Basketball Shooting Drills

Becoming a great shooter requires tons of practice.

But you have to practice the right way. Don't just go out onto the court and shoot a bunch of lazy, random shots.

Have a plan. Work on specific moves.

Use the following drills to plan your shooting practice and you'll see your shooting percentage and scoring average improve.

Shot-fake and dribble shooting drills

Most people practice their shot by simply walking out onto the court and shooting lazy, half-jump shots up to the basket. Sure, it's better than doing nothing, but not by much.

To really improve your shot, and your game, you have to turn it up a notch and practice at a much higher intensity. Try replicating the moves you might have to make in a game, and your practice time will be much better spent.

For example, you may catch a pass in a game, and immediately go up for a shot.

So replicate this in your practice: have a teammate pass you the ball, then turn and go up for the shot. Or, if you are practicing by yourself, toss the ball out with some backspin so it comes back to you, then take the turn and take the shot.

It's also important to practice shot-fake and dribble moves. For example, in a game, you might pump fake the defender, then take one or two dribbles to your left or right (past the defender), and then go up for the shot. So do this in practice: throw the ball out to yourself, turn and face the basket, make a good shot fake, then take a strong dribble or two (to the left or right), towards the basket and then go up for a good, strong jump shot.

Do these drills at game-speeds. That is the best way to practice: with intensity and purpose. Practicing this way will get results and set you way ahead of the most of the people you will compete against.

Quick-shot drills

Quick-shot drills are some of the most important shooting drills you can work on. Why? Because getting your jump shot off quickly can mean the difference between hitting the jumper, or getting your shot blocked.

Scoring the basketball, in many ways, is about getting enough space to take the shot. Whether you create that space by running your defender off of a screen set by a teammate, by driving past the defender, or by getting the defense to back away from you by faking a dribble or making a jab-step, you can't shoot the ball unless you have enough space to get the shot off.

Having a quick shot is really a way for you to be able to take more shots. If the defense gives you a small amount of room and a quick second or two to shoot the ball, you'd better be ready and able to get the shot off fast.

Here is the best drill to help you develop a quicker shot: the next time you go shoot around by yourself, focus on speeding up your shooting motion. Start off by taking a few jumpers at your normal speed. Take notice of how fast you go through the shooting motion. Next, speed up your shot as fast as you can without sacrificing your shooting form. Notice how you are able to speed up your shot simply by focusing on doing it.

Now that you are aware of how much quicker you can make your shot, practice at that speed. Get used to picking up the dribble, moving the ball through the shooting pocket, rising off the ground, full extending and releasing the shot...all much more quickly than you have in the past.

Shooting the ball more quickly will allow you more scoring opportunities. Work on quick-shot drills like this and your offensive game will take off.


Off-hand drills

Really good players can dribble with either hand, drive to the basket with either hand, pass the ball with either hand, and shoot the ball with either hand. Are you a one-handed player? If you are, you're only about 50% as effective as you could be if you are able to dribble, pass, or shoot with either hand.

Now, if you're a right handed shooter, I don't expect you to be able to pull up and shoot a 20-foot jump shot with your left hand. But you should be able to shoot a lay-up, a runner in the lane, a jump-hook, or even a little 4 or 6 foot bank shot with your left hand. Having the ability to shoot with your off-hand makes you a much more effective offensive player than if you can only play with your strong hand.

The best way to develop your off hand is to do drills with your off-hand: dribbling drills, close-in shooting drills (shoot 4 to 6 foot bank shots with your off-hand), and jump hook drills (the Mikan drill). The only way to develop your off-hand is through hard work. But the time you spend on developing your off-hand is time well spent.

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