Key Basketball Fundamentals

7/31/2019 Key Basketball Fundamentals

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MR. RAMKRISHAN

Himachal Pradesh (India)

Key Basketball Fundamentals

The fundamentals of basketball are the MOST important thing to masterbecause they will make you and your team better no matter what age

level or team you play for.

Shooting

Shooting the basketball is theMOST important skillfor you master.

That's why we developed this comprehensive basketball shooting

resource for both players and coaches.

Basketball Shooting Tips for Players

21 Easy Ways to Improve Your Basketball Shooting Percentage

ByJeff Haefner

Tip #1Locate Your Target (the Rim) Earlier

Getting in the habit of locating your target (the rim) earlier will improve

your shooting percentage. Why?

Locating the rim just a split second earlier gives your brain more time to

subconsciously calculate distance and focus on your objective. Your

eyes should be on the rim as early as possible. To make this little trick

work, you need to develop this habit in practice, which carries over into

games.

Tip #2Always Hold Your Follow Through

Youve probably heard this a hundred times

but theres good reason for it. Holding yourfollow through solves a multitude of shooting

problems. This simple movement helps you

maintain goodbasketball shooting

technique without even thinking about it.
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Tip #3Finish with a Floppy Wrist

A common mistake is for players to follow-through with a tense wrist.

Your wrist should be as relaxed as possible. Your hand should finish on

line and often bouncing during follow-through.

Tip #4Use a Colored Ball to Improve Rotation

To improve the straightness of your shot, try a colored basketball during

practice. This makes it easy to see the rotation and direction of the ball.

The immediate feedback makes it quick and easy for you to adjust and

improve your shot.

Tip #5Dont Shoot like Kobe

TOO many kids try to copy Kobe and end up with bad shots for theREST OF THEIR LIVES!

Youngsters have no business trying to hang like Kobe and shoot. Kobe

is a freak of nature! You should shoot as youre going up (at least 1 inch

before you reach the top of your jump). Trying to mimic Kobes shot

will just earn you a place on the bench and lots of frustration.

Tip #6Stop Thinking about Your Shot During Games

One of the worst things you can do is think about your shootingmechanicsduring a game.

Thinking about your shot is for practice, NOT for games! In fact, you

should only think during certain parts of your practice. Its ok to think

during aform shooting session or when learning a new skill, but once

you start developing rhythm and get further into practice, dont think!

During games, train yourself to think about other things or nothing at all.

Youre going to miss a few. So what! Dont think, just shoot the damnball!!!

If you adopt this mentality, your shooting percentage will go UP.

Tip # 7Eliminate Negative Thoughts with this Simple Trick
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Eliminating negative thoughts can dramatically improve yourbasketball

shootingpercentage.

To stop thinking and eliminate bad thoughts, you can try this little

trick

Before each game, practice, and shooting session, tell yourself that you

dont care if you make any baskets. Say it out loud or in your head

several times.

THEN, when you go to shoot (right as youre catching the ball), say

something to yourself like, Nice shot. I can do better. In other words,

try not to care if it goes in or not.

This simple little trick helps you to relax into the process and not think

about the result. Using this technique will be enough to break you out of

mini slumps and restore your confidence.

Tip #8Develop Optimal Arc

DID YOU KNOW that a shot with a flat 35 degree arc only has .6 inches

of margin for the ball to clear without hitting the rim? The shot has to be

almost perfect to get a swish.

BUT a shot with a 45 degree medium height arc has a 3 inch margin of

error!

Thats right. Just by increasing the arc of your shot, your margin of error

could increase as much as 500%!

How many shots bounce OUT of the basket because you missed by just a

fraction?

As a general rule of thumb, finish your follow through with the rim

clearly visible beneath the fingers of your shooting hand. That way you

will ensure that you have a decent arc on the shot. Shots with proper

arch have a much better chance of going in.

Just dont go too high. Because if your arc gets too high, youll loose

your distance control.

Tip #9Watch DVDs
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Simply by watching great shooters groove their shots over and over, you

can improve your confidence and form.

The good habits and examples can be contagious. As you watch, the

good form becomes ingrained in your mind.

Not to mention, you should never stop learning. There are lots ofgood

shooting DVDs andbooksfor you to learn from.

Tip #10Use a Partner to Tune your Shot Alignment

Spend a little time during each practice lined up along a court line about

20 feet from a partner, shooting back and forth and trying to have the

ball bounce as close to the line as possible. This simple practice

technique will help you to fine tune your control of the precision of your

shot.

Tip #11Land in the Same Spot

Balance is a very important aspect of shooting. You achieve balance

primarily through a proper stance and footwork. After your shot, you

should land pretty much exactly where you started. This means you

have established good balance from your stance.

Tip #12Film Your Shot

Youd be amazed at how filming your shot in both games and practices

can help you.

The most common response from players is Thats how I shoot!!??

Thats right. Most players havent seen their own shot before. Seeing

your shot on film can help you to detect poor mechanics and motivate

you to make commitments for improvement. Bottom line its a great

way to refine your shot.

Tip #13Get a Partner

When possible, try to shoot with a partner. Because when youre

alone, you end up chasing the rebound before following through

properly.
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This is important. Thinkabout how you practice

You shoot and then you start following the shot immediately so you can

get lots of reps. Guess what? This can mess up your follow-through.

You need to FINISH each shot and hold your follow-through. Thats

why we recommend getting a partner to rebound for you. Now just

because you cant find a partner you can (and should) still practice by

yourself. Just be aware of holding your follow through.

Tip #14Fix Bad Habits by Immediately Correcting Your Shot

This is one of the easiest ways to breakbad shooting habits. For

example, lets say you forgot to hold your follow-through. Well,

immediately after you shoot, raise your hand back up and put your hand

in the correct follow-through position. This simple technique will helpyou quickly correct the bad habit

Tip #15Use a Return Device

Usingbasketball rebounding and return devices can literally double

the number of shots you can take in practice. Just think how much time

you spend chasing the ball when you practice. A return device solves

that problem and lets you take more shots in less time.

Tip #16Keep the Ball Above Your Waist

When you catch the ball, always keep the ball above your waist and in

the shot pocket. Theres NO need to dip the ball. This is wasted

movement.

Tip #17Dont Fall for Gimmicks

Too many players spend their hard earned money on shooting gloves and

gimmicks, thinking this will make them great shooters.

You cant use these devices during a game so it really doesnt do you

much good. You need to learn how to shoot effectively without these

devices. There is NO magic pill.

Tip # 18Keep Your Shot Motion Balanced, Fluid, and Consistent
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A fluid motion means that there are no jerky movements or stopping

points, just one constant flow from start to finish.

Consistency cant be stressed enough. Your feet, arms, shot pocket, and

jump height should use a consistent motion every time you shoot. All

the greatest shooters in the world have amazingly consistent movements.

Tip #19Groove 50 Shots Before Every Game

Before every practice and game, face the basket and shoot 50 EASY

shots about four to ten feet from the basket.

Not only does this improve your shooting form, but it helps to develop

phenomenal confidence.

Youll quickly become very good at grooving these shots over and over.Youll see the ball going in the basket over and over. Youll swish the

ball repeatedly and probably shoot 60%, 70%, 80%, or more, which is

great for your psyche.

Why do you think that NBA players do this before games? Why do you

think that Tiger Woods starts all of his practice sessions by making 100

three-foot putts?

Because it works! Dont overlook this powerful strategy.

Tip #20Quickly Chart Your Shot to Determine Tendencies

Head to the gym and shoot a bare minimum of 50 shots. Ask your

partner to chart your shots. The KEY is to chart the detailed results of

each shot. You will track how many shots fell short, too long, to the left,

and to the right. This information will help you to determine what you

need to work on.

For example, if you consistently miss short (like many players do),

youll need to work on your power and distance control. If you

consistently miss to the right and the left, you need to fix the mechanics

of your foot and/or arm alignment.

Tip #21Work Game-Like Movement into Your Practice


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To make game shots, you need to practice game shots. You should use

goodshooting drillsand practice movement off screens, cuts, chairs, and

pivoting in both directions.

How to Develop Supreme Basketball Shooting Confidence (Required

to Become a Great Shooter)

They will all tell you that confidence can be the difference between an

AVERAGE shooter and a GREAT shooter. Confidence will greatly

improve your shooting percentage!

So how do you develop supreme and unwavering shooting

confidence?

Here are three few extremely effective techniques:

1GROOVING

Before every practice and game, face the basket and shoot 50

EASY shots about four to ten feet from the basket.

Not only does this improve yourshooting form, but it helps to

develop phenomenal confidence.

How?

You'll quickly become very good at grooving these shots over

and over. You'll see the ball going in the basket over and

over. You'll swish the ball repeatedly and probably shoot

60%, 70%, 80%, or more, which is great for your psyche.

Simply by seeing your shot go in over an over, you'll become

more confident.

Why do you think that NBA players do this before games?

Why do you think that Tiger Woods starts all of his practice

sessions by making 100 three-foot putts?

Because it works! So don't overlook this powerful strategy.
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2CHARTING

This is another technique that you should NOT overlook!

Lots of coaches talk about it, but we give credit to Dave

Hoplafor helping us realize the power of charting. He has

been preaching it for years.

To improve your confidence, start charting all of the shots

that you take in practice. It's easy to do and you'll be

absolutely amazed at how much it helps.

After every practice session, keep track of what kinds of shots

you took, the number of shots taken and the number of shotsthat you actually made.

Why does this help?

It seems so trivial, but the greatest shooters in the world have

discovered this secret and will all tell you the same answer.

Their chart continually reminds them of how great they are.

They can see on paper that they shot 65% for all of their 10foot jumpers. They can see that they shot 90% for free

throws.

Then what happens?

You start believing both at a conscious and deep

subconscious level that you're an awesome shooter!

And you have the proof right there on paper. It shows you

that you've made thousands of shots. And you won't soonforgethow to shootbecause you've done this thousands of

times and you can knock 'em down!

Take our advice. Start charting your shots, especially the

shots that you groove.
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The chart doesn't need to be complicated. It just needs to

make sense to you and be easy for you to carry around, like a

notebook, journal, or a binder.

Here's a simple example of a shooting chart, but you shouldcome up with one that makes sense to you:

Date Shot Type Attempts Makes Percentage

3/21/2008 Form shooting 50 40 80%

3/21/2008 6' grooves 50 38 76%

3/21/2008 12' catch & shoot 100 62 62%

3/21/2008 Free throws 10 8 80%

3PRACTICE

This alludes to an obvious technique to improve your

confidence...

Practice!

We all know that practice improves confidence.

If you're reluctant to shoot, not confident, and hesitant, then

you're probably going to miss. Even though confidence is the

mark of a great shooter, you can't invent confidence out of

thin air. It has to be based on some evidence and experience.

This comes from practice. You will be able to relax and shoot

with a confidence that has been earned.

No tricks or tactics here. You just need to get it done. For a

little motivation, you might want to recruit a good partner.

You can also set goals. Do whatever it takes. A high school

player should be taking around 500 shots a day and charting


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them all.

We suggest that you implement all of the techniques above. You should

groove your shots every day, chart your shots, and practice ALL the

time.

5 of the Biggest Basketball Shooting Mistakes (And How to Fix

Them)

For most of these fixes, you are going to need to start away from the

hoop and take hundreds and thousands of shots. You can find a wall and

do this by yourself or find a line and shoot it back and forth to a partner.

Once, you begin to feel comfortable with your adjustment, take hundreds

of shots really close to the basket and gradually move out.

Thumb on Shooting Hand

Players often have the ball sit on the tip of their thumb

on their shooting hand. This position is awkward and

forces the body to strain to hold the proper shooting

form. In order to be a good shooter, you have to be

comfortable.

It you don't strain, your elbow sticks too far out.

How do you fix it?

You need to have the ball rest on the side of the thumb

rather than on the tip of the thumb on every shot. It may

feel awkward at first, but it will help tremendously and

more of your shots will travel to the dead-center of the

rim. If you can not determine when you are doing this,

you may need to have someone critique your shot or

video tape it.

1.Thumb on Guide HandSome players flick the ball with their thumb on the

guide hand whenshooting the basketball. This will

cause serious problems for the shooter and the ball will
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often spray left and right. It's tough enough to judge the distance, yet add

another factor of left and right into the equation.

Most players develop this problem when they are too weak to get the ball

to the rim, and the habit carries through their teenage and adult years.

How do you fix it?

You can squeeze your thumb against the index finger

on your guide hand. This will not let you shoot the

ball with the thumb. If the problem still continues,

take your guide hand off of the ball by about a half-

inch and shoot with one hand.

2.Unnecessary Jerky MovementsThese jerky movements can cause you to become an inconsistent

shooter:

o Twisting the body.o Leaning Backwards, Forwards, and to the left or

right.

How do you fix it?

You need to evaluate when this jerky movement

is happening and what type of jerky movement is

occurring. This may mean you need to video tape

your shot if you have nobody to help.

Two major reasons players twist their body

when they shoot is:

3. Their feet are not aligned correctly.4. They bring their guide hand down too early.


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Make sure your feet up correctly before every shot. This means you may

need to pivot more as you receive the pass or as you step into your shot

off the dribble. If you use a hop, make sure that you are turning enough

while in the air to align your feet properly as you land. If your feet are

not set correctly, this will force your body to twist while shooting to tryto compensate for it.

If you bring your guide hand down too early, it brings extra movement

into your shot that causes you to twist your body. If you don't believe

me, sit in your chair and shoot with one hand and bring your guide hand

down to your waist at the same time. What naturally happens? Your

torso will twist.

That's why it is important to keep your guide hand extended in thecorrect position.

Pro players use this method to stop their upper-

body from twisting when they take shots when

they are off-balance or their feet are not aligned

appropriately. It helps keep their upper body

from twisting during the shot. I do NOT advise

for players under the age of 18 to practice

this shot, because it can mess up your

mechanics.

A good way to stop leaning is to "Stay Tall." That means you try to hold

a posture that would make you tall. Don't strain to do it, but try to stay

relaxed and upright. Make sure that the players jump and land on the

same spot. You may also have analyzed when the player starts to jerk

their body or lean in a certain direction. The player may only do a jerky

movement when dribbling to the left and pulling up for a jumper. If this

happens, they need to take hundreds and thousands of repetitions doing

that same type of shot withgreat shooting form.

No Arc - Flat Shot - Flinging the wrist.

If you are missing a lot of shots because you have

a flat shot or you don't seem to get many shooter's
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bounces, it could be because you are flinging your wrist or have a flat

shot.

You can check to see if you have this problem by bringing the ball toyour set point and then bringing it straight down. If your shooting-hand

lands on top of your head (or the back of your head) instead of grazing

your forehead, then you've got a bad set point.

How do you fix it?

Move the ball forward so that when you bring it straight down, the back

of your shooting hand grazes your forehead. Practice shooting to

yourself from this position until it becomes your new set point.

You should reinforce your new set point by daily form shooting close to

the basket. In fact, you should rebuild your shot slowly by stepping back

one step at a time as you establish consistency from a given range, using

the new set point.

Shooting after the Top of your Jump.

Players who shoot past the top of their jump will often develop a hitch

and jerky shot. The same with players who try to jump as high as theycan on every shot.

A player should focus on shooting before the top of their jump for a few

different reasons:

o Quicker release. If you shoot before the top of your release, it gives thedefender less time to recover to defend the shot.

oMake more shots. The shot is fluid which results in a smoother andsofter shot, because you don't stop the shot motion at any point in your

shot.

o Longer range. If you shoot at or after the top of your shot, it takes a lotmore upper body strength to get the ball to the rim. If you shoot as you
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are going up, the momentum from your legs help carry the ball a lot

farther. Try shooting away from the hoop when doing this.

How do you fix it?

This one is pretty simple. You need thousands of repetitions shooting the

basketball before the top of your jump.

In order to fix any of these problems, you are going to have be persistent

and focused. "Sometimes, you have to take two steps backwards, to take

three steps forwards." What that means is that your shot will most likely

become worse before it gets better. Always keep the long-term in

perspective. Who cares if you don't shoot the ball well during summerleague, if you'll be able to shoot lights out once basketball season rolls

around!

How to Get Your Shot Off Quicker Like Stephen Curry

If you watched any of the NCAA Men's

basketball tournament this spring, you'll

know Stephen Curry is the guard that torched

the nets as he led the Davidson Wildcats to

the Elite 8 and a near upset of the eventual

NCAA champion Kansas Jayhawks. One

thing you'd notice right away is that Stephen

has one of the quickest shots in the college

game. If you gave Stephen a millisecond to

shoot, you'd see the ball splashing through

the net.

Now, you may be wondering how the heck can I shoot the ball thatquickly or how can I teach my players to do that.

Developing a "quick shot" is all about eliminating wasted movement and

excess motion.


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The higher you go in competitive levels, the more intense the defensive

pressure you will face which makes it very important to be able to shoot

more and more quickly without sacrificing any of your accuracy.

Here are seven keys to developing a quick shot release:

1.Be prepared before you catch the ball.Every time you catch the ball, your knees should be bent and your feet

should be aligned with the basket a split second before you catch the

ball. So now all you have to do is catch and go right up with your shot.

On the other hand, if you catch the ball and then bend your knees, that is

excess motion and wasted time. This gives your defender extra time to

block your shot.

Along the same lines, you should cut with your knees bent...

Reggie Miller and Richard Hamilton are two examples of NBA players

who are great at moving without the ball and getting their shot off

quickly. If you watch them on TV, they always cut off screens with their

knees bent. So when they get open, they only have to catch and shoot.

Bottom line, always have your knees bent and feet ready before you

catch the ball.

2.Provide passers with a target near your shot pocket.


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3.Having great passers on your team can help youget your shot off quicker. To help them give you

more accurate passes, you should always provide

them with a hand target right at your shot

pocket.

If you're moving in your shot-hand direction,

then your target can be your exact shot pocket. If

you are moving in the direction of your off-hand,

you should provide a target as much in line with

your shot pocket as possible and use your off

hand to get the ball over to the pocket as quickly

as possible.

This is pretty subtle, but the idea is that rather

than reaching over to bring the ball over with

your shooting hand, you are emphasizing the

force of the off-hand on the ball to deliver it to

the proper position. Even though you are

catching the ball with both hands, you will find

that you're gaining a split second of quickness by developing this off-

hand-force habit.

4.Put the ball in shot pocket immediately.The quicker you can move the ball in your shot pocket, the quicker you

can shoot. This takes practice!!

You need to practice moving the ball into you shot pocket off the catch

and off the dribble. This takes thousands and thousands of practice

repetitions.

You need to practice catching the ball, then quickly and fluidly moving

the ball directly into your shot pocket. If you fumble the ball, then the

defense has an extra split second to contest your shot. This is a very

subtle movement you must practice over and over.

5.Eliminate wasted movement in your shot delivery.

Your shot

pocket is theplace you put

the ball before

going into your

shot motion.


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When you catch the ball, it should go immediately into your shot pocket,

and then you should go right up into your shot from there.

You should not put the ball in your shot pocket and then dip your knees

or move the ball downward. The ball should go straight up, along withthe rest of your body (legs, hips, etc).

Any such excess motion adds time to your delivery, plus it is doing

nothing positive for your shot. The simpler your motion, the more it is

continually upward from your loaded stance, the quicker your shot will

be.

6.Shoot just before the top of your jump.Shootinga split second before the top of your jump improves quickness,

too. If you wait until the very top, that may be all the time needed for a

quick defender to get up for the block.

7.Try dipping rapidlyAnother concept that can sometimes help players is to dip rapidly as

you're catching the ball.

To get your shot off as quickly as possible from your jump stop, youshould work on a rapid dip into a squared-up jump stop rather than a leap

that gets you into the air and covers distance. This dipping technique

involves a sudden crouch into your jump stop, catching the ball in your

shot pocket as it returns from a dribble, and springing right up into your

shot. It is a sudden delivery that gives the defender hardly any time at all

to react to your shot.

8.Think shot, shot, shot.One way to improve all the areas above, is to be in the new triple threat

position every time you touch the ball, the triple threat of "Shot, Shot,

Shot." In other words, any time you touch the ball, you have the ball in

your shot pocket, your eyes on the rim, and your feet and stance loaded

in case you have an opportunity to take a good shot.
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Note that this doesn't mean that you should shoot every time you touch

the ball. No, that wouldn't make much sense; but you should be ready to

shoot every time you touch the ball. You will find it much easier to move

from that readiness into a pass or dribble than to transition from a

passing or dribbling expectation into a shot-ready mentality.

How to Develop Long Distance Basketball Shooting Range

Would you like to make MORE shots from farther back? Would you like

to become a great 3-point shooter?

We have some very effectiveshooting tipsfor you...

When extending your range, you need to know about some surefire

RIGHT and WRONG ways to get it done.

You need to be very careful because all too often players will try to

extend their range and acquire some subtle, yet dead-seriousshooting

flaws!!

The trick is to extend your range while maintaining the EXACT SAME

FORM.

There are only TWO ways to increase your range:

1.INCREASE YOUR PHYSICAL STRENGTH AND POWER.2.ADJUST YOUR SHOT MECHANICS FOR ADDITIONAL

POWER.

With that said, we'll teach you exactly how to increase your range both

ways. It's up to you to decide which method you choose.

Many times, it's best for players to make very small improvements inboth areas.

How to increase your physical strength and power for increased

range.

The most obvious answer is to start a weight training program.
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Increasing the strength of your entire body will help. You'll want

stronger and more explosive legs, core, wrist, forearms, and triceps.

In addition, by simply practicing more, you will increase the strength of

your wrists and forearms. Taking 500 shots a day will increase your

strength.

Lastly, you can try using a heavy ball (twice the weight of a regulation

ball) and then going back to the regulation size one. Players usually find

it easy to shoot from farther out because of the contrast. Wait until at

least junior high before working with an oversized or weighted ball.

If you use a weighted ball, be sure to practice away from the basket.

Doform shootingwith one hand. Put your guide hand in the normal

position, but an inch off the ball so you're not touching it. Focus onshooting the ball high and far, but do not sacrifice good form in order to

do so.

How to adjust your mechanics for additional power.

This can be tricky because changing your mechanics can throw off your

shot. Big changes to your mechanics will require you to retrain your

muscle memory and you'll need thousands of repetitions to retrain your

muscle memory.

In most situations, it's best to make very minor adjustments to your shot

delivery.

ADJUSTMENT TECHNIQUE #1

good technique for developing range is to intentionally shoot the ball all

the way over the backboard. This kind of power is achieved through

using optimum leg power and releasing the ball a split second before

reaching the top of the jump motion. If done properly, then generating

enough force to shoot over the backboard, even from beyond the 3-pointline, is not that difficult. Once players realize how much power is

available through this motion, they can learn to control it for shooting at

the rim. Since this takes less force than shooting over the backboard,

players have more confidence shooting from long ranges.

It's important to shoot a split second BEFORE you release the top of
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your shot. You'll lose tremendous power if you jump, hang, and shoot on

the way down. Plus, you just give your defender more time to block your

shot.


Another effective technique is to drop your elbow. If you watch Steve

Nash you'll notice that he drops his elbow when shooting three pointers.

If you're going to adjust mechanics, this is a good option to consider

because it doesn't alter your delivery mechanics too dramatically.


Yet another technique to consider is to try to decrease the time that it

takes to get the ball from your shot chamber to your release point. This

will add power to your shot and increase your range.

The safest way to increase shooting range

If you want to take the safest route, here's a surefire way to extend your

range without sacrificing your accuracy.

Let's say you are proficient at mid-range but you want to become a great

3-point shooter...

The obvious answer is to practice. The question becomes what to

practice. Shooting revolves around rhythm and form, so that is where the

answer lies.

It might sound strange, but to become a better 3-point shooter, you have

to practice a lot, close to the basket. Take 100's and 1000's of shots 12'

from the basket. The purpose for this is to really ingrain your shooting

formfrom an area that you can shoot comfortably and have some

success. It doesn't make a difference what drills you do or how you

practice it, as long as the primary thrust of the work is your form.

Once you have your form ingrained, gradually move back. If you get to a

point where you feel the rhythm change or your form start to change,

that is the limit of your range. Stay at that spot until your shot feels like it
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did at 12 feet. Once it feels comfortable again, shoot several hundred

shots until it becomes automatic again.

Once it feels automatic again, start to move back until you reach the

limit of your range and shoot continually from that spot. Once you feelcomfortable from behind the 3-point line, you can start shooting

drillsthat will make you more proficient.

Players struggle from behind the arc because they have to change their

shot to get the ball to the basket. This not only makes the shooter

inconsistent from the 3-point line, but it affects his shot from everywhere

else. Remember, to be a good shooter, you have to take the same shot

every time, no matter where you shoot the ball.

Basketball Shooting Tips for Coaches

10 Tips When You Are Coaching and Teaching Basketball Shooting

Tip #1 - USE THE WORD "ADJUSTMENTS" INSTEAD OF

"CHANGES".

When working with players and developingproper shooting technique,

use the word "adjustments" instead of "change". Nobody wants to

change!

Tip #2 - CUT OUT PICTURES TO USE AS TEACHING AIDS.

Many times, visual aids of famous players are EXTREMELY

memorable for young kids. You'd be surprised how they might

remember everything about Michael Jordan's form, but nothing about the

lecture you just gave before practice.

Keep an eye out for good pictures in the paper or magazines. If you find

a great picture of an NBA player showing great form, cut it out and post

it in the locker room. Show your players what they are doing right.

Tip #3 - GIVE THEM A FOLDER FOR A SUMMER WORKOUT.
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Take the time to put together a folder for your players' summer workout.

Not only does this show your players that you are serious. But it makes it

much easier for them to remember what to do. It also shows them that

you care about their personal development.

Tip #4 - COACHING IS NOTHING OTHER THAN SALES.

80% of coaching is sales. You need to convince your players that your

way is the right way so they will be motivated to perform for you.

Don't forget to explain the "reason why" you are doing things. This is a

simple yet powerful sales technique.

Tip #5 - OFFER SHOOTING CAMPS IN THE OFF SEASON.

Want to get your players in the gym? Then have a couple of shooting

camps. You could even bring in some outside coaches to generate a little

excitement.

In fact, you might even be able to recruit our ownDon Kelbick to run a

shooting campfor you.

Tip #6- DON'T LET YOUR PLAYERS THROW

"NEIGHBORHOOD PASSES".

As our friend and shooting guruDave Hoplasays, "Don't throw

neighborhood passes!!"

What's a neighborhood pass?

Well, it's a pass that's in the neighborhood. It didn't hit your teammates

in the shooting pocket, but it's in the neighborhood!!

Good passers willimprove your teams shooting percentage.

Tip #7 - FILM YOUR PLAYERS.
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One of the best ways to improve your players' arc, mechanics, and stroke

is to film them.

Most players have never seen their shot and they'll be amazed when they

do. The camera is a powerful tool.

Tip #8 - DON'T CHANGE SOMEONE'S SHOT IF IT'S

WORKING.

If you have a player that shoots lights out... DON'T MESS WITH IT!

Too many coaches try to over-coach and change shots that don't need

changing. Don't fall into this trap.

Tip #9 - SUB PLAYERS AFTER DOING SOMETHING GOOD.

Want to lower anxiety and improve confidence?

During games, try to sub players out after they have done something

GOOD. This will lessen the anxiety many players feel if they are pulled

out soon after missing a shot or making a blunder of some kind. If theyare taking good shots but nothing is falling, reassure them that you

expect them to continue shooting. Communication from you, the person

in charge, will go a long way toward keeping them from a tailspin.

Tip #10 - ALWAYS ADJUST MECHANICS AWAY FROM THE

BASKET.

Never make adjustments to a player'sshooting formand send them to a

basket. They will consistently miss, get discouraged, and quickly revert

back to their old habits.

Instead, get hundreds of reps AWAY from the basketball. Have them

shoot to a partner, to a line on the floor, or against the wall.
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Simple Trick to Improve Your (or Your Team's) Shooting

Confidence

As we all know, confidence is required to be a good shooter. However,

most basketball coaches feel that it's terribly difficult to improve your

player's confidence.

Believe it or not, this is something you can control (to a degree)...

The following technique which we refer to as "Grooving Your

Shot" will give you some control and allow you to improve your team's

shooting confidence.

Every day before or during practice, have your players shoot 50, 6 foot

jump shots. No movement. Just catch and

shoot.

Chart the number of shots they make and do

this almost every day.

Guess what happens?

Your players will see themselves improve.

If you practice just a little, it's not very hard tomake 6-8 foot jump shots. And you're players

will regularly hit 75% or more of their 6 foot

jump shots. They swish shot after shot. Nice and smooth

They will also see on paper that they have improved and that they shoot

a very high percentage.

You'll notice that players will start to change their mentality. As an

example, if a player misses two shots in a row, they'll think "Whoa, I

missed two in a row? That's not like me!"

It's a whole different mindset.


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So if you're a coach, try this technique and you'll improve the confidence

of your players and help them increase their shooting percentage!

I'll bet this was something you never thought you could control. Now

you can!

Allocate some time every day, whether it's before practice or during.

Basketball Fundamentals: Learn the Critical Skills and Secrets to

Become a Better Player or Coach

The fundamentals of basketball are the MOST important thing to master

because they will make you and your team better no matter what age

level or team you play for.

There's a good reason that the best college and NBA basketball coaches

in the world spend the majority of their practices on fundamentals.

A basketball player will be faced with a variety of different situations:

You'll see different opponents that use different tactics (pressing, fastbreaks, switching defenses, banging in the post, etc)

You'll face opponents that have heavily scouted you and know youroffense inside and out. And you'll also face other opponents that have

never seen you before.

You'll see a different levels of competition from youth recreation leaguesand possibly all the way to professional basketball.

You'll play for different coaches that have very different coaching styles.Your middle school coach might like to press -- and your high school

coach might have a completely different style and like to slow things

down. You could literally see a dozen different offenses through yourbasketball career!

There are SO many different situations that coaches and players face.

And the only thing that works against ALL situations, no matter what

age level or team are the FUNDAMENTALS!


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It's those little things that make the best teams and players. If you

can master those little fundamentals, they work no matter what!

For example, by working on the fundamentals of shooting, you will getbetter no matter what team you play for. The fundamentals of shooting

include proper foot alignment, leg bend, hand position, arm angle, follow

through, and so on. Those are some of the little things that make a

difference. Learn them!

The same goes for lays ups, foot work, post play, passing, jab steps,

jump stops, pivoting, blocking out, and so on.

That's why we emphasize the fundamentals and highly recommend thatALL coaches and players learn and practice them!

If you're a coach, we suggest that you spend at least half of your

practice time working on fundamentals. In the long run and towards the

end of the season, that's the best thing for your players.

In fact, most of the teams that win championships work on the

fundamentals from day one, instead of gimmicks and things that workagainst mediocre teams. So when they get to those final rounds, they are

effective no matter how much the other team has scouted them.

Off Season Development Trick - This is When You Improve Your

Team's Shooting Percentage

If you want to develop better shooters andimprove your team's overall

shooting percentage, you must start in the off season!

Why?

It's almost always counter productive tofix shooting mechanicsduringseason. It must be done during the off season.
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It's impossible to turn a kid into a great shooter during your short season(especially when there are WAY too many other things to do). It must

happen in the off season.

It's difficult to develop new skills and improve during the season. It mustbe done during the off season.

What you need is a step-by-step process to develop a great shooting team

starting after your season is over, all the way through the summer, until

the very end of your season (when you're hopefully playing for a state

title)!

Here's a great technique to evaluate your players and help them

improve after the season is over.

Very few coaches know about this technique...

When your season is over, you need to chart your players "shot

tendencies". This is important!

We learned this awesome trick from coach Herb Magee. Herb suggests

that you are wasting your time if you don't analyze your shot tendencies.

And we think he's right!

Here's how it works:

You have each player shoot a bare minimum of 50 shots and chart their

shots. The key is to chart detailed results of each shot. You will track

how many shots fell short, too long, to the left, and to the right. This

information will help you determine what this player needs to work on.

You will discover that each player tends to consistently miss a certain

direction. In many cases, players consistently miss short and hit the front

of the rim. It's extremely useful for players and coaches to know this

information.

However, almost NO coaches or players chart this information. They

practice with little purpose or direction.

In some cases the player need to work on everything because their


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mechanics are terrible. In other cases, you'll often find that players

consistently miss either short, long, or to a certain direction. If a player

consistently comes up short, now you know this player needs to work on

distance control and getting more power in their shot.

If you think about it, it's silly to go out and practice hours and hours

without knowing your shot tendencies. You can get a lot further in life

by practicing smart.

After watching and assessing your players, make a list of all your

players, with special notes beside each player. As an example, you can

do something like this:

Essentially you are setting logical and attainable things you want to

improve with each player. This will allow you to develop a logical

shooting program for your players, easily keep tabs on things, and help

your players improve.

Basketball Shooting Fundamentals and Technique

Proper Basketball Shooting Technique, Fundamentals, and Form

If you want to be a superb shooter, you MUST HAVE very good

Name Mechanics Areas to Improve Goal / Notes

Joe

Smith

Great mechanics

but tends to miss

short.

Needs to improve distance

control, mid-range shot, and

free throws

Improve overall shooting

percentage and develop a great

mid-range shot. Just needs to step

things up to the next level by

practicing more.

Jeff

Johnson

Good mechanics,

except release

point is low (flat

shot).

Raise release point and

locate target earlier.

Get in lots of reps to raise release

point, locate target earlier, and

learn to shoot off the dribble

better. Improve percentage in all

those area with more practice.

Alex

Bell

Terrible shooting

grip. Continually

misses target to

right and left.

Needs to change mechanics,

grip on the ball, and arm

alignment.

Get LOTS of reps AWAY from

the basket. Fix grip mechanics

and arm alignment. Be ready for

game shots late summer.


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basketball shooting form and technique. However, you don't need

"perfect" shooting form.

Register for 2012 Summer Basketball Camps

Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, Florida,

and More Locations. Limited spots available.

In other words, your shooting form will never be 100%, and you don't

want to be robotic.

With that said, you'll never be a great shooter unless you have

"satisfactory" form and mechanics.

It's very common for players to have fatal flaws in their approach, and

frankly they have no chance of becoming consistent shooters.

Stationary Basketball Shooting Form and Technique

In this section, we give you the raw form and mechanics of stationary

shooting. In other words, this section does NOT address the

fundamentals ofshooting on the move and more advanced

footworkyou'll need for game situations.

Here's a quick roadmap of the stationary shooting fundamentals that

we'll be covering:

1.Eyes on Target2.Stance and Balance3.Shot Pocket4.

Grip5.Balance Hand

6.Delivery7.Upforce and Landing8.Follow Through9.Correct Shot
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EYES ON TARGET

To improve accuracy, locate the target(rim) as early as possible.

Keep your eyes on the target and donot follow the flight of the ball.

Keeping your target focus is veryimportant!

STANCE AND BALANCE

Feet are shoulder width apart for goodbalance.

Feet should be in a slightly staggered stancethat is consistent and comfortable for you.

Your shooting foot is slightly ahead of the

non-shooting foot in a comfortable position.

Point your feet in the general direction of thebasket, but not necessarily directly at it. We

prefer an open stance, but you can also use

the closed (squared) stance if that's morecomfortable for you. With an open stance,

your feet point towards one side of the basket. For example, a right

handed shooter will point his or her feet just to the left of the rim for a

more natural position and shooting motion.

Once you develop a comfortable stance, line up your feet the exact same


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way on every shot. Whatever stance you use, consistency is critical.

Flex/bend your knees on every shot.

SHOT POCKET

As you catch the ball, move it quickly intothe shot pocket.

Line everything up so the ball and yourshooting eye form a straight line to the

basket. This is VERY important.

Position the ball several inches above yourwaist.

Grip the ball properly and be ready to shoot. Position the ball in your shot pocket the

SAME way every time you catch it.

GRIP

Place the air hole between the middle andindex fingers.

Line up your fingertip pads parallel to thelong seams of the ball, so you can monitor

the back spin.

Leave space between the ball and the middleof your palm. You should be able to insert a

pencil between the ball and your palm area.


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Spread your fingers far enough apart tocomfortably balance the ball in one hand.

The ball should sit on your finger pads.

BALANCE HAND

Your non-shooting hand should be on the sideof the ball.

Your balance hand should not add force orspin to the shot.


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Your non-shooting hand should not move ondelivery and should ALWAYS come off the

ball FIRST.

DELIVERY

The ball should start motion directly upwardsfrom the shot pocket (no dipping of the ball).

Your elbow should be positioned comfortablyunder the ball.

The ball stays in front of you and should notgo behind your head.


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Uncoil your body with your legs, core, andarm power all coordinated.

Your elbow and wrist should extend in astraight line to the basket.

Your shooting hand should extend in astraight line to the rim.

Hand position on delivery is very important.The ball should come off the hand with

perfect symmetrical backspin.

As shown in the picture to the right, yourguide hand stays to the side and does notinfluence the flight of the ball.


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UPFORCE AND LANDING

Release the ball on the way up, just before thetop of your jump.

Use your legs to generate up-force. You should land in the same spot that you

jumped, which shows that you have good

balance on your shot.


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FOLLOW-THROUGH

Your wrists should be floppy (relaxed).

Fingers should be pointed at the target (rim). Finish high. You should see your fingers at the

top square of the back board.

Hold your follow through position until theball hits the rim.

What is Perfect Basketball Shooting Form?

ByJoe Haefner

Recently, I received an interesting email about Dave

Hoplas shooting form. It was in response to listing Dave

as one of the shooting experts that we interviewed in our

newBasketball Shooting Guide.

The email stated that Dave Hopla did NOT have

greatshooting formin the picture that was displayed on our site (you

can see the actual picture on the right).

Now in all fairness, this is not a good picture of his actual shooting

form. But this comment brings up a really interesting and important

point about shooting the basketball.

Heres my response that explains what Im talking about:

You know what. I thought the exact same thing when I first started

studying shooting. I thought Dave Hopla doesnt have that great of

shooting form, but after studying shooting for countless hours and

developing our new Shooting Guide, I have came to a NEW conclusion

onbasketball shooting form
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You dont need perfect or even great mechanics to be a greatshooter. You need CONSISTENT & REPEATABLE shooting

mechanics. If your shot is the same every time, its easier to makeadjustments.

While I do highly recommend using good shooting mechanics, youcan also look at Larry Birds and Peja Stojakovis shooting form.

Anybody with some knowledge of how to shoot would quickly notice

that they had bad shooting form, yet they are arguably two of the top

shooters that the NBA has seen in the last 25 years.

Even though, they didnt have good shooting form, they did have the

same shot mechanics on every shot. Now imagine if a coach wouldve

said to Larry after he won back to back 3-point shootouts, Now Larry,your form doesnt look good so were going to have to change it. As the

old saying goes, If it aint broke, dont fix it.

I think us coaches (me included) get a little obsessed sometimes with

perfection not only when it comes to shooting, but other areas of the

game as well. We want the players to have the perfect defensive slide or

the perfect passing technique. We forget that basketball is an art. There

is no perfect way to do anything. The real question is Is the playereffective? which pertains to anything in basketball.

Im not saying that coaches shouldnt critique and help players make

adjustments to become a better player, we just need to be careful and uselogic and rational when doing so. If a kid knocks down 50% of his three

point attempts, but his elbow sticks out while shooting, Im not going to

be the one to change it. Now, if you have a kid with bad shooting form

that shoots 20% from the field, you should try to help the player make

some adjustments to his/her shooting form. Thats where coachingcomes into play and where the top coaches/trainers earn their money.

They know when to leave players alone and when to offer advice to help

them become a better player.

And back to Dave Hopla, the guy makes about 98% or 99% of his shots.Ive never personally seen his speeches or shooting demonstrations, but

Ive heard theyre simply amazing and very few people in the world ifanybody can do what he does. Hes haddemonstrations where hes made

350 of 350 shots while talking to the audience the entire time. If any of

my players could do that, I couldnt care less how he shoots the ball.


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Some of the NBAs best players such as Kobe Bryant have consultedwith Hopla. He is also currently an assistant for Washington Wizards. So

I do highly value what he has to say.

The end goal is to put the ball in the basket. It doesnt matter how pretty

it looks. I know Dave Hopla does a heck of a job, so Im more thanwilling to listen to what he has to say.

Basketball Shooting Drills

Ray Allen Shooting Drill

The Ray Allen shooting drill is a great drill that you can use for a

shooting warm up or to end the workout in a fun, competitive manner. It

can easily be adapted for beginners and pros. Check out the instructions,

diagrams, and video below for more details.

There are 5 lines. From each line, there are 5 spots. This is

approximately the distance on

each shot:

Spot 1 - 4 Feet

Spot 2 - 8 Feet

Spot 3 - 12 Feet

Spot 4 - 16 Feet

Spot 5 - 20 Feet

You have to make a shot from

spot 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5 in 5 consecutive shots in order to advance to the next

line.

If you miss from any of the spots, you start over in that line. If you missa shot in line 3, you start over from line 3. You don't go back to line 1.

Your goal is to finish all 5 lines in 2 minutes.


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Kevin Durant Shooting Drills and Workout

The Kevin Durant shooting workout is a great workout because it

incorporates shooting, ball handling, footwork, and finishing drills that

you will use in game-like situations. These are the type of drills that the

pros use to get better.

In this article, you will learn a super-efficient way to get open that Kevin

Durant does all of the time. Below, you will also see a video that Kevin

demonstrates the move and a second video of the Kevin Durant shootingworkout that we've been taking some of our players through.

The Kevin Durant Post Cut

Kevin Durant frequently uses this super-efficient and easy way to getopen, but for some reason, very few people use this cut. It also takes a lot

less energy.

It's called the post cut. You take the defender down to the mid-post or

high post area, post up on the defender, as soon as you feel like you have

the defender on your back, you put your hand up and cut out to the

perimeter to create space. Sometimes, you don't even have to cut. You

can just step out and use a reverse pivot to create space.

Kevin Durant Work-out Details:

Take a set number of shots from each side of the court for each

progression.

Examples of Workouts

Beginner - 5 shots attempted on each side of the court. Shoot 5 free

throws.

Intermediate - 5 shots made on each side of the court. Make 5 free

throws.Advanced - 10 shots made on each side of the court. Make 10 Free

throws.

Random - Shoot a different shot each time. Shoot 2 free throws.

Once you have developed consistency with your footwork and your


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shooting, this can be a great way to simulate games where you rarely get

the same shot twice in a row. It is also a great way to practice game-like

free throw shooting with only 2 free throws at a time.

For example, you might choose a series of 3 to 5 shots. If you take the

drill above, here is a sample that you can do.

1. Post Cut - Reverse Pivot - Shot.2. Post Cut - Reverse Pivot - Sweep - Lay Up.3. Post Cut - Reverse Pivot - Sweep - Shot.4. Two Free Throws.

Track and chart your shots to gauge progress.

They Key to This Workout Is in the Details!

You might look at this workout and think, "Duh. There isn't anything

special there." Well, there isn't anything special in WHAT you do, but

what separates the great players from the good players and the good

players from the okay players is HOW you do things. Pro players

incorporate these same drills and they probably use a lot of the same

drills that you use, but what makes them great is HOW they execute thedrills.

You will see the details mentioned in the progressions below.

Progression 1 - Reverse Pivot - Shot

You need to get the defender on

your back. Otherwise, the initialcut won't be open.

You need to repeatedly practice

the step-out and reverse pivot atfull speed so you can get the

shot off in a split second while

making a high-percentage of

your shots. If you don't, the

defense can easily take it away

because the defense has more


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time to recover to contest

your shot and get set to

defend the dribble drive.

Progression 2 - Reverse Pivot - Sweep - 1 Dribble Lay Up

Sweep (rip) aggressively below

your knees. Get to the rim in

one dribble

As long as you become

effective with your step-out and

reverse pivot in progression 1,

this will force the defense to

close out at full speed. If you

have the defender closing out at

full speed, this puts you at a

huge advantage to drive by the

defender because they have to

sprint at full speed to stop your shot, then they have stop, and then they

go in the opposite direction to stop your dribble drive. You have theadvantage! This is how SLOW players like Larry Bird were so effective.

Now, it's also important that you get to the basket in one dribble. This

will get you to the basket quicker and put more pressure on the defense.If you don't, it allows recovery time for the defense to take away an easy

basket that you could have had.

Progression 3 - Reverse Pivot - Sweep - 1 Dribble - Shot

Make sure to cover ground on the dribble.


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Progression 3 is set up by being great at progression 1 and 2. If you don't

have the mentality to aggressively attack the basket (progression 2) after

somebody takes away your initial shot (progression 1), the jump shotwill not be open.

In order to be effective, you need to create separation with the dribble.

Otherwise, the dribble will not get you anywhere and the same defender

who you initially had an advantage against can disrupt your pull up jump

shot. You see this often when the defender blocks the shooter frombehind.

Progression 4 - Reverse Pivot - Sweep - 1 Dribble Change - Lay Up

Dribble hard at the chair, snap

the ball below the knees andclose to the body on the

change of direction. Make itgame-like.

Progression 4 is another

counter to Progression 1 and

2. If the help defense slides

over (second chair), you can

now change directions with

the dribble and attack the rim.If you are not aggressive with

your dribble, the defender can

attack and control what you do. By being aggressive with the 1st, 2nd,

and 3rd dribble (if needed to score the lay up), this puts the defense on

their heels and gives the advantage back to you.

In the video above, we used 3 dribbles because we were working on

becoming effective with a low crossover with this player. You can also

perform the drill with 2 dribbles by using the push crossover which

players like Dwyane Wade and Manu Ginobli are highly effective at.

Progression 5 - Reverse Pivot - Sweep - 1 Dribble ChangeShot


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Cover ground on the change

of direction to create space for

the shot.

Progression 5 is a counter to

Progression 1, 2, and 4. Now

the defense is sending

everybody at you because

you're destroying your man

and even picking apart the

first line of help defense.

After you change directions at

the first help defender (second

chair), the defense has sent everybody to the lane, so now you pull up fora jump shot. Just like on progression 3, you need to create separation

with your dribble. So make sure to snap that change of direction dribbleto cover lots of ground to open up space for your jumper.

Progression 6 - Reverse Pivot - Sweep - 1 Dribble Change - Finish

Counter

Dribble hard at the third chair,

you have to make the defender

commit to open up the finishcounter whether it's a drop step

(spin), step through (up and

under), a Rondo, side step (Euro

Step), or any other creative,

effective finishing move.

This is a counter to progression

1, 2, and 4. If the help defense

slides over to stop you after your

change of direction dribble, you

can use a finishing counter to attack the defense and get to the rim.

However, this isn't effective if you don't perfect the details. If you

dribble at the 2nd help defender (3rd chair) hesitantly, they can easily

cover your finishing counter move and disrupt your shot. It's vital that

you dribble at the 3rd chair as aggressively as you can, this will get you


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in the habit of getting that help defender on their heels which will leaveyour finishing counter move wide open.

Now, you certainly don't need to perfect all of the progressions to be a

good player. You should work on perfecting the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd

progressions. Besides being better than 99% of the players out there after

you perfect those 3 progressions, you can start to add the additional

progressions.

Wanted to give a special thanks to Don Kelbick for being a huge

influence on our training methods and making us better coaches which

leads to better players.

4 Spot Fast-break Shooting Drill

Drill Purpose:

This drill is great to work onshootingoff the fast break. You can do it by

yourself or with a partner. We also show you how to work ball handlinginto this drill, so you can manage your time better.

Instructions

1. Start at half court with a ball.2. Spin the ball towards the 3-point line area. Spin the ball

high enough to get there in one

bounce.

3. Run under the ball and step-intoa jump shot.

4. Get your own rebound. If youmiss, score a lay up.

5. When dribbling the ball back tohalf-court, perform a dribblemove at the 3-point line. That

way, you can work on ball-

handling at the same time. Once, you get back to half court, do the

same thing again.
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6. If working with a partner, you can have the partner position himself alittle above the 3-point line and make passes to you as you start

running from half-court.

7. Pick 4 spots on the floor and take a few shots from each spot.Drill for Guards: Post Feed / Spot Up

Drill Purpose

Teaches players how to feed the ball in the post and reposition for the

shot. It also improves ball handling skills.

Instructions

1.2 people are needed for this drill. The second person can be a player orjust another person to catch a pass.

2.Set up a line of chairs, starting near themid-court line and directed toward the

baseline but no deeper than the foul

line extended. This is an optional step

to be used to work on dribbling.

3.Place a chair on the wing with a ball onit. The position of the chair is of yourchoosing at a distance within player's

shooting range.

4.The 2nd person is in the strong-sidelow post.

5.Ball handler dribble weaves throughthe chair line (remember this is an

optional step). Experiment with your

dribbles and use different types ofchanges.


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6.Ball handler extends dribble to a goodangle for a post feed.

7.Ball handler throws a post entry pass.8.Low-post receiver, if a player, makes alow post move. If not a player, (a

coach for example) he just holds the

ball.

9.Ball handler then cuts to chair with theball, scoops up the ball for shot.

Teaching Points

Use the 3-point line as a spacing guide. Many passes are fumbled becausethe passer is too close or the defense is not spaced enough.

Work on different types of entries: baseline bounce pass, lob pass, etc. Teach passing angles. If a coach is present, he can position himself as a

dummy defender to teach the passer to read the defense. He can play

over the top (use baseline bounce pass), baseline (throw middle pass),

full front (lob or reversal pass).

Emphasize passer movement after the feed to space out off the post andstrip the help.

Teach that some of the best shot opportunities, especially 3-pointattempts, come "inside out" after a post feed.


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10 Spot Shooting Drill

Here is a basketball drill that will allow you toimprove your

shootingwhile also improving some of the other subtleties that separate

good players from bad players.

This basketball drill features high shot repetition, intensive pivot work,effective ball handling, agility and conditioning.

Instructions

Pick 10 spots

on the floor

that you feel

you will shoot

from in your

games. There

should be 5

spots on one

side of the

basket and the

same 5 on the

other side. It is

very important

that you workon both sides of

the basket.

Start under the

basket with the

ball. Toss a

"spin out" to

the first spot. A

"spin out" is a

toss of the ball

on which you

put significant

backspin on.

The backspin

will force the
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ball to bounce

up in the air

instead ofrolling away.

After tossing a

spin out, chase

the ball and

catch it on the

first bounce.

Use a right foot

pivot to square

to the basket.

Once squared,

shoot the ball.

After shooting

the ball, sprint

after the

rebound. If the

shot missed,

put it in the

basket on the

rebound. Afterrebounding,

spin out to the

2nd spot, pivotand shoot.

After

rebounding,

spin out to the

3rd spot.

Continue until

you have shot

from all 10

spots.

Once you


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finish the 10th

spot, start

again, going

back the other

way, using a

left foot pivot.

After shooting from the 10th spot, go to the foul line and take 5 foul

shots.

After your foul shots, begin again, using a different pivot.

Take 5 foul shots in between each rotation.

After using all your pivots, continue the drill using 1 dribble moves.

Make the same move from all 10 spots, going both ways, using both

pivot feet.

Set a goal of 300 shots, which would be 15 rotations going in both

directions. That will also give you 75 shots.

Pivots to practice (using both feet as a pivot foot) Front pivot, insidepivot, drop-step to inside pivot.

Dribble moves to practiceJab and go, crossover, rocker.

Two Ball Shooting Drill

Drill Purpose:

This drill allows the shooter to get a high number of shots in a shortamount of time from different spots.

Instructions


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1.You need 3players: a

rebounder

(Player 3),

passer (Player

2), and shooter

(Player 1).

2.Player 2 and thePlayer 3 start

out with the

basketballs.

3.Player 1 makes acut to another

spot on the

floor andPlayer 2 throws

a pass leading

Player 1 to the

spot.

4.Player 1 shootsthe ball on the

catch.

5.After Player 2passed the ball

to Player 1,

Player 3 passes

the ball to

Player 2.

6.Player 3rebounds theshot.


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7.Player 1 cuts toback to a new

spot and Player

2 passes him

the ball.

8.Player 1 shootsthe ball.

9.Player 3 passesthe ball to

Player 2 and

goes to

rebound the

shot.

10.This patterncontinues for aset amount of

time or until a

certain number

of shots have

been taken or

made.

11.

Teaching Tips & Points of Emphasis:

Keep your hips low, so you can catch the ball and go straight up into yourshot.

Move at GAME SPEED. If you do NOT shoot at full speed, you'llnevershoot the ballwell during the game, because your brain/body is not

accustomed the speed.

Good Passes. Every pass should hit the shooter in the hands and lead theminto their shot.
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Go to different spots on the floor.- Elbow to Elbow

- Wing to Wing

Change positions of the passer. Offensive Patterns. You can perform this drill with certain patterns and

cuts. For example, from the wing, you could fade to the corner. From thecorner, do v-cut and pop up to the wing for a shot.

2 Ball Pass / 2 Man Shot Basketball Drill

This drill is from our Offseason Workout product coming out very soon.

Drill Purpose:

This advanced drill challenges a player's ball handling ability while

working on their shot.

Instructions

1.Player 1 has 2 balls anddribbles both balls to the

chair.

2.Player 2 cuts from thecorner to the wing.

3.Player makes 1 hand pushpass to Player 2 on the

wing.

4.With the other ball, Player 1does a 1 dribble crossover

and shoots the ball.5.Player 2 shoots a jump shot.

Flex Offense Drills - Screen the Screener Shooting Drill

This flex drill isolates and simulates the "screen the screener" action,

which occurs after the flex screen. The drill improves players' footwork

and ability to knock down shots coming off the screen. This is how you

can work on this skill with a large group of players at a basket.


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No matter what offense you run, it's very important that you break downyour offense into drills like this in order to get game-like shots.

Players

line up

near the

baseline.

Each

player has

a ball.

Place a

chair or a

cone on

the lane

line torepresent

the screen.

Coach is

on the

wing.

The first

player in

line passes

the ball tothe coach.

The player

then cuts

off the

screen to

the top.

The coach

passes theball and

the player

shoots.

The player

then gets


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their own

rebound

and goes

to the end

of the line.

The next

player

quickly

passes to

the coach

and the

process

repeats.

Points of Emphasis

Players are focusing on their catching and shooting skills off the screen. Good footwork is important to get the shot off quickly and hit a high

percentage.

Players should cut hard and move at game speed.Competitive One on One Fast Break Drills - 1v1 Attack

It is unfortunate that the game players play the most is also the least

relevant to the game of basketball; "One-On-One."

Go past any schoolyard and you'll see two players playing one-on-one.

Take the ball out on the top of the key, take 10-12 dribbles to back the

opponent down to the basket and then try to shoot over him. That is the

way 99% of all one-on-one games go. It builds bad habits, limits

understanding of the game and erodes needed skills.

Below are some different one-on-one basketball drills that might do a

better job of improving players' skills and help them reach playing

objectives. These are also great drills to simulate fast break situations.

Instructions

Half Court 1v1 Attack


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1.Place 2 chairsjust short of

mid-court on the

right side of the

court.

2.Players start onthe baseline,

opposite the

chairs.

3.The player on theoutside has theball.

4.On "Go," bothplayers take off

at full speed.

The player with

the ball goes on

the dribble, the

player without

the ball goes on

the sprint.


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5.Both players goaround the right

side of the chair

and head back

toward thebasket.

6.Once headedback toward the

basket, the

player wi

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