How to improve three point shooting in basketball

USA Basketball - 3 Ways to Make More 3-Point Shots

Lots of players would like to be able to increase their shooting range and become a good 3-point shooter. We all know of examples of players, like Robert Horry, who are recruited to join teams mostly because of their ability to make 3-point shots. "Big Shot Rob" has seven--that's right, seven -- NBA championship rings. Shooters with deep range have helped teams on every level win championships.

Here are three incredibly simple drills and concepts that can help any player extend their shooting range and add to their scoring arsenal.

Warm-Up Speed

Jog (but never walk) through each of these shots. This will help you work up a sweat.

Start around five feet from the basket, and shoot until you make a shot all-net before moving back one step. Repeat the process until you get all the way back to the 3-point line. Continue shooting until you make an all-net 3-pointer.

Initially, do this from the baseline and work your way back to the 3-point line in the corner. Then do the other (right or left baseline) and finally go down the middle and finish with a 3-pointer from the top of the key. Finally, do your normal stretching routine.

Practice Speed

This next part of your practice shooting is best done with a rebounder and a passer. However, if shooting on your own, simply pass to yourself, shoot, rebound and speed dribble back to the spot.

You are now repeating the process of working your way back, only this time going as fast as you think you can, then speeding up your perception of what you think is going fast, and go even faster! Obviously this is great conditioning.

There are several kinds of footwork currently being used by good shooters. These include: the classic inside foot 1-2 step, the 2-foot jump stop, the plant rear foot and step-in, and hop into the shot (1-2 step or 2-foot jump stop). Ask your coach before deciding what do to.

Make one all-net shot of each of the following types of shots and work your way back from three distances: start at 10 feet out, then move to 15 feet and finally to 3-point range. Do both a catch-and-shoot and a shot off the dribble, moving left-right-center. That's six made all-net baskets from each spot.

As before, you must make an all-net shot before progressing to the next type of shot and distance.

Competitive Speed

This is the most important part of becoming a proficient shooter in actual games. Do this workout with defenders. Learning this way will give you transference from practice to actual games. You'll play this way and it will be easy to make shots in games and at crunch time.

Have defenders close out on you (sometimes from closer than they will be in the game) to try and steal the ball and block the shot. Want to become a fearless shooter? Have the defender foul you on purpose. But this should be just a slap on the wrist or controlled nudge, so you don't get hurt. Make (again not just take) three shots like this during every practice and you will become a more focused "in the zone" shooter. You probably will also get to the free throw line in games and have a chance to make a 4-point play!

Math + Honesty = Real Results

Have you noticed that doing any one of the stages will cause you to make -- not just take (this includes shots that go in without being all-net) -- over 100 shots!

You shouldn't care about missing. You don't have to make every shot, just shoot until you make the amount of shots needed to progress to the next stage. Do only as many stages as you are comfortable with. The warm-up stage alone will make anyone a better shooter and is essentially what many great shooters in the NBA do a couple hours before every game.

By the way, just because you take a lot of 3-point shots and you think that you are a 3-point shooter, doesn't mean you are. If it takes more than 15 shots to make an all-net 3-pointer and you have to change your shot to get the basketball to reach the basket, then the 3-point shot is out of your range -- for now.

Your current and realistic range is where you can make two all-net shots in 10 attempts or less. Just be patient with yourself and work on these drills and stay within your range and you will soon gradually extend that range.

Before attempting the 3-point shot in games, first make (just get it in -- you don't have to shoot all-net) six out of 10 in practice on three separate practice days. These shots should be from where you would shoot within the flow of your offense. That's when the statistic of probability is on your side, and you will have a real mathematical chance to shoot at least 35-40 percent from 3-point range when you play.

Anyone Can Do This

I have personally used these drills as a head coach at both the high school level and an assistant coach at the NCAA Division I level. I was fortunate to learn quite a bit about 3-point shooting while serving as assistant coach with Craig Hodges. As a player, Craig was on the Chicago Bulls' first championship team with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, both now in the Basketball Hall of Fame. Craig also won the NBA All-Star Weekend 3-point contest three years in a row.

Increasing range and becoming proficient at 3-point shooting will not only help you have more success now, it will also increase your chances to move to the next level. Look at what Pitino, Horry and Hodges have accomplished.

Now it's your turn.

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!!

Like this article? Download it as a free PDF! (Download Now!)

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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9 ways to increase the effectiveness of shots without changing their structure - All about basketball

9 ways to increase the effectiveness of shots without changing their structure.
Jay Wolf
(Basketball Shot Specialist)

To be honest, it's not a good idea to change the mechanics of shooting during the season, if only because it entails a decrease in performance. What can be done to prevent this from happening? Here are a few tried and tested recommendations.

Improving short distance and basket shots

1. Require all short distance shots to the right and left of the basket to have a bounce and point of aim.

This forces the striker into position to use the shield when throwing. The upper half of the vertical line to the right and left of the basket is the aiming point for these types of shots. The ball should touch the line softly and bounce straight into the basket. Misses that occur when throwing from these positions are the result of insufficient concentration. To increase attention to the aiming point during training, draw a dollar sign - $, or some other sign, on a piece of adhesive tape, and attach it to the line.

2. Practice CLEAN basket shots and CLEAN bounce shots from the second mustache.

CLEAR throws require the ball to drop into the basket without touching the metal hoop. To achieve this, the ball must touch the backboard very gently. This requires a much greater concentration of attention and calculation of the trajectory. To achieve consistency, make 5 throws from under the hoop (or rebound jump) in a row, 3 of which must be CLEAR. Make it harder if you feel the need to.

NOTE: It is important to match the mission to the abilities of each player. The mission should challenge the player's sense of pride, requiring greater focus, but should not be unattainable.

Perfecting Medium Distance and 3-Point Shots

3. Practice CLEAN throws - make 5 shots in a row from the same spot.

This task develops stable accuracy as it requires great concentration and persistence. Five throws in a row from the same point improve accuracy, since all the components of the throw - form, effort, trajectory - must be the same each time and repeated over and over again, over and over again from the same distance. CLEAN throws automatically force the player to choose a high trajectory. High trajectory shots are harder for a defender to block, and the ball is more likely to go into the basket if it hits the metal hoop. In the game, due to the excess of adrenaline, there is a tendency to apply a little more effort when throwing. If CLEAN throws are habitually improved in practice, in play the ball may lightly touch the back of the hoop BUT the higher trajectory increases the chances of hitting the basket. In addition, on a miss, a higher trajectory generates a shorter bounce, which increases the chances of hitting the ball into the basket.

IMPORTANT: If 5 CLEAR rolls in a row is too difficult, lower this requirement.

Coach's note: Players who repeatedly hit the back of the basket when shooting are overexcited. To correct this error, explain it, and start practicing CLEAN throws right away, encouraging them to be used throughout the season.

4. Make several free throws in a row before leaving the court after practice.

This requires repetition of all throw elements and builds confidence. Each batter must pick up the ball himself after his throw. Emphasize the importance of repeating the same set-up routine before each throw. Taking a deep breath and exhaling before the throw relieves excess tension. Modify this exercise by adding more playful tension due to time constraints. Those who do not fit in the given time must make jerks, etc.

5. Make 200 free throws per day for 5 days, or 500 free throws on one day, and 200 on the next four days. Target: 25/25 of which 15 rolls are CLEAR.

This develops confidence and exceptional consistency in shot form, ball release and trajectory. In addition, it improves the accuracy of 3-point shots. Reward the player for: 25/25, the most hits in a row, and the most CLEAR hits in a row. NOTE: 100 throws require approximately 15 minutes of time.

6. Determine the spots from which you have to shoot regularly in the game, and practice shooting at least 5 consecutive shots from each of these spots.

This develops confidence and coordination when throwing. When a player shoots from one of these positions in a game, they feel comfortable and confident because they have been successful shooting from these positions so often in practice.

7. Perform all throws on a correctly marked area using a correctly marked backboard. The court must have a line for 3-point shots.

Court markings are an important factor in reducing the number of misses as it is easier for the player to judge the distance to the basket. For the same reason, additional confidence develops. A marked backboard gives the player a point of aim for a bounce shot from the backboard or for a shot from under the basket.

8. Keep your hands in the position of tracking the ball until it touches the basket.

Tracking the ball during the shot allows for better control of movement and improves performance.

9. Choice of throw type.

A good throw is one that remains uncovered during training in 60% of cases.

Emphasize the importance of learning about your abilities. ‘Good players use good shots’.

Conclusion

Self-assessment of shooting ability is closely related to the actual shooting potential. By getting athletes to hit the ball over and over again on their shots, you increase their confidence. They know that no one can stop them, as the training proves it.

Jay Wolf is a basketball shooting specialist, summer sports camp organizer, publisher, and owner of Star Shooter, an equipment company that helps athletes of all ages improve their shooting skills. For more information, visit www.Starshooter.net

Source: http://streetball.world-basket.biz

3 tips for increasing your shooting distance

Nikita Yamshchikov, Founder of Ball In