Great basketball shooters are made, not born. Besides talent, a good shooter requires excellent coaching and many hours of practice—at game speed. Practice at the same level of intensity with which you play games.

A good shooter can shoot following a pass or off the dribble. When shooting off the dribble, make the last dribble hard and high to help you move directly into your shot. When receiving a pass, run the ball into your hands and bend your knees when you catch the ball.

To be a great shooter, you must repeat the correct form thousands of times and have complete confidence in your shot. If you second guess yourself, you will miss shots.

Jump Shot Drills

Warm Up

Groove Shooting. Work from the short corner at mid-range. This is a warm-up, so don’t worry about speed. Concentrate on your footwork and follow through. (2-3 minutes).

Drop Steps. From the right and left block, perform a drop step using any move you want. (2-3 minutes).

Turn-Around Jumpers. From mid-range, catch and face the basket with no dribble and shoot a jumper. (2-3 minutes).

Chair Pull-Ups. Place chairs at the left and right elbows. Place a ball in each chair. Stay low as you take the ball out of the chair, dribble once and shoot. Cut to the second chair, staying low as you go into your shot. Have a rebounder replace the balls on the chairs. Run this drill at game speed for a set time or until you make a certain number of shots.

Chair 3’s. Place three chairs in a row behind the 3-point line. Sprint from half court and have a teammate pass you the ball as you get to the chairs. Do not make contact with the chairs. On your shot, go straight up and straight back down. Backpedal to half court, then sprint back to the chairs. Perform on the left and right wings and in the middle. Run this drill at game speed for a set time, or until you sink a predetermined number of shots.

Do’s and Don‘ts for Shooters

Practice correct form by focusing on these tips during your shots.

Do:

• Know your range
• Know a good shot when you see one
• Step into the ball to get the shot off more quickly when receiving a pass
• Make yourself a good target for passers
• Use shot fakes to get by the defense
• Lift your elbow, follow through and reach for the cookie jar
• Practice at game speed

Don’t:

• Take giant steps
• Pass up an open 12-footer to get a contested 8-footer
• Leave your off hand on the ball too long; it could adversely affect your shot
• Fade on the shot
• Follow the flight of the ball; keep your eyes on the target
• Dip or hitch; catch the ball, get it to the shot area and shoot