BASKETBALL SHOOTING DRILLS

Thinking, while shooting a basketball, is not advisable.  Basketball shooting drills condition both body and mind.  Drills form habits.  Drills performed improperly create bad habits.  Proper drills performed perfectly create good habits.  Habits allow us to perform without thinking.  Now, think about this.  Poor shooters must have developed bad habits.  Good shooters must have developed good habits.  The good thing about a bad habit is that it proves you can develop a habit; and bad habits, like rules, are meant to be broken.  So, let's alter a habit... 

The drill that alters bad shooting habits is a shooting mechanics drill.  There is an easy way to learn shooting mechanics - a drill that’s easy to understand, easy to implement, and comes naturally.  Simply stand under the basket like you're going to shoot a flat footed lay-up (a flat footed layup is a shot you shoot while standing, flat footed a little to the right or left of the basket).  Regulation size backboards have a box on them just above the rim.  Shoot the ball, hit the backboard near the upper outside corner of the box and the ball will go in the basket.  I didn't say hit the corner exactly, I said near the corner.  Of course you are aiming for the corner, but all you need do is hit somewhere near it and that's good enough to get the ball to bank into the basket.   Shoot the lay-up with your dominant hand - and - if your dominant hand is your right hand, shoot from the left side.  If your dominant hand is your left hand, shoot from the right side.  If you're right handed your right foot should be in line with the left side of the box on the backboard.  If you're left handed your left foot should be in line with the right side of the box on the backboard.  We will call this spot on the court, shooting mechanics drill position #1.   This is not a shooting drill.  This is a shooting mechanics drill.  When a basketball player practices proper shooting mechanics that form should be repeatable.  The object of this shooting mechanics drill is to develop natural shooting mechanics and burn proper shooting mechanics into muscle memory. 

Muscle memory (habit) is ingrained with repetition and success.  When a player is burning in muscle memory it is imperative that the muscle memory be correct muscle memory.  What do I mean?  I ask you this; does practice make perfect?  The answer is NO! -  Perfect practice makes perfect.  So to burn in proper muscle memory you must repeatedly shoot using perfect form with a high degree of success.  When shooting lay-ups from the opposite side of the basket from your dominant hand your success rate will be somewhere around 100% and you will be developing perfect natural mechanics for your body and your build.  You see when shooting from the opposite side, shooting mechanics drill position #1, you naturally tuck in your elbow, place your shooting hand in the proper position under the ball, and support the basketball naturally with your non-dominant hand.  If you flex your knees you are using the exact shooting form you should be utilizing from the free-throw line.  If you jump you are using the exact shooting form you should be utilizing with your jump shot.  If you are standing at the proper spot on the court, shooting mechanics drill position #1, the rim forces you to do all this.   Shoot 100 to 200 times in this basketball shooting workout.  You should have a shooting percentage hovering around 100% while practicing perfect shooting mechanics.  Now that's burning in muscle memory! 

After shooting 200 or so from position #1, take one step towards the side line away from the basket, we'll call this shooting mechanics drill position #2, and shoot another 50 or 100.  If you miss even one time, go to your position #1 and shoot another 50, with 100% shooting accuracy.  Then take that one step towards the side line to position #2 again and shoot 50 without missing.  When you shoot 100% from that position take one step backwards towards the free throw line, we'll call this shooting mechanics drill position #3.  Put up another 50.  If you miss even one, return to position #1 and start again - S L O W L Y .  

When you're successful shooting 100% from all three positions then go to the other side of the basket.  Take up position #1 on that side of the basket and do it all over again from that side.  Since this new position is on your natural side and you’re using your dominant hand you should shoot 100% from all three positions the first time out.  If you do not - be grateful!!  Why???  Because you have discovered immediately you are doing some part of your mechanics wrong.  It's great catching this in the beginning, before developing a bad habit.  You simply go back to your original position #1 and start again - S L O W L Y - and repeat all of the above.  This basketball shooting system is great to do for the rest of your life.  This basketball shooting workout will keep your shooting mechanics, or shooting form, in check.  You, your team, and your basketball coach will all be happy.  

For an in-depth study on shooting a basketball and more basketball shooting drills, download the FREE book, Basketball - It's All About The Shot, available on this website.