Many times players believe that they need to dramatically change their shooting form and spend a ton of time improving to completely rebuild their shot. While in some cases, this may be the best course of action, in other cases, implementing a few small changes in certain areas of emphasis could make all the difference in seeing an instant improvement with shooting accuracy.
Now, this is not to suggest that the shooting tips below are easy, except that they are often simple to overlook and let go. Either this or they are not done due to a lack of understanding of the exercises or a lack of concentration. With a little more focus and effort on the players’ part, however, they can begin to change their shooting luck today and get back the shooting accuracy that they once had… or have always dreamed of having.
#1. Set out to start and finish with balance.
One of the key factors to a great shot is balance, balance, balance. Ask yourself… does the player start out balanced and end balanced? Or are they slipping backwards or to the side? Does the player want to rotate their body and then finish the shot pointing sideways? All of these factors can negatively effect a basketball shot.
The 8 best shooters in the NBA were analyzed by Drew Hanlen from Pure Sweat by looking at the way they landed. This is what Drew found…
– Jumped forward, no turn, shot 60%
– Finished straight… up and down… feet not turned, shot 70%
– Finished with slight foot turn, shot 39%
– Finished with a big twist, shot 31%
These are huge differences – not simply minor details. As you can see, if players will take a little time to make sure that they are jumping and landing straight up and straight down, their shooting percentages will go up dramatically.
#2. Finish your shot with your shooting hand fingers dipped “into the rim.”
This little trick is one that can make a big difference in the shooting life of a basketball player. Each time a player shoots the ball, the goal should be to finish up with their shooting hand’s index and middle fingers “in the rim”… quite literally.
Try this…
Close one eye, and when you do, players should be able to see their fingers “dipped” into the rim… no matter where they are shooting from on the court this will be evident. This will also help to ensure that players are not snapping back in their follow-though or having their follow-through going across their body. Both of which you do not want.
Using this trick will help you to keep a nice, straight line and a consistent follow-through all at once… win/win. When you can fix two problems at once, why not give this one a go today?
#3. Focus on the smaller target.
This tip is the most detailed r list on but it can pay off big in the long run. especially from far away. The idea of this tip is that players should not watch the ball but instead they should focus on their target… not the whole basket or even the rim. This is a new idea for many teams who are used to focusing on these two items.
The target for your shooter needs to be smaller than that. When I think of this, I think of Mel Gibson and what he says in The Patriot. I think it was something like if you “aim small” then you will “miss small.” The same thing goes when you are shooting a basketball towards a hoop.
If a shooter’s target is the entire rim, and then the player shoots an inch to the right of this target, that shot is going to bomb. Hence, if the player, instead, targets a smaller target like a metal piece of net that hangs from the rim… and the player misses an inch to the right, that shot still has a very good chance of going in.
While these basketball drills will not save the world… if you practice them… they can save your shot. In the end, utilizing them can make all of the difference in your game and the end results of the games that you are playing in. These shooting tips require that you take some extra focus and detail and toss them into the mix, but if a player is willing to give it their all… they will certainly improve.
Cole Williams