Take Home Lesson

Shooting Drills and Program

Taking It to the Next Level

By Ron Sen, MD

From time to time, we'll put up some information for reference. Coaches don't make you a player, you do.

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Becoming a talented offensive player requires many different skills, including ball handling, passing, moving without the ball, creating separation from defenders, and shooting. None require more individual practice than shooting. Shooting is the LEAST TAUGHT part of basketball. Included is a program developed from years of personal experience, coaching, and videotape review of premier college players, specifically Indiana’s Steve Alford. I’ve also copied some directly from the National Association of Basketball Coaches Manual. I got a lot of my instruction and beliefs from Sonny Lane, who is in the Wakefield High School Hall of Fame and Massachusetts Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame.

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Basketball is a voluntary activity. If you want to improve at basketball, studying, chess, checkers, or cooking, there’s only one way: PRACTICE.

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First, you have to understand that proper technique WILL NOT FEEL RIGHT to you at the beginning and RESULTS WON’T COME IMMEDIATELY. That’s okay.

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Shooting basics. The player must be in balanced shooting position, feet about shoulder width apart (the dominant foot is aligned with the basket), square to the basket, with the shoulder, elbow, and hand aligned to the basket. If the elbow flies out, the power of the shot will vary tremendously, causing shots to be either short or long. The opposite (guide) hand helps stabilize the ball. Basketball is played with the ball on the fingers, not the palm, and shots are released from the finger tips. The ball must be released with backspin.

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Ideally, preparatory for the shot the player will already be getting body positioned for the shot, AND receive the pass about shoulder high from which the shot can be released high with appropriate follow through.

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First, some words on free throws, from Paul Westhead, about the importance of mental imagery in sports.

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1. Shoot five – physical practice
2. Picture five – mental practice
3. Close eyes picture five – mental practice
4. Close eyes and shoot five – physical/mental practice
5. Open eyes five – physical practice.

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I used to have the twins practice shooting free throws eyes closed…it works!

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General Shooting Background and Drills

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Here is a diagram of spots around the key for use in the shooting drills and shooting games. I believe that the most important shots in basketball and layups and free throws, which should offer HIGH PERCENTAGE scoring chances. However, competing at a high level requires skill from all areas. In practice settings we have to be able to make 70-75 percent of open shots from A through E, 7, 8, and 9. If we cannot make them in practice, it isn’t realistic to expect to make them in pressured situations.

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Drills and games:

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1. Warmup: one-handed shooting. Stand in position 1 or 3 and make six consecutive one-handed shots with proper technique. Move to spots 4 and 6 and do the same. These should be made off the backboard using the square as a target.
2. Around the World. In sequence, shoot from spots 1 through 10, and make the shot. If you miss, you can ‘challenge’ one time, and if you make, you continue. If you miss, you restart at one. When you complete ‘10’ you restart from ‘10’ and work backwards. The idea is to complete ‘The World’ in 20 shots and take as few shots as possible. Impossible? I’ve done it hundreds of times.
3. Blind man’s bluff. Stand with your back to the basket, at A through E. Throw the ball over your head. When you hear the ball hit the ground, turn, catch, and fire!
4. Bill Bradley: From positions A through E. You compete against “Bill Bradley” one of the great shooters of all-time. You get one point for each basket and Bill gets three when you miss. You have to make 11 and miss only 3 to beat Bill.
5. Elbow Room. Setup a chair or trash can (defender) at each elbow. Have your partner pass you the ball at 7 (or 9) the elbows behind the defender…take 10 from each spot as quickly as you can – alternating side to side. Again the idea is to develop quickness, accuracy, conditioning, and confidence.
6. H-O-R-S-E. You know the drill.
7. ‘21’. Similarly, you know the game.

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Alford shooting workout. Best done with a partner. Develop quickness, accuracy and confidence.

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1. Shooting in the key. 15 jump shots inside the painted area.
2. 10 free throws. Make as many as you can.
3. Shooting off the glass. 10 jump shots from 10-15 feet off the glass from the side of the painted area.
4. 10 free throws.
5. Outside shots – 15 jump shots from 15 feet
6. 10 free throws
7. Creative shots – 15 shots, create your own, off balance, off-the-dribble
8. 10 free throws

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National Association of Basketball Coaches

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1. Hustle shots. Layup. Sprint to foul line. Back to ball. Shoot. Back to ball. Repeat.
2. Layups. Start at elbow. Power drive (one dribble) to basket on right. Layup. Speed dribble to opposite elbow. Power drive (left) for left-handed layup. Repeat on right.
3. Wing-to-wing. (with partner)…Shoot from wing (B or D). Partner rebounds and passes to shooter at opposite wing (conditioning and shooting drill)

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This isn’t meant to be a complete or comprehensive guide to shooting drills, but we have to start somewhere if we want to get to the next level. Remember, the fun begins with skill mastery.