How to get range in basketball

How to Develop Long Distance Basketball Shooting Range

By Jeff Haefner

Would you like to make MORE shots from farther back? Would you like to become a great 3-point shooter?

We have some very effective shooting tips for 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-serious shooting flaws!!

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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 in both areas.

How to increase your physical strength and power for increased range.

The most obvious answer is to start a weight training program. 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. Do form shooting with one hand. Put your guide hand in the normal position, but an inch off the ball so you're not touching it. Focus on shooting 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.

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 form from 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 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 feel comfortable from behind the 3-point line, you can start shooting drills that 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.

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YOUTH TIPS: The Basic Jump Shot

ADVANCED TIPS: Shooting Routines for Guards

Here are three tips that you can implement right now into all of your basketball shooting drills.

Whether it's shooting off the dribble, off the pass or from the triple-threat, these tips will serve you well as you continue to master new basketball shooting drills and skills.

Keep these in mind as you work on your shot, and with hard work, you can be that sharpshooter that every opponent fears when you step on the court!

Practice Fast, But Not Out of Control

This is the sweet spot for continuous improvement. Practicing basketball shooting drills at a speed that is comfortable is great to first learn the skill. But to improve you need to constantly challenge yourself. If you want different results, do something different.

You are never going to improve substantially by practicing at the same speed. Once you are comfortable with a shooting drill, always strive to do it faster, harder and quicker. Do it in less time, with less dribbles or less steps; etc. Always ensure you're challenged.

To balance this argument, make sure you are not out of control. Making mistakes is a good sign that you are pushing yourself but once your good habits start to fade or your shooting mechanics start to falter, you need to slow down. This could lead to bad habits replacing your good ones or faulty mechanics. Once you develop these bad habits, they are hard to correct. After all, it doesn't matter how quickly you release your shot if it doesn't have a good chance of going in.

Find that sweet spot in continually challenging yourself while staying in control, if only barely. That's the key to continuous improvement.

Footwork is the Base and Basis of your Shot

Your feet really are at the base of your shot and form the basis for the rest of your shot. When players get tired or are shooting out of range, the first symptom is often poor footwork from being lazy or trying to generate that extra power. This leads to bad habits that become harder to correct as the player gets older and they become more engrained in their routine.

Sound footwork ensures you are shooting from a stable platform, are aligned with the target, and gives you rhythm when shooting off the dribble or pass. When your feet are aligned, the rest of your body follows suit. Focus on your feet and your hips and shoulders will follow suit. It's very difficult to have your feet square to the basket and have your hips and shoulders pointing anywhere else.

Low Man Wins

"Low mans wins" is an axiom that holds true for tackling in football, checking in ice hockey and also for many one-on-one scenarios in basketball. Shooting is one of these scenarios, as keeping a low center of gravity allows you to get your shot off quicker and with more control.

Strength and stability in your shot both come from your legs and core. Whether you are making a cut or bracing for your shot, keeping a low center of gravity improves your stability, responsiveness and overall agility. You'll notice players who are fatigued coming into their jump shot are more upright with less bend in their knees and a less athletic stance. What follows is a slower release, since they can't gain their balance as quickly, and the shot falling short, since they can't generate the same amount of power.

Squats, dead lifts and lunges are staple exercises that will enable you to be a "lower" man.

So the next time you're going through a drill, remember to always challenge yourself,you're your shot in motion with good footwork, and low man wins. Have fun and play hard.

3 tips for increasing shooting distance

Nikita Yamshchikov, Founder of Ball In