when preparing to shoot.

FIGURE 7 Checking the spacebetween the shooting hand and theball.


8/39


Once you find the proper hand posi-tion, you need to make sure that youposition the ball in the shooting hand

the same way every time. Some saythat the balls position doesnt matterbecause the ball is round, but it is evi-dent that great shooters seamthe basket-ball. In other words, they always havebeautiful rotation on their shots becauseof the way they grip the ball. You shouldfind the valve, or air hole, and place thatbetween your index finger and middlefinger (see figure 8). Now your shooting

hand is in the center of the ball, and theball is seamed the correct way as well.The more you practice seaming the ball,the easier it will become, and eventuallyyou will be able to feel the seams with-out looking at them.

FIGURE 8 Seaming the basketballwhen preparing to shoot.

Elbow

Believe it or not, the elbow is the single most important component in

your ability to make shots consistently. The most common flaw is theelbow sticking out during the shot (see figure 9). Some coaches refer to

this problem as the chicken wingprob-lem because of the way the shooterselbow looks like a chickens wing stick-ing out from the body. If the elbow issticking out, it diminishes the shooterschances of being able to make shotsbecause it is not in alignment with the

target, and the shooter is unable to getthe ball in the air with the proper arch.Proper positioning of the elbow helpskeep the ball straight and allows forfull extension on the follow-through,which is discussed later.

When the elbow is in the L-shapedposition, as discussed previously, theshot should be consistently straight ifyou are in proper alignment. Once the

shooting arm is in the L-shaped posi-tion, you should make sure that the

FIGURE 9 Elbow sticks out, creatinga chicken wing.


9/39


elbow is directly under the ball and abovethe shooting foot (see figure 10). ThisL-shaped positioning is key. If you bend

the shooting elbow too much and distortthe L, you wont be shooting the ball;you will be slinging the ball. Conversely,if you dont bend the elbow enough, youwill be pushing the ball. By maintainingthe L-shape, you will properly lift the ball.Be a lifter, not a slingeror apusher. Whenthe elbow is in alignment, it will facedirectly at the target. Your wrist shouldbe cocked and locked with the basketball

properly gripped. Make sure to bend thewrist back until the skin wrinkles.

When your elbow is properly posi-tioned, theoretically, you should onlymiss long or short shots. This leaves onlya handful of other slight adjustments youmay need to consider. These adjustmentsare typically things like ensuring that you finish the follow-through withthe elbow fully extended or ensuring that you finish the shot with theelbow above the eyebrow. If your elbow sticks out, you will likely miss theshot to the left or right of the target. This is an alignment problem, whichis ultimately more difficult to correct than the other types of adjustments.

There are a few reasons that so many players shoot with their elbowout. First, when young kids start shooting a basketball, they typicallyshoot at a 10-foot (3 m) basket, forcing them to throw the ball ratherthan shoot it. They practice incorrectly because of the conditions. Thisallows bad habits to develop, which become more difficult to breakwith age. Second, many players do a poor job of being shot readywhenreceiving a pass. Being shot ready refers to the idea that a player should

be prepared to shoot before even receiving a pass. To be shot ready, aplayer shows the palm of the shooting hand to the passer, and the elbowis already in an L-shaped position and the wrist is already wrinkled. Fromthis L-shaped position, all the player needs to do is catch the ball (seefigure 11a) and lift the arm into shooting position (see figure 11b). Theelbow is aligned above the shooting foot before the player even catchesthe ball. It remains aligned on the catch-and-lift and extends straighton the finished follow-through.

A final reason players struggle with the chicken wing elbow is becausethey dont spend enough time practicing their form for one-handed

shooting. When practicing one-handed shooting, the key is to positionthe elbow correctly or the ball will fall off the hand.

FIGURE 10 Proper position for theshooting-arm elbow when preparing toshoot.


10/39


Shooting-Hand Form Shooting

This drill is used to help players perfect their alignment, using thetechniques we have discussed so far. To practice shooting-hand formshooting, assume the proper shooting stance, and grip the ball in yourshooting hand with the wrist wrinkled and the elbow in the L-shaped

position. You will not need your balance hand for this drill. Oftentimes,the balance hand is the main culprit for creating the chicken wing elbow.A player might move the ball out of alignment and toward the balancehand, causing the shooting elbow to pop out, resulting in a poor release.

In this drill, we take the balance hand out of the equation, forcingthe shooter to maintain proper positioning of the shooting arm andelbow. Beginning directly in front of the basket, start 2 feet (.6 m) fromthe rim and shoot until you make five shots. Then take a half step backand shoot until you make five more shots. Continue to move back untilyour form breaks downthat is, when you are no longer shooting the

ball, but appear to be throwing it instead. Once your form breaks down,you have reached the limit of your shooting range.

FIGURE 11 Catching the ball in (a)a shot-ready position and (b)lifting to

shoot.

a b


11/39


To shoot a high percentage, you would be ill advised to attempt shotsfrom beyond this distance because your technique will be compromised.As you mature and become stronger, you will be able to extend your

range. The goal is to work your way back until youve shot from 10 spots,adding up your makes until they total 50. To keep one-handed formshooting interesting, you can change the angle that you shoot from.For example, instead of working a straight-on shot, you could work oneparticular side out toward the wing. You could also work your way backalong the baseline.

Another method for warming up with one-handed form shooting isshooting around the worldstyle. Start directly in front of the rim andmake your usual five. After that, step out to the side along the first lanemarker, just above the box. Make five more, and then go to the other side.

Continue your way up the lane along each side. When youve reachedthe free-throw line (or what I call the free-shot line), make five more,and then continue to work your way back until your form breaks down.

Another effective way to practice one-handed form shooting is toshoot stringsstyle, in which you go for a certain number in a row orshoot until you miss. This requires more concentration, but sometimesit helps shooters buckle down and focus because the typical routine ofmaking five before advancing can become monotonous and not presentmuch of a challenge. Understand that one-handed form shooting is afundamental drill that shooters use even at the highest level of compe-tition. Before you get into a more rigorous shooting workout, begin bypracticing this drill from a variety of angles, working your way back ahalf step at a time and making it a staple of your daily routine.

Balance Hand

After you have assumed the proper stance and position of your shoot-ing hand, you should add the balance hand to the mix. The primaryfunction of the balance hand is to help balance the ball and to lift it. It

does not shoot the ball or guide the ball. You may hear a lot of coachesrefer to the balance hand as a guide hand, but that terminology impliesthat the hand guides the ball into the basket, which is incorrect. Ivealso heard other coaches use the terms off-hand or nonshooting hand.Such negative terminology shouldnt be used when referring to thishand. The term nonshooter, for example, would imply that you cannotshoot, which isnt the message that we want to send. Great teachinginvolves reinforcing positive thoughts whenever possible because posi-tive thoughts lead to positive actions.

The balance hand is properly placed along the side of the ball. To

ensure that the balance hands palm does not touch the ball, rest the ballon the fingertips and fingerpads, just like you would for the shooting


12/39


hand. To find the proper position, ifthe thumbs were to come together,they would form a letter T, with

the balance hand thumb formingthe top of the letter T (see figure 12).Placing the balance hand on the

side of the ball allows the shooter tobe able to see the target with botheyes. It also eliminates potentialside-to-side motion as the ball islifted. Eliminating motion increasesaccuracy. A common mistake ofyoung players is placing the balance

hand in front of the ball, which isincorrect (see figure 13a). This place-ment blocks the target and perhapsa defender from the shooters view.Another common mistake is plac-ing the balance hand on top of the

FIGURE 12 T-shaped position ofthe shooting and balance-handthumbs when preparing to shoot.

FIGURE 13 Mistakenly placing the balance hand (a)in front of the ball and(b)on top of the ball.

a b


13/39


ball, as shown in figure 13b, which forces the shooter to release thathand at some point before shooting. This adds too much movementand also adds time to the shot. Its crucial that players be efficient with

their movement so they can develop a quick release. In addition tothese issues, some players actually develop the bad habit of moving theshooting hand to the side of the ball when they add the balance hand.The shooting hand must always stay under the ball and in the centerof the ball. If the shooter moves the shooting hand, he or she ends upshooting with two hands, or the balance hand becomes inadvertentlyinvolved with the shot.

Balance-Hand Form Shooting

This drill is a continuation of the drill for shooting-hand form shooting.Were now adding the balance hand to the equation. Where shooting-hand form shooting focuses on perfecting alignment, balance-handform shooting is about maintaining that alignment when the balancehand comes into play. To perform this drill, shooters start 2 feet (.6 m)from the basket and place their balance hand on the side of the ballwhen their shooting arm is in the L-shaped position. Shooters mustremember to keep the arm straight by keeping the elbow in and the handunder the center of the ball. Shooters assume the proper positioning,

and before they take a shot, a partner or coach checks the positioningof their shooting and balance arms. Shooters make five shots and takehalf a step back and make five more shots. As with shooting-hand formshooting, this continues until the shooters form breaks down. Playerstake the same approach with balance-hand form shooting as they dowith shooting-hand form shooting. The goal is to make five shots from10 spots, whether its straight on, at an angle, or around-the-world style.When shooters find that they have mastered the traditional make-fivestyle, shoot in strings, either for a specific number of shots in a row oruntil a miss.


14/39

14

Hitting the Target

If you are to become a consistent shooter, you must have a consistent target.More often than not, if coaches were to ask their team what they look at whenthey shoot, they would hear different answers. Some players may say the frontof the basket, others the back of the basket. Some would say the hooks that holdthe net in place or that they just dont know. A select few might say the center ofthe basket.

The center of the basket is always the target that a shooter should focus on,no matter where the player shoots from on the court. Players who do not lookat the center of the basket will not become as great at shooting as they could. Ifshooters focus on the front of the rim from straight on, for example, what wouldthey focus on when shooting a jump shot from the corner? They would not lookat the front of the rim because they could no longer see the front of the rim. Thetarget changes and so does a players consistency, but the center of the basketis always the center of the basket, no matter where the player shoots from. Con-sistent target, consistent shooter. It may take more concentration to focus on thecenter of the basket, but to become better shooters, players need to have betterconcentration and focus anyway. Shooters should learn that their main objectiveis to keep their eyes on the target and never to follow the flight of the ball.

Now, the argument that I hear most in regards to targeting the center of thebasket is that a shooter cant see an actual spot when aiming for the center of thebasket. Because this is true, the shooter should focus on putting the ball some-where in the middle of that large space otherwise known as the hoop. Aiming forthe center of the hoop allows a little room for error, meaning that a shooter canactually shoot slightly long or short, left or right, or a combination and still makea successful shot.

Note, however, that there is one case where the shooters target will changeand this is when shooting a bank shot off the backboard. In this case, the target

is no longer the center of the basket, but instead is the top corner of the smallsquare on the backboard that is closest to the shooter.


15/39


FIGURE 14 A follow-throughafter the ball is released.

Follow-Through

The follow-through is the last part ofthe shot. Understanding the nuancesof the follow-through is a great toolfor giving feedback regarding what wasdone correctly or what may have beendone incorrectly. The follow-throughalso provides the last bit of positivepower and energy to the shot.

To follow through correctly, afterthe ball is released, the shooting arm

is fully extended with the elbow abovethe eyebrow and slightly in front of thebody. It should stay in the shot line:the toe, knee, hip, shoulder, elbow,wrist, and hand all maintaining align-ment. The shooting arm should notfinish across the shooters face or gooutside of the shoulder. For a right-handed shooter, the right hand stayson the right side of the body and theleft hand stays on the left side of thebody. The shooting hand should bepointed straight toward the target andin the hoop with fingers pointed downat about a 45-degree angle toward thefloor (pretend you are putting yourhand in a cookie jar!), with the wristbecoming the highest point of theshooting arm (see figure 14). The bal-

ance hand should also be up in theair after the release. Too many playersdrop the balance hand, and this throwstheir shot off, creating a power strugglein which half of the body is trying togo toward the target on the shootingside, and the balance hand is pullingthe other side away from the target (seefigure 15). The body twists and turns

FIGURE 15 Improperly dropping the bal-ance hand at follow-through.


16/39


and no longer finishes straight. The shooter must hold the hands highon the follow-through. The shooters head remains still in the centerof the body with the eyes focused on the target not on following the

flight of the ball.When you release the ball, you should freezethe finish until the ballhas swished through the bottom of the net. Many players tend to droptheir arms too soon, preventing the coach from getting feedback on theshot before assessing the players body position. Was the elbow abovethe eyebrow? Was the hand in the hoop? Was the finish straight? Getin the habit of freezing your follow-through in practice so that yourcoach can provide you with valuable feedback. If you drop your handstoo quickly in practice, you will drop them even more quickly in a gamebecause things happen much more quickly in games.

Freeze Follow-Through

To help shooters learn to freeze their follow-through, you can overem-phasize the position with their hands held high. To perform this drill,have shooters take shots within their shooting range and have themfreeze the follow-through position until the ball hits the floor. Check tomake sure that both hands are held high and that the shooting arm fin-ishes in the shot line. Incorporate this drill into your shooting warm-up

along with one-handed form shooting and two-handed form shooting.

Eggs on the Rim

This practice drill is used to help shooters perfect their follow-throughby getting more arch on their shot and staying off the rim. This is alsodirectly related to targeting the center of the basket. To perform thisdrill, the shooter assumes a standard shooting stance and standardshooting-arm and balance-arm position. The shooter visualizes eggs

standing upright on the rim. The goal of the drill is simple: Dont breakthe eggs. This drill will accomplish two things. First, it will force theshooter to strive for perfect follow-through with the elbow above theeyebrow and the hand in the hand-in-the-hoop position, allowing formaximum arch on the shot. Second, it will strengthen the shootersvisual focus. Shooters will get in the habit of swishing shots becausethey dont want to break any eggs. The ones that rattle in will frustratethem. But you know what? They still made the shot.


17/39


Shot Technique Evaluation

In this section, you will find an evaluation checklist to help you critiqueyour shooting form (see figure 16). Why are you missing shots? Are youbending at the knees but not at your hips? Is your elbow under the ball,or do you have a chicken wing? These are just a few sample questionsthat you can ask yourself as you go through this list. You may find thatyou have one major area of concern. For example, lets say your balancehand is positioned on the top of the ball. Tackle that issue first, andcorrect it. Once its fixed, you may realize that your body balance couldbe better, so you adjust your feet.

FIGURE 16 Shot Technique Evaluation Checklist

Key points Rating Notes

Stance Staggered stance (toeseven with arch)

Feet shoulder-widthapart

Toe to target

Knees and hips bent

Heels off the floor

____Never

____Sometimes

____Most of the time

____Every time

Shootinghand, arm,and elbow

Basketball seamed

Elbow L-shaped directlyunder the ball

Wrist wrinkled

Daylight between the balland palm

____Never

____Sometimes


____Every time

Balancehand and

arm

Placed on the side

Daylight grip

Thumbs make a T

____Never

____Sometimes____Most of the time

____Every time

Releaseand follow-through

Elbow above eyebrow

Shot line maintained

Shooting hand goose-necked

Balance hand up, straight

____Never

____Sometimes


____Every time

From D. Hopla, 2012, Basketball shooting(Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics).


18/39


Take it in stages. Even elite shooters constantly evaluate their tech-nique. Ray Allen might swish five NBA threes in a row, but then clangthe sixth. What happened? Did he freeze his follow-through? Was he

toe to target? Chances are, Ray will evaluate that miss, make the adjust-ment, and then nail that next long ball.This checklist is all about evaluating your habits in terms of consis-

tency. To be a great shooter, you must become consistent. Be honestwith your evaluation, and involve your coaches. Go through each ele-ment and assess yourself. Once you have an idea of where you thinkyou need improvement, take that information to your coaches and gettheir feedback. Dont think of the process as being critical of yourself ina negative light. This is all about improving and getting better. Everyonestarts somewhere, and this checklist provides a framework for you to

work from. Take advantage of it and the resources around you, and youwill be on your way to becoming a great shooter.

You now possess the knowledge to correctly shoot the basketball.Shooting is a craft that must be honed. Understand that consistency isperhaps the single most important factor in determining your success asa shooter. Not only consistency within the fundamental breakdown ofyour technique, but also consistency as you vary your practice routines.The shot technique evaluation checklist is not merely a guideline foryou to use to evaluate what you do or dont do in regards to your tech-nique. Its also a checklist, a step-by-step way to evaluate your shot sothat you can be consistent as you develop different facets of your game.How good or great do you intend to become? Much of that will dependon how consistent you are with your shooting technique.

Free Shots

Now that you have your shooting fundamentals down, you must be

able to shoot a free shot, or one-point shot. This is also referred toby many as the foul shot or free throw. I do not like to call it a foul shotor a free throw because foulis a negative word, and throwcreates a nega-tive image. You must always be positive in your thoughts, actions, andwords. If something is foul, that means it is stinking, rotten, nasty, andno good. Do you want to be a stinking, rotten, nasty, no-good shooter?Of course not, but many are. Then theres the term free throw. You donot want to throw the ball. You want to shoot a basketball, not throwit. You throw a football and a baseball, but you shoot a basketball. Ifyou want to be great, you have to think correctly.Free shotsfall in line

with this train of thought, and to be a great player, your thoughts mustbe different from other peoples thoughts.


19/39


When shooting free shots, do not settle for mediocrity. There is noexcuse for you to make less than 80 percent of your free-shot attempts.It seems that most everyone has accepted mediocrity from the one-point

line. Listen to game announcers, for example. They will often refer to aspecific player as an excellent foul shooter, and in the very next breathsay that the player makes 75 percent of his or her shots. When did 75percent become excellent? To increase your free-shot percentage, youmust first visualize yourself shooting the ball and swishing it, and thenyou must practice shooting using correct shooting technique. Successfulfree-shot shooting comes down to this: perfect practice makes perfect.

The problem that a lot of players have on all levels is that they do nothave a solid, sound routine that they stick to when shooting from thecharity stripe. They may bounce the ball one time before the first shot

and then miss; then on the second shot they decide to try somethingdifferent and bounce it three times. They may line up a step or two awayfrom the line instead of on the line, or they may be a step to the left or astep to the right. They may not position their fingers along the seams ofthe ball, resulting in a different grip with every shot. Shooting from theline is all about consistency, and in order to be consistent and developmuscle memory, you must do the same thing over and over and over.

Throughout the history of the game there have always been greatfree-shot shooters such as Bill Sharman, Rick Barry, Calvin Murphy,Mark Price, Reggie Miller, Steve Nash, Ray Allen, Chauncey Billups, andRip Hamilton. Rick Barry shot the ball underhanded and was an excel-lent free-shot shooter. His technique is testimony to the fact that if youpractice something enough you can be very successful at it. But youmust put the time in and do the repetitions. On the other hand, thereare also plenty of foul shooterswho have left their mark on the historyof the game. Here are some famous foul shooters: Wilt Chamberlain,Shaquille ONeal, Ben Wallace, Dennis Rodman, and Dwight Howard.Remember this: when you are an excellent shooter, everyone is shockedwhen you miss. But when you are a foul shooter, everyone is shocked

when you make one.

Free-Shot Technique

Free shots will involve the same fundamental shooting techniques thatwe already discussed. We take you through the physical componentsas well as the mental components of the free shot. The technique youuse for free shots is virtually identical to the technique you would use

when practicing the drill for balance-hand shooting form. The majordifference with free shots is the mental component of being on stage


20/39


or on the spot. Recall the importance of being consistent. If you areconsistent with how you shoot the ball, then you can develop a senseof confidence when you step to the line.

Stance

Great shooters attempt to align their feet in the exact spot every timethey shoot. When stepping to the one-point line for a pair of free shots,obtaining proper stance becomes much easier than, say, coming off ascreen for a jump shot. This is because free shots are stationary shots,allowing players to properly align their feet using the mechanics dis-cussed previously. Yet another aspect of free shots is the tack or naillocated in the center of most one-point lines. The first thing you should

do is locate this tack or nail. This spot is aligned with the center of thebasket. In the rare event that you find yourself shooting at a line with notack or nail, do your best to determine where the center of the basket isand place your shooting foot there (right foot if you are right-handed).A majority of courts should have a tack or nail in place, so this shouldntbe an issue. If you are a right-handed shooter, you would align your rightfoot with the tack, as shown in figure 17. If you are left handed, youwould do just the opposite and align with your left foot. This position-ing sets you up to shoot the ball in your shot line in accordance withyour shooting hand.

How Many Shots Should You Take?

Far too often, players will practice all kinds of fancy dribbling moves that they willnever use in a game, but they wont put the time in at the line. So exactly howmany free shots should a player take every day that they shoot? You need to be

more interested in makes than takes. A lot of coaches end practice with foulshooting. They ask players to shoot 50 and go home. In this situation, a poorshooter will most likely shoot 50 as quickly as possible so he or she can get outof the gym and go home. Practicing that way is almost like giving someone amachine gun. He or she might get 50 rounds off quickly, but not many shots willhave hit the target. Instead, a coach who asks players to make 50 before goinghome requires more focus and concentration from players. Eventually, the play-ers who want to be great will aim to make 100 free shots before heading home.And guess what! It doesnt take long to make 100 free shotsperhaps anywherefrom 20 to 30 minutes if you are a good shooter and depending on the numberof bounces that you like to use.


21/39


Once the shooting foot isaligned, place the other footnext to the shooting foot (see

figure 18a) and slide it backuntil the toes are even withthe arch of the shooting foot(see figure 18b). Next, move theback foot (nonshooting foot)over until the feet are shoulder-width apart (see figure 18c). Youare now in a staggered stance,obtaining perfect balance.

Once the feet are set, bend

at the hips and knees to gener-ate power and momentum forthe free shot. When bendingat the hips, bring the head andshoulders down or forward so

that the shoulders are in front of the feet and the head is in front of theshoulders. Then, bend at the knees until the heels come off the floor(see figure 19). Bending at the hips and knees gives you proper balanceand power to get the ball to the basket.

If youre a younger player, you might need to bend at the hips andknees slightly more in order to generate enough power to get the ballto the basket. If you still require additional power, you might considerstepping into the free shot. To do this, first establish your stance exactlyas described previously, and then bring the shooting foot behind the

FIGURE 17 Position of the shootingfoot for a free shot for a right-handedshooter.

FIGURE 18 Assuming the proper free-shot shooting stance.

a b c


22/39


nonshooting foot. When readyto shoot, take the shooting footand step to the tack or nail. This

step allows younger players togather enough power to ensurethat the ball will reach the basket.However, you must be cautious ofstepping over the line when usingthis technique because that willresult in a violation and a forfei-ture of the free shot. What is trulyimportant is to stress the bend atboth the knees and the hips. As a

younger player, if you bend just atthe knees and do not bend at thehips, you will fail to bring the headand shoulders forward. This meansthat the heels will likely remain incontact with the floor and you willbe flat footed until you raise theball. If you shoot in this fashionyou will have significantly lesspower, and your free-shot attemptswill likely clang off the front ofthe rim.

Arms

Once your feet are set, you must have a proper grip on the basketball.No matter the size of the shooting hand, it should be under and in thecenter of the basketball and on the seams, as described earlier. The ballshould rest on the fingertips and fingerpads, without the palm touching

the ball. You should have a comfortable, firm grip on the ball, with thefingers not too wide or too close together. The balance hand should beon the side of the ball so that the thumbs of both hands form the letterT. The palm of the balance hand does not touch the ball, eitheronlythe fingertips and fingerpads. The function of the balance hand is tosteady the ball and help lift it during the shot. See figure 20 for anexample of the proper grip.

Once the balance hand is placed, the wrist of the shooting handshould be wrinkled, cocked, and locked. The elbow of the shooting handis tucked in and aligned directly above the shooting foot so that theshooting arm forms the letter L. You have now created the fully loadedshot line, where the toe, knee, hip, elbow, shoulder, wrist, and ball arein alignment with the center of the basket.

FIGURE 19 With the hips and knees bent,

you are balanced and have adequatepower to shoot.


23/39


Establishing a Routine for Free Shots

If you want to be an excellent free-shot shooter, you must develop a routine thatyou are comfortable with. Lets stress that the details of the actual routine areinconsequential. Whats important is that you be consistentboth with the routineyou use in practice as well as the routine you use in games. The routine neverchanges. Remember, successful free-shot shooting comes down to this: perfectpractice makes perfect. In developing your routine, you should take several fac-tors into consideration:

How many bounces are you going to use?For example, some play-

ers like to bounce the ball one time, others three times. Again, it doesntmatter how many times you bounce the ball before shooting the one-pointshot. Whats important is that you use the same number of bounces everytime.

What is your thought process before shooting the ball? Areyou flustered that you missed the layup before the shot, thus missing youropportunity for the old-fashioned three-point play? Did you miss your twoprevious free-shot attempts? Whatever negative thoughts might be ram-bling around in your brain, dont bring them to the line. The only thing that

you should be focused on is that next free shot. Are you visualizing yourself swishing the basketball?In todays

NBA, nobody does a better job visualizing their shot than Steve Nash. Ev-ery time he steps to the line and before the referee has even handed himthe ball, he practices his shot mechanics, and you can see it in his eyes:swish, swish. Hes making these shots. He visualizes himself succeeding.You should do the same.

Are you relaxed?Take a breath. Competition is exhilarating, and often-

times a player can tense up. Take a breath and learn to relax at the line. Itwill make you a more focused and consistent free-shot shooter.

Do you act as though you own your routine?What I mean bythis is that in addition to the number of bounces that you choose to use,you can incorporate other rituals to personalize or own your routine. Forexample, Jason Kidd blows a kiss to the basket before shooting his freeshots. Hall of famer Karl Malone used to talk a complete blue streak tohimself before every shot attempt. Whatever you choose to do, own it andbe consistent.


24/39


If you are flat-footed on the free shot, you will have negative motion.Once you raise the ball, all of the weight will be back on the heels, result-ing in a negative motion. By negative motion, I mean that the body

weight will move backward instead of forward. This is negated as theheels come off the floor with the knees and hips extending upward withthe body.Bend and extendis a catchphrase that illustrates the rhythmyou should practice when rising up to shoot the ball.

Follow-Through

On the follow-through, you should remain up on the toes or balls ofthe feet until the ball swishes cleanly through the bottom of the net.The shooting arm should be fully extended with the elbow finishing

above the eyebrow and the hand into the hoop (see figure 21). The bal-ance hand remains up; it does not drop on the shot. Freeze the follow-through until the shot swishes through the bottom of the net. If youdo not hold the follow-through and drop the arms too early, you most

FIGURE 20 Note the spacebetween the palm of the shootinghand and the ball. Also note theletter T created by the positioning ofthe thumbs and the letter L formedby the shooting arm.

FIGURE 21 Freezing thefollow-through.


25/39


likely wont be able to stay up on the toes, either, causing the shot toeither fall short or off to the left or right.

Free-Shot Drills

There are countless ways to drill your free-shot shooting and keep thingsinteresting. Getting your 50 or 100 makes at practice is an essentialstep that any player must take to become a great free-shot shooter, buteven I understand as both a player and a coach that those repetitionscan sometimes become mundane. Here are a few competitive free-shotshooting drills to help keep you focused on improving this crucial and

game-changing skill.

Swish

This is a great drill for getting players to take pride in free-shot shooting.Players are paired up at a basket. One player shoots two free shots andthen the next player shoots two. Players get two points for a swish andone point for a make. If the ball does not go in, one point is deductedfrom the players score. Play to 11 points, and you must win by two.

3-25 Drill

The goal of this drill is to make 25 free shots before getting three misses.To accomplish this, you must shoot close to 90 percent. You can performthis drill individually, or it can be a practice-ending drill for the wholeteam. When the whole team is involved, you can add pressure by run-ning sprints. For the full team, each player shoots two shots. The teammust make 25 shots before missing three. Every shot that does not go

in results in a sprint up the court and back before the drill continues.Ending practice with this drill is a real test of mental toughness, but itencourages camaraderie among team members and helps to build trustbetween the players and coaches as each shooter steps to the line.

Five Free Shots, Five Balance-Hand Layups

Oftentimes, you can economize practice time by working on other skillswithout players realizing it. This drill does just that. You shoot a free

shot and freeze the follow-through, waiting until the ball hits the floor.Then attack the rim and go in for a layup with the balance hand. Then


26/39


dribble back to the line hard with the balance hand. This drill works onthree skills at once. It emphasizes shooting free shots while fatigued,shooting balance-hand layups, and improving ball handling with the

balance hand.

Make Two, Sprint to Baseline

This is a great drill for conditioning yourself to making two consecutivefree shots. In this drill, the goal is to make two shots and then sprint tothe opposite baseline before returning to make two more. Repeat thisuntil you have made 20 shots. If you miss a shot, immediately sprintdown and back. You dont want to get in the habit of shooting one

for two at the line. This drill requires concentration, and the periodicsprinting keeps it gamelike. After all, you are likely to be winded whenyou step to the line in a game. This drill simulates shooting under thoseconditions.

Free shots are a major part of the game that far too many playersoverlook. Dont believe me? Just check the box scores on any given dayand I guarantee you that the point differential in virtually any gamecould have been made up if teams had made their free shots. A classicexample of missed free-shot opportunities occurred in the 2008 NCAAChampionship game when Memphis clanged four off the rim within

the final two minutes of regulation, failing to extend their lead andeventually losing to Kansas in overtime. One of those free shots wasmissed by none other than the NBAs 2011 MVP Derrick Rose. I thinkits safe to say he found himself a foul shooterat a most inconvenientmoment. The real secret to mastering free shots is to shoot more of them.Remember, when you arent out there practicing, someone somewhereelse is. When you meet that person, and the game is on the line, whowill be ready to step up to the line and ice the game?

Midrange Jump Shots

Amidrange jump shot is a shot taken inside the three-point arc, butoutside of the painted area dominated by larger low-post players.Here, we cover the easiest type of jump shotthe straight-on midrangejump shot.

Midrange shots must be made consistently because they are essentialin developing your shooting stroke. Once you master the midrange

jump shot, it will open up the rest of your game. Dont believe me?Look no further than Michael Jordan, winner of more scoring titles,10 total, than any other player in NBA history. Most people think ofMichael as a high-flying dunker. Although its true that many of his


27/39


points were found above the rim, Michael Jordan led the league inscoring all of those years because he was able to hit the 15-foot (4.5m) jump shot. This shot makes you unguardable. Think about what

goes through a defenders mind when you hit that shot. Will he or sheplay up on you? Boom! You have a lane to the basket. Michael knewthis and used it to his advantage better than any other player in thehistory of the sport.

The problem that most players have is wanting to go out to the three-point line before being able to consistently hit an open 12- to 15-foot(3.6-4.5 m) jump shot. Start in close and work your way out just likeyou did with your form shooting. You must be able to make an open10-footer (3 m) before you can make an open 20-footer (6 m). Michaelunderstood this as well, and you can see that later in his career he became

a much improved long-range shooter. However, it all started by his firstmastering this midrange weapon.

Technique for Midrange Jump Shots

The shooting mechanics of the midrange jump shot rely on the detailspreviously discussed. The major difference is that you will shoot thisshot in the air:jumpshot. We will explore fundamental techniques for

shooting this shot as a straight-on shot both off the catch and as a pull-up shot off the dribble.

The straight-on jump shot is one of the easiest shots to teach and theshot most common to players. It is the shot that everyone practices themost because it requires a minimal amount of movement, making it theeasiest to practice. For this shot, players do not move from side to sideor shoot off the dribble. In the straight-on jump shot, the ball comesto you from an inside-out pass. You can practice this with a teammatestanding under the rim, passing the ball out to you, or you can easilysimulate a pass to yourself by performing a spinout. A spinout simplymeans that you toss the ball out in front of yourself and put some spinon it so it rotates toward you. When the ball bounces off the floor, it willcome back at you, thus simulating a pass. When shooting the straight-on jump shot, the basic mechanics never change: simply take a one-twostep into the shot. A right-handed shooter steps with the left foot firstand then brings the right foot into shooting position.

Stance

Before receiving the ball, you should assume a balanced, athletic stancewith the feet shoulder-width apart and with the knees bent. When bend-ing the knees, you should also bend at the hips, bringing the head andshoulders forward. The shoulders should be in front of the feet and the


28/39


head in front of the shoulders. When in the proper position, your heelslift off the floor, putting you on your toes. Note that this athletic stanceis a fundamental position in basketball. You assume this position if you

are preparing to catch a pass, slide defensively, or box out and rebound.In this instance, you are now prepared to step forward to receive theball for your straight-on jump shot.

Receiving the Ball

Before you step to receive the ball, you must show a targetto your team-mate who has the ball. This helps the teammate understand where you

want the ball. To show a target,the palm of the shooting hand

points to the passer with thewrist wrinkled back, cocked andlocked, the fingertips pointing tothe ceiling, and the elbow lockedin an L-shaped position. We callthispalm to passer. The fingertipsof the balance hand should pointto the passer. The passer shouldsee only the palm of the shootinghand, not the palm of the balancehand. This position forms what iscalled the shot pocket(see figure22). Note that if you ensure thatonly the palm of the shootinghand is facing the passer, youwill never stick your elbow out,enabling you to maintain theproper shot line.

As the ball comes toward you,

begin your one-two step. The firststep is all about catching the ball with your pivot foot established. Youshould move forward to meet the ball using a long step. A right-handedplayer would step with the left foot and a left-handed player would stepwith the right foot. A long aggressive step into the shot helps you get tothe ball quicker and helps you stay low. This step should be done withthe heel hitting the floor first, as shown in figure 23a, then transferringthe weight onto the toes or the ball of the foot, as shown in figure 23b.This foot has now become your pivot foot.

Time the catching phase of the straight-on jump shot so that you catch

the ball as you establish your pivot foot. You should keep your eyes onthe ball and catch it with both hands, watching it all the way into the

FIGURE 22 Forming a shot pocketin order to give a passer a target topass to.


29/39


shot pocket. With the ball caught, immediately sight the target, whichis the center of the basket. Now, the two of the one-two step shouldalready be in motion. Do not catch and pause. Bring your shootingfoot forward so that you are in your original athletic stance, bendingat the knees and hips. Again, dont pause. Elevate off the ground intoyour shooting motion. Be the aggressor. The one-two step allows you togain momentum and bring your legs into the shot in an efficient andbalanced manner.

Note that many coaches teach players to make a jump stop whenreceiving the basketball. In the case of shooting a straight-on, midrangejump shot, I very much prefer receiving with a one-two step. A jumpstop is exactly as it sounds: you jump to the ball with both feet hittingthe floor simultaneously, finding yourself stopped. Although you mightbe balanced and in an athletic stance, the problem with this method ofreceiving is that when you jump-stop, all of your power has stopped aswell, and now you need to reload to get your shot off. Also when youstop, the defender becomes the aggressor because he or she can closeout more easily and contest your shot. When you use a one-two step

into the shot, you are the aggressor and have the defender backing upon his or her heels.

FIGURE 23 Stepping to the ball during the pass using a one-two step.

a b


30/39


Release

With the ball called for and caught, you now need to explore the finerpoints of elevating and releasing the ball out of your straight-on, one-two-step shot. As the shooting foot comes forward, you push up, lift

the body and straighten it out (see figure 24). The shooting foot shouldremain in a straight line to the target. The jump carries you up andslightly toward the target. This is due to the momentum of stepping

Calling the Ball

You should always call for the ball to let your teammates know that you are openand ready to receive the pass. Calling involves much more than just shouting forthe basketball. Great shooters call for the ball with their mouths and eyes and byshowing hand targets. Calling for the ball will help you catch the ball in rhythmso that you are prepared to shoot because you have alerted the passer that youare open, and you are encouraging him or her to deliver a better pass.

Here are a few things to keep in mind when calling the ball:

Demand the ball.You should be loud. If you quietly say ball in a packed

gymnasium, the only one who will know you are open and ready to shootwill be you. Demand the ball, Ball, ball, ball, ball, ball!

Use your eyes.Make eye contact with the passer before the catch. Dontallow your defender to disrupt you, and dont worry about what Mom andDad are hollering from the bleachers. You and your teammate must be onthe same page. Eye contact tells the passer that you are ready.

Show hand targets.Make sure your palm is facing the passer, almostlike a catchers mitt facing the pitcher in baseball. This gets your shooting

arm in the L-shaped position, keeping you in shot line and increasing thelikelihood that you will make the shot. Make a few shots and youll receivemore passes.

As a coach, you must stress to players that communication is an essentialcomponent of success. Calling for the ball reinforces this principle, but they stillmay be unwilling to take such initiative. If this happens, you may have to forceyour players to communicate. How do you do this? Its simple: Tell them that ifthey dont call for the ball, teammates wont pass them the ball. No exceptions.Your players must learn to demand the basketball and be confident that when

they receive the pass they can make the shot.


31/39


straight on. The body should not turnor twist in the jump because this willpull the shot line off from the start. The

arms lift the ball as the body movesupward. Hand positioning and gripwill be unaffected because you caughtthe ball in the shot pocket. The shoot-ing arm should remain in the properL-shaped alignment before extending.Release the ball right before the top ofthe jump. If you wait until the top ofthe jump, your momentum will be ona downward swing, most likely causing

the shot to fall short of the basket.

Follow-Through

After you release the ball, you mustkeep your eyes on your target andfreeze the follow-through. The shoot-ing hand should be in a straight line tothe target (hand in the hoop), and theelbow should be fully extended, finish-ing above the eyebrow and in front ofthe face, not behind the face or next tothe ear (see figure 25). If the shootinghand finishes back by the ear, the ballwill have too much arc. If you finishwith the elbow below your eyebrow,you will be a streaky shooter who shootsline drives, and your shots will have atendency to clang off the front or back

of the rim. If you happen to actuallymake the shot, your makes will rattlein. There wont be many swishes.

One example of a player who ini-tially struggled with his follow-throughupon coming into the NBA is the Okla-homa City Thunders Kevin Durant. Ifyou watch him shoot, sometimes youwill notice that his shooting elbow

FIGURE 24 Releasing the

ball on a jump shot.

FIGURE 25 Following through on a jumpshot.


32/39

32

Pull-Up Jump Shot

The next step in the progression is to take what youve learned about shooting thestraight-on, one-two-step midrange shot off the catch and applying those conceptsto when you have a live dribble going. This skill is known as shooting a pull-up jumpshot. When shooting the pull-up jump shot from straight on, you will need to useyour dribble as a pass to yourself. To be successful, you must understand somekey aspects of the dribble. First, you never want to dribble the ball outside of yourbody; instead, dribble out in front so that it leads you into the shot, just like a goodpass would lead you into the shot. Second, you should be skilled at putting the ball

down with either hand and being able to go either way with either foot as a pivot.For the pull-up jump shot, you push the ball out in front and take a long stridewith your livefoot (see figure 26). By live foot, I mean the nonpivot foot. This willenable you to step into your shot with the same one-two step used previously. Also,the long stride of the live foot allows you to get low and to get past the defender.You should remember, though, that you must not dribble the ball straight downor you will inevitably dribble off your foot. Push the ball out and past the defender.

If you are a right-handed shooter and you are going right, you should pick upthe ball with two hands into your shot pocket and then continue right into yourshooting motion. If you are a right-handed shooter and you are going left, you will

FIGURE 26 Shooter stepping into the pull-up jump shot.


33/39

33

find that if you try to pick up the ball with two hands, you will be off balance. Thisis because you are reaching across your body with your shooting arm and pulling

your shot lineout of alignment. Instead, dribble the ball and allow it to come upinto your left hand and then bring the ball across to your shooting hand. This iscalled loading the gun,because you load your shooting hand with your ammuni-tion, the ball. Picking up the ball in this method is the most important part of theshot when going to your weak hand because it allows you to maintain alignment.When bringing the ball to the shooting hand, you must keep the shooting elbowtucked and in a straight line, your shot line,with the target. You will find that bydoing this, your momentum moves forward and not backward or to the side, whichis exactly the balance you are looking for when shooting a pull-up jump shot.

To practice the pull-up jump shot, begin with these two drills: One-dribble pull-up drill.Start out with the right foot as the pivot foot,

and take a dribble going right before pulling up to shoot. You then returnto the beginning spot and take a hard dribble going left, still using the rightfoot as the pivot foot and pulling up into the jump shot. Do this 20 times,giving you 10 repetitions in each direction, and then repeat the drill usingthe left foot as your pivot foot.

Two-dribble pull-up drill.The concept and repetitions are the same as

in the one-dribble drill, but now you use two dribbles to get a better andcloser shot at the basket. Once again, work on going both ways with differ-ent pivot feet.

Shooting the pull-up jump shot is an introduction to shooting off the dribble.


34/39


finishes below his eyebrow, and the arc on his shot is flat. He has madean effort in his short career to improve his shooting as evidenced byincreasing his percentages. He is always working on his technique and

shooting mechanics. Kevin is never satisfied with his shot and justrecently won his third NBA scoring title. The great ones are alwaysimproving.

Now, with your follow-through extended and your elbow finishingabove the eyebrow, you should consider what to do with your balancehand. The balance hand should remain on its own side of the body withthe fingertips pointing toward the sky or ceiling at about a 45-degreeangle. There should be no twist or turn with it. Do not drop the balancehand because this causes you to miss short and also pulls your shot lineoff as a result of negative motion. Your shooting hand extends up, and

your balance hand remains still on the finish.Always shoot and staywhen shooting a jump shot from 15 feet (4.5 m)

and farther. Many coaches make the mistake of harping on players tofollow their shot. You hear it at every level. Understand that the longerthe shot, the longer the rebound is off the rim if the shot is missed.This happens because players shoot jump shots with more strengththan they do their shots in close. Begin practicing the shoot-and-stayconcept with your midrange game.

Drills for Midrange Jump Shots

You can use countless drills to learn the midrange jump shot. These arejust a few of my favorites. Although they are simple, they are effective.Keep in mind the fundamental technique of the one-two step thatwe have covered in this section. All of the drills are designed to helpyou become efficient using this method. It doesnt matter if yourepracticing alone, with a partner, or with an entire team, you shouldnever lose sight of learning the actual skill. Remember, the skill makesthe drill.

A final note on drilling the midrange jump shot: you can add fakingelements. For example, say on Monday you practice a one-two-step,straight-on midrange shot in your spinouts drill. On Tuesday, performthe same drill, but add a shot fake. On Wednesday, add a jab step. OnThursday, jab, then shot-fake, then shoot. The point is that when youare drilling, whether by yourself or with a partner, it should neverbecome a boring process because there are so many skills to hone. Inthe basic midrange shot, you have the opportunity to master variations

of the same weapon that will leave defenders frustrated and oppos-ing coaches scratching their heads over how they might shut youdown.


35/39


Triangle Passing

Divide players into groups of at least seven. The group includes one

rebounder, three or more passers (all with balls), and three or moreshooters. As shown in figure 27, players line up in a triangle forma-tion with the rebounder (shown as R in the diagram) under the hoop,the passers (shown as P in the diagram) on an elbow, and the shooters(shown as S in the diagram) along the baseline. The first passer in linedelivers a pass to the shooters shot pocket. The first shooter in line isin a shot-ready position and calls for the ball, takes a one-two step tothe ball and shoots the jump shot, freezing the follow-through. Therebounder gets the ball out of the net. Regardless of whether its a makeor a miss, the rebounder tries not to let the ball hit the floor. After get-ting the ball, the rebounder speed dribbles out to the passing line withthe weak hand. The passer moves to the end of the shooting line, andthe shooter becomes the next rebounder.

This is a continuous drill that allows a group of people to perform a lotof repetitions in a short amount of time. You can also change the passfrom baseline to elbow and reverse the line rotation to practice shoot-ing from another spot. Be sure to drill triangle passing on both sides ofthe court. I especially like this drill because the passing angle is moregamelike. In spinouts or partner shooting, the pass comes from under

the basket, which is ideal for working on a one-two-step, straight-onshot. However, in a game, passes more often come from an angle. Thisdrill allows players to simulate those types of passes while working onthe same one-two step mechanics. You can keep the drill competitive by

R

P

P

P

SSSS

FIGURE 27 Triangle passing.


36/39


going for a certain number of team makes or having players track theirown personal makes and having the losers run sprints. Many coacheslike to put two minutes on the clock and run this drill from four spots

both corners and both elbows.

3 for 5, 4 for 5, 5 for 5

This drill can be done either as an individual or team drill. Shots aretaken from seven spots on the court, as shown in figure 28. You start

in either of the corner spots, and spots2 and 6 are bank shots from midrange.You must make three of five from the

spot before moving on to the nextspot. If you do not make three of five,you must go back to the starting point.Once you are able to shoot three forfive, do four for five. The same rulesapply. If you complete four for five,then do five for five, but do not startover if you do not get five for five. Youjust continue from that point. Thisdrill can be done as a catch and shoot,

as well as off the bounce.

Quick Turns, OutsidePivots

This drill can be done either as an indi-vidual or team drill. You start 10 to 12feet (3 to 3.7 m) from the basket withyour back to the basket (see figure 29).Bounce the ball toward your outsidefoot, pivot off that foot, and square upinto the shot. After you make 10 shotsmove to the other side of the court anddo the same drill while pivoting off yourother foot. After you make 10 shotsextend the range out to the three-pointline. Once you become skilled enough,add shot fakes and jabs.

FIGURE 28 3 for 5, 4 for 5, 5 for 5.

FIGURE 29 Quick turns, outside pivots.

7 1

6 2

54

3

Bankshot

Bankshot

X


37/39


Quick Turns, InsidePivots

This is the same drill as the previousone, except that now you lift yourfoot where the bounce occurs anduse an inside pivot to square up (seefigure 30).

Baseline Drive, Baseline Drift

This is a team drill. Start with two lines of players outside the three-point line, free-throw line extended. The first player in one line doesnot have a ball. Every other player should have a ball, or the drill canbe run with four balls. In either case, the player at the front of oneline will not have a ball. Theplayer with the ball will driveto the block and make a passoff the dribble to the playerin the other line, who will goto the corner once the otherplayer starts his dribble (seefigure 31). After the playerthat drove makes the pass, heor she comes up the middleof the lane and receives apass from the line where theplayer drifted to the corner(opposite line from where he

or she began). Run this drillboth ways.

FIGURE 30 Quick turns, inside pivots.

FIGURE 31 Baseline drive, baseline drift.

X

X X X XX X X X


38/39


Dribble Handoffs, Snap Backs

This is a team drill. Start with two lines of players outside the three-

point line, free-throw line extended. The players in one of the lines willeach have a ball (see figure 32). The first player with a ball will drivethe ball to the middle of the free-throw line area. The player with the

ball will be on the inside.Once the player with the ballbegins his or her dribble, thefirst player from the otherline will take a step or twotoward the baseline for thesetup then come hard off the

handoff for a dribble jumpshot. Once the player handsoff the ball, he or she snapsback toward the line wherehe or she began and receivesa pass for a three-point jumpshot. The third player in linein line hands the ball aheadto the player who made thepass and the cycle continues.Players switch lines, then runthe drill from the other side.

Feed Post, LookOpposite

This is a team drill. Start withtwo lines of players outside

the three-point line, free-throw line extended. Oneplayer posts up above theblock. The side where theplayer is posting up shouldbe the side where every playerin line has a ball. In the lineopposite the post player, thefirst player in line does nothave a ball but all other play-ers do (see figure 33). The drill

FIGURE 32 Dribble handoffs, snap backs.

FIGURE 33 Feed post, look opposite.

X X X XX X X

X

X

X XX X X


39/39


begins with a pass to the post. The post player looks opposite and makesan overhead pass, or dribbles to the middle and passes off the bounce. Ifthe player on the opposite side goes to the corner, the post player flashes

to the elbow after making a jump shot. If the opposite wing went to thetop for a jumper, the post player would go to the block for a shot. Wingpasser goes to post, post goes to weakside wing, and weakside wing goesto strongside wing. Run drill both ways.

There has never been a truly great scorer in the history of game thatdidnt possess the ability to consistently hit shots from the midrangearea. Perfect the midrange weapon. Its the cornerstone to evolving froma shooter into a scorer.

better basketball shooting

Documents