Although it may often be considered a recreational activity, shooting buckets and practicing your basketball shot is a skill that often makes the difference in any game, from school leagues to the pros. It takes practice, repetition, and consistency to ensure you're comfortable with hitting your shots when all eyes are on you.
During the shooting motion, the placement of your hands and feet are crucial. With IMG Academy’s How-To Become a Better Shooter drills video, hear directly from the team’s coach, and learn how to set yourself up to shoot nothing but net!
In this video, you will be introduced to three basketball shooting drills to become a better shooter. Watch how student-athletes perform each drill with instruction on stance, follow through, and balance to control the ball and make the shot. Each of these drills will allow you to enhance your skills:
Form Shooting
Quick Feet
Transition Shooting
The keys to Form Shooting are good balance and follow through, keeping your elbows in, and properly judging your power - don’t miss short. To master Quick Feet and set yourself up to score, take three steps to get behind the three-point line, pivot to catch, and get the shot off before it’s contested. Transition Shooting is all about maintaining good balance and your follow through being stuck to ensure your shot finishes strong.
Ready to impress the crowd when you step on the court? Press play below to get started!
IMG Academy basketball has created a library of basketball training drills that you can refer back to any time! Check out our other News stories as well as our YouTube channel (@imgacademy) for all of our How-To content.
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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:
INCREASE YOUR PHYSICAL STRENGTH AND POWER.
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.
ADJUSTMENT TECHNIQUE #1
A 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-point line, 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 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.
ADJUSTMENT TECHNIQUE #2
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.
ADJUSTMENT TECHNIQUE #3
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 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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Basketball coaching hacks: how to score goals for beginners
Even if you are a novice basketball player, we will not give you a training plan, but we will tell you why the ball flies anywhere but into the ring and into your hands. It's all about technique: even with regular training and perseverance, novice adults and children often make simple mistakes. It's a shame, let's fix it. Below are 11 life hacks on how to hone your technique to increase the likelihood of a goal for your team.
Basketball Shot Rules for Beginners
1. Hands up
In pursuit of the attacker, raise your hands, even if you are standing with your back to the pass, and even more so if the ring is in front of you. Your raised hands will increase the chance of intercepting the ball from the opponent by 2 times. Don't overlook this little thing!
2. Make shield rolls
Even Tim Duncan did not neglect them! A square is drawn on the basketball backboard. If you are standing opposite the ring, then aim at the middle of the upper part of the square, if you are standing on the side, then at the corner. If you hit this square, then the ball is at 90% of cases will fall into the ring. The law of physics and no cheating!
3. Look at the ring, not at the ball
Practice driving the ball with your hand, not your eyes, develop tactile control. Your eyes should be on the hoop while dribbling and be aware of the position of your body in relation to the hoop. Then you will be able to take the correct posture, and the throw will be effective.
4. Dribble with the balls of your fingers only
The palm should not touch the ball, only the pads of the fingers. Dribbling should become familiar to you, like an extension of your hand. Then you can change its trajectory at any time and you will have more chances to score goals. Practice with the ball constantly.
5. Throw with one hand
If you throw the ball with two hands, you reduce the chance of hitting the basket. All the efforts of the throw are in one hand (in the right for right-handers, in the left for left-handers). The other hand only holds the ball, the leading one holds it with the fingers, not the palm.
6. Do not jump when protecting the ring
Jumping is the main mistake of rookie defenders. To intercept the ball and block the shot, simply stick out your hands. When you are in a jump, the attacker will easily bypass you.
7. Don't look back
When you dribble, don't look back, but dribble and aim for the ring, focus on shooting (or passing to another player on your team).
8. Bring the throw to automatism
Incorporate the most basic basketball techniques into your training plan and bring the shot to automatism. Throw first from a distance of half a meter from the ring, gradually increasing it. Learn to throw the ball so that it hits the hoop without touching the edge.
Throw the ball with all fives and jump
Throwing Rules:
Head in the center of the body - if tilted, accuracy is lost.
Look at the ring: mentally build a trajectory. If you are far away, the ball flies in a curved curve with a maximum height of 2 meters above the hoop.
A strong hand is in front and throws, a weak hand is on the side and directs, only holding the ball. The elbow of the throwing hand must be in line with the ring.
The ball must rest on the fingers without touching the palm. The fingers are as far apart as possible and grab the ball.
Throwing arm bent 90 degrees, forearm perpendicular to the floor. If you bend less, then you get not a throw, but a throwing of the ball horizontally.
The main thing in the throw is the position of the body and its balance. Place your feet apart and parallel to each other: it is important to orient them in the middle of the basket. Then the direction of the body during the jump will coincide with the direction of the throw, and the ball will fly straight into the ring. When the feet are uneven, the ball flies in the wrong direction or does not reach (although the throw was normal).
Take a deep breath and release as you exhale.
How to hold the ball and shoot in basketball
How to throw correctly: straighten your arm, point your wrist up, and with your hand set the ball to rotate in the opposite direction from the flight. The ball should seem to "roll" off your fingers.
9. Copy masters and play as a team
Watch professional basketball games and try to copy the movements of your favorite players in training. And be sure to conduct game sparring - this will allow you to develop more techniques.
10. Do not throw in a straight line
The higher the arc of the ball, the greater the chance of a goal and the less chance of blocking by the opponent.
11. Do not throw the ball from a full height stand
This is the biggest newbie mistake!
Before the throw, bend your knees slightly and at the moment of the throw, straighten your body, making a jump. You need to straighten up and push off the ground at the same time. When squatting, keep the elbow of the throwing arm close to the body and towards the ring.
The jump will give momentum to the ball and will allow you not to make sudden movements with the brush.
***
And to be a long-term player, do not forget about your health: take care of your joints and muscles, use tapes, do a warm-up. And be sure to strengthen your arms, legs and shoulder girdle, develop coordination. Regular exercises on uneven bars and horizontal bars will help you with this.
9 tips from Jay Wolf
Hello, dear site visitors basketball-training.org.ua ! In this article, we will talk about one of the most important basketball elements - the throw. And not just about throwing, but about how to achieve a significant increase in the accuracy of your throws, while not radically changing their structure, that is, without retraining.
Of course, the correct throw, or, more precisely, the “classic throw from the forehead” is cool, correct and beautiful. However, it seems to me that what matters is not how you throw, but how effective these throws are. If your shot is difficult to cover and it regularly hits the basket, there is no need to change anything drastically: look at the throwing technique Larry Bird , Michael Jordan , "Magic" Johnson and Ray Allen . They all shot differently, which did not stop them from scoring well; so - draw your own conclusions.
Shooting Practice: Aiming Point
The tips you read below are recommendations from Jay Wolf - Shot Improvement Specialist, Summer Sports Camp Organizer, Owner of StarShooter , you can read more about him on his website - starshooter. net . Well, now, in fact, advice, divided into 2 parts: how to improve throws from close range; how to improve mid-range and long-range shots (3-point shots).
Improving close range and under hoop shots
All short range shots both to the right and left of the basket must be taken with a bounce off the backboard and a point of aim.
In principle, nothing new, this is where all throw training begins in every sports school: they learn to throw from the backboard, while the ball must touch the upper corner of the “square” drawn above the ring. The ball should softly touch this corner (remember about reverse spin of the ball when thrown) and bounce into the basket. In order to focus the thrower's attention on the aiming point, you can stick a dollar sign or a picture of the sight there. Remember: the shield is your best ally, be sure to learn how to bounce off it.
Practice clean throws from under the hoop and clean bounce shots from the second tendrils.
So, let's figure it out. A clean throw is a shot where the ball goes into the basket without touching the ring itself. To achieve such a throw, you need to throw very softly, with reverse rotation, finishing with a brush. Such throws require the maximum concentration of attention from the basketball player and a change in the trajectory. So, we make 5 throws from under the ring in a row, 3 of which must be clean. If it's very easy, then add the number of throws up to 10, trying to get everything clean. Throws can be made with a rebound from the backboard, but the ball must not touch the ring hoop itself. Challenge yourself - and pass this test with honor!
Improving medium and long range shots
Again doing clean throws : 5 shots in a row from one spot.
By the way, for me, clean throws are a big problem: the peculiarity of my throw is that I kind of load the far bow, “striking” which, the ball falls down. But here's the problem - if the ring is a little higher than usual, then almost all the balls go into the near bow, and while I get used to it, I smear a lot.
This job allows develop stable throw accuracy . Five throws in a row help improve accuracy, because the shape of the throw, the effort applied, the trajectory - all this must be the same and repeat all the time. Clean shots make the trajectory “lift up”, which is also good: they are more difficult to cover and, as a rule, when the ball touches the ring, the ball will fall into the basket. And one more thing: a high trajectory gives rise to a short rebound, for which it will be easier for partners to compete.
Make multiple free throws in a row, before leaving the court (training).
Such a move will allow you to repeat all the elements of the throw again and develop self-confidence. After the shot, you pick up the ball yourself, return to the free-throw line - and shoot again. It is important to repeat all the routine that occurs before the free throws in the game. In order to recreate the game situation even more realistically, simply add jerks to the exercise: throw the ball, perform a jerk after the ball (to the middle of the hall, etc.), return to the line again - throw it. Players can be stimulated by some kind of competitive effect: who spends more time on 5 (7, 10) executed free throws in a row - runs, pushes up, carries a partner to the locker room, etc.
Shoot 200 free throws daily for 5 days, or 500 on the first day and 200 on the next 4 days. Goal: 25/25 rolls, of which 15 will be clean.
Here you need to understand that you will need at least 1 partner who will “bring the cores”. In America, of course, this is not a problem, there are personnel who receive money for this kind of service. But with us it will be more difficult, we will have to look for like-minded people. According to Jay Wolf, such a series of shots will help to hone the form of the shot, the moment of release of the ball and the trajectory; and also - they will increase the accuracy of 3-point shots. Again, according to Wolf, 100 throws will take 15 minutes.
I once tried to throw such a series of free kicks. My execution technique is as follows: I squat a little, then straighten my legs and straighten my body at the same time I straighten my arms. As soon as the body is fully unbent (I also stand on my toes), the ball is released. It turns out - as if one movement. So, the calves quickly began to hurt from such lifts, the hands got tired, and the hand refused to twist the ball. But some results did appear, so the exercise is useful, even very useful.
Find out where you shoot most often in games – and practice your “signature points” by shooting at least 5 clean shots in a row from these points.
I already wrote about this in an article about how to develop a shot ( Shot training in basketball ), it turned out not quite the way I imagined it in my head, but still it is very informative and useful.
Practice throwing on a correctly marked area , in a correctly marked shield. The court must have a correctly drawn 3-point line.
And again I will complain a little: why in our country do people who have no idea how it should be do everything? Why are basketball markings applied by people who have never played basketball and do not know what the front line is? As a result, it passes under the front bow of the ring. And the “three-ruble note” - why is it 6 meters on the right, and more than 7 meters on the left? Why?
So - try to choose good sites with correct markings. And another note: at first it is very difficult to throw with a rebound from the backboard, if the backboard is streetball, i.e. much less than standard.
Hold hands after throwing , as if guiding the ball into the basket until it reaches there.
Here it should be noted that in his video about the throw, the legendary Pete Maravich (the lessons from which will soon appear on the site) recommends not to hold a fixed hand, but rather to wave 2-3 times after the ball , repeating the final stage brush work.
Wait until at least junior high before working with an oversized or weighted ball.
If done properly, then generating enough force to shoot over the backboard, even from beyond the 3-point line, is not that difficult.
This will add power to your shot and increase your range.
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.
5" Shooting Basketball
Don't overlook this little thing! 
Practice with the ball constantly. 
Learn to throw the ball so that it hits the hoop without touching the edge. 
Then the direction of the body during the jump will coincide with the direction of the throw, and the ball will fly straight into the ring. When the feet are uneven, the ball flies in the wrong direction or does not reach (although the throw was normal). 
And not just about throwing, but about how to achieve a significant increase in the accuracy of your throws, while not radically changing their structure, that is, without retraining. 
net . Well, now, in fact, advice, divided into 2 parts: how to improve throws from close range; how to improve mid-range and long-range shots (3-point shots). 
But here's the problem - if the ring is a little higher than usual, then almost all the balls go into the near bow, and while I get used to it, I smear a lot. 
It is important to repeat all the routine that occurs before the free throws in the game. In order to recreate the game situation even more realistically, simply add jerks to the exercise: throw the ball, perform a jerk after the ball (to the middle of the hall, etc.), return to the line again - throw it. Players can be stimulated by some kind of competitive effect: who spends more time on 5 (7, 10) executed free throws in a row - runs, pushes up, carries a partner to the locker room, etc. 
Again, according to Wolf, 100 throws will take 15 minutes. 
The court must have a correctly drawn 3-point line. 
