Basketball Shooting Drills

Talk of a particular sport like soccer or basketball, one of the things that click in our minds are the drills which are done by the players. I mean, there would hardly be anyone who might not have seen a video clip or footage of these players on television going through their motions and practice drills. Nevertheless, the point was that these drills are inevitable for any player. Speaking of that, if you are a basketball enthusiast and aspirant, I think some shooting drills would surely add to your kitty!

Shooting Drills for Basketball

I, Me and Mine
This is one of the best basketball shooting drills for beginners. It is perfect if you are alone and want to get a good practice. The primary concept is that when you get the ball in the basket, you win one point. If you miss consider that as 2 points. Getting to 10 points by shooting accurately as against misses has to be the aim. Consider the drill as an actual game and after the shot, retrieve the ball quickly and have fast movements from one spot to another.

Single and Fake
To do this drill, what a player does is that he first tosses the ball to himself. He then catches the ball and then pulls it towards his body. He follows that by getting in the triple threat position. After this, the player takes a good and solid pump fake taking a strong dribble to his right. The player here makes sure that his dribble moves him beyond an imaginary defender and in the direction of the basket. He comes to a balanced stop and finally goes for a jump shot.

Free Throws
A player here shoots 10 free throws as per the instructions of the coach. The number of shots he misses, the team has to run the same number of conditioners. This is followed by the coach asking the player to shoot the number of shots he missed. Once again, the team will be asked by the coach to run the number of conditioners this time missed by the player. This goes on till the number of shots missed is zero.

Shooting Single-handedly
In this drill, a player stands 2 feet away from the basket. One player should stand in the front and another on the side. The player holds the ball in his palm facing up and his arm has to be in a 90 degree angle with his triceps parallel to the ground. With knees bent and his focus on the rim, the player has to shoot with one hand.

Long Distance
The player will try and shoot from the farthest point, as much as comfortable to him. He or she will shoot around 10 jump shots from that point. After you get 8 out of those 10, the player will move back around 2 feet further than his or her current range. He would get extra strength and power from his lower body and he would use the same form. He would concentrate on shooting with a perfect form. Again shoot 10 shots from this distance. Continue moving back 1 or 2 feet from the basket and have 10 shots for every time you go back 2 feet. Try this till you are unable to maintain solid form on the shot.

These were a few shooting drills for basketball you might give a shot at. However, here are a few pointers which may help you.

Basketball Shooting Tips

• Get a good balance by spreading your feet around shoulder width apart and knees slightly bent. This is the popular triple threat position from where you pass, shoot or dribble.
• Have your eyes at the front of the rim and focused on it always and have a follow through. For that, you have to keep your off hand on the side of the ball.
• If you get tired or if monotony creeps in the drills, relax and shoot some free throws.
• Using your biggest muscles in your body is the best bet to impart enough power to a shot.
• Finally, avoid thinking too much about where to shoot and what to do with the ball, when you actually get it. Think about it beforehand.

See, isn't it easy? You can pick from any drill amongst these or your coach would tell you many more. But one thing is important and that is doing these drills in an actual game like simulation. This will help you progress leaps and bounds as a player! All the Best!