Art Of Shooting

While some players seem to be born with the ability to shoot a basketball most are not. Most great shooters have honed their skills through trial and error and also hours of practice. The saying "perfect practice makes perfect" is very true in respects to shooting the ball. A player can stay in the gym for hours and shoot thousands of shots and not get any better because they are shooting the ball wrong! In other words if a player doesn't have the proper form all the practice in the world could be of little value and even hurt the players game all together because with every shot the player is actually "getting better at shooting the ball wrong". The first step in teaching your players to shoot the basketball is to teach them the proper form.

It's extremely difficult to teach the proper form of shooting a basketball through written text. I like to use a method I call the Catch, Square, Tuck, and follow through method when teaching players to shoot. First you catch the basketball then you square your shoulders to the basket next you tuck your elbow, and finally you follow through on the release.

1: Look at the picture to the left notice the players elbow and how it is in relationship to the shoulders. It's directly in-line with the shoulders, in other words it's not out to the right. This is where the elbow should be.

2: Assuming the shoulders are in-line with the basket meaning the body is facing the basket. By tucking the elbow this automatically aligns the ball with the rim. Now that the player has his shoulders squared to the hoop and his elbow tucked in he/she can concentrate on the shot. This brings us to the follow through step.

3: Following through is one of the most important aspects to shooting a basketball correctly because the follow through puts backspin on the ball which gives you the "shooters touch". Teach your players the "fishhook" method of releasing the basketball. This simply means that when the ball leaves the players hand the arm and hand should be in a form which is shaped like a fish hook (see image at left). In other words the arm will be fully extended and the player will "flip" the wrist when releasing the ball. On the release the ball should leave the hand in a "flipping" motion not a "push" motion. Teach your players to "flip" the basketball not "push" it towards the rim. The ball should leave from the fingertips not the palm of the hand.

Players trying to improve their form and accuracy often get discouraged and revert back to their old style of shooting because it feels more comfortable to them particularly because they have shot the basketball their way from the beginning. Here are some drills and tips you can show your players to help them develop perfect form and ultimately become much better shooters.

The first step in improving a players shot does not involve showing the player how to" put the ball in the basket" but rather it is showing the player the proper form to use when shooting a basketball. I highly recommend not using a basketball goal to do this. A great way to teach form is line your players up along the baseline or anywhere there is a wall, give each player a ball and simply have each of them pick a spot on the wall and practice hitting the spot using proper form. They simply "shoot" at the spot and when the ball bounce back to them they shoot at the spot again using proper form and technique. This is a great drill because it helps the players concentrate on their form instead of on making a basket. This drill also allows you and your coaching staff the opportunity to watch each of your players technique and help them improve without chasing balls all over the gym and wasting to much time. Make sure your players have their elbows tucked, shoulders squared, and they follow through on the release giving the ball backspin.

Once your players start to understand the proper technique of shooting a basketball you can then let them practice actually making shots. Since the new technique they are developing will still be a bit uncomfortable to them it's not a good idea to let them start out shooting 3 pointers or other shots far away from the basket. The reason is, the players will get frustrated if their shots aren't going in and will revert back to their old style of shooting.

In this drill you can let all of your players have a ball or put your players in groups which ever you prefer. Have the players start out near the basket, no more than five feet away from the hoop, with ball in hand the player will shoot a shot from the first spot making sure to use proper form, when the player makes the basket from that spot or feels comfortable shooting the correct way from the first spot he/she takes two steps back and shots again.

Players keep repeating this process until they develop a rhythm for shooting correctly. Some players may get discouraged because their range may be limited for awhile until they get used to shooting the ball properly, so it's important to watch the players and make sure they are using the correct technique before they move further away from the basket to shoot. I know this drill sounds simple (and it is) but it is a very effective way for your players to improve their shooting ability.

In the first drill separate your team into two groups (or more depending on # of player you have) one group with the basketball at either side of the foul line (also known as the elbow area) the other group in a line at the baseline on the opposite side of the foul lane area. The first player on the baseline will run to the elbow (corner of foul line) and a player in the other group will pass him the ball when he gets to the foul line.

The shooter will catch, square, tuck, and shoot the basketball all in one motion. The shooter will get his own rebound and will go to the end of the passing line while the players who made the pass will go to the end of the shooting line. This drill will teach your players how to catch the ball coming off a pick or any other game type situation prepared to shoot.

Teach your players how to pivot (plant one foot to turn on or rotate on, known as the pivot foot) toward the basket and shoot. The player should pivot with the foot closet to the basket in this drill. In other words if the shooter is coming up the right side of the foul lane to catch the pass he/she should pivot with the the right foot because its the foot closet to the basket or you can tell them to pivot with their inside foot whichever is easiest to explain. This drill is also excellent for teaching your players how to make a good pass which will enable the shooter to catch and release. (Note do not allow the shooter to dribble in this drill, remember, Catch, Square, Tuck, and Release)

Here's is one more very simple yet effective drill. Again separate your team into groups, one line with a ball the other without. This time the player who makes the pass will also play defense and the shooter is allowed to dribble.

The passer throw the ball to the shooter and run out to play defense on the shooter. You can let your shooter either shoot right away or he/she can make a move (head fake, cross over dribble, etc.) and is allowed only 2 or 3 dribbles at which time the shooter must shot the basketball using proper form. After the shot the defensive player boxes out the shooter and both go for the rebound.

The shooter will go to the end of the passing line and the passer to the end of the shooting line. This drill will help your players develop the ability to shoot with a defender on them and also to shoot off the dribble. Limit the number of dribbles allowed by the shooter because this forces them to shoot the basketball rather than drive to the basket and shoot a layup. You will also find this to be a good drill for teaching your players how to box out and get rebounds.

As you can see mastering The Art Of Shooting is a process which takes a little time and dedication, however, the rewards are well worth the effort for both players and coaches. Teach your players the techniques described above and use the simple drills I've explained and then set back and watch your teams shooting percentages improve dramatically.