Form
Shooting Drill
Having good, solid form is a key element in being a good
shooter. To work on your mechanics, use a close to the basket
shooting drill.
Stand 2 or 3
feet from the backboard and on one side of the basket. Using only
your shooting arm, shoot a bank shot into the basket. Use
perfect form (ball on finger tips, elbow in, shoot up-and-out
towards the basket, follow through with good backspin on the
ball). Rebound the ball and shoot again. Shoot at least 15 shots
from each side of the basket. Shoot with your right arm from the
right side of the basket, and shoot with your left arm from the
left side of the basket. Once you've shot 15 shots from each
side, step back 2 or 3 feet further away from the basket and
repeat the drill.
Mikan Drill
Named after George Mikan, one of the NBA's early stars, this
drill is a key to improving your shot. The drill involves
shooting a hook shot in the lane, but it really helps you
improve your overall game. The Mikan drill helps you improve
your hook shot, but it also helps you improve your coordination,
touch around the basket, shot release, follow through, and
confidence in your short range game.
Start in
front of the basket, 2 to 3 feet in front of the rim. Jump off
of your left leg and shoot a right-handed hook shot off the
backboard and into the basket. Rebound the ball, and immediately
go into the shooting motion of shooting a left-handed hook shot
(jumping off of your right leg). Remember to explode up and off
the ground as you shoot the shot. Keep both hands on the ball
until you are in the final stages of releasing the shot. Fully
extend your shooting arm, and release the ball high in the air,
using your non-shooting arm to create space between you and the
defender. Shoot 15 shots with each arm, then move back 2 or 3
feet and repeat the drill, shooting another 15 shots with each
arm.
Distance Shooting Drill
Improving the distance on your shot is important to becoming a
better offensive player. Extending your shooting range should be
a goal for any player, regardless of what position you play, or
what your shooting range is currently.
After you
are warmed up and have done some close-in form shooting drills,
work your way back to the the furthest distance from the basket
you are comfortable shooting from (in other words, the extent of
your current shooting range). Shoot 10 jump shots from this
range. Once you have made 8 out of 10, you are ready to move
back 1 to 2 feet further than you would normally shoot from.
Make sure you use the same form on the shot you normally use,
getting extra strength and power from your lower body. Really
focus on shooting with perfect form. Shoot 10 jump shots from
this distance. Then, move back another 1 to 2 feet and repeat
the drill. Continue to move back 1 to 2 feet from the basket for
each series of 10 shots, but stop once you are unable to
maintain solid form on the shot. Once you can no longer use your
typical shooting form, stop the drill. Your goal is to increase
your shooting range over time, a little bit each workout.
Fake
and One-Dribble Moves
There will be times in a game when you catch a pass and
immediately go up for a jump shot. But it is important that
you're able to shoot the basketball at the end of a move as
well. Working on fake and one-dribble move drills will help you
improve this part of your game, and more realistically simulates
scoring opportunities you'll likely get in actual games..
Toss the
ball out to yourself, catch it and pull it into your body and
get into the triple threat position. Make a good, solid pump
fake and then take one strong dribble to your right. Make sure
your dribble moves you past an imaginary defender and towards
the basket (the dribble should take you at a 45-degree angle
towards the basket). Come to a solid, on-balance stop, then go
up for your jump shot. Do this drill 5 times pump faking and
dribbling to your right, and 5 times dribbling to your left. Do
this drill from 4 to 5 different spots on the floor (for
example: on the baseline, on the right and left wings, and on
the right and left elbow. |