Practicing excellentbasketball shooting drills gives you the ability to “drop it in the bucket”consistently.
Players are always practicing their shooting. But let’s face it, most are not practicing correctly. It’s one thing to run around the court throwing up shots but another to learn drills that reinforcethe correct fundamentals.
The best basketball shooting drills are ones that incorporate more than one fundamental. Combining skills like passing, receiving and ball handling help simulate game conditions.
Players – Remember these keys when working on your basketball shooting drills:
1) As much as possible, simulate game conditions
2) Take shots you’re most likely to face in a real game – invest more of your time developing these shots
3) Always practice your shots at game speed
4) Don’t keep experimenting with your shooting form.
Find what works and then develop it
5) In order to select the proper shots, get to know your range and skill
Coaches -Basketball shooting drills need to be emphasizeddaily. Remember, if your players can’t consistently put the ball in the hoop, your chances of winning aren’t high.
Keep your players focused on the basic fundamentals of shooting.
Some of these are:
1) Proper use of fingertips, wrist and elbow
2) Get ball out quickly
3) Keep palm pointed at the hoop and back of shooting hand towards the face
4) Keep elbows in and ball close to the body at chest level
5) Stay balanced and jump off the correct foot (this will usually be the foot opposite from shooting hand)
6) Get proper spin and arch on the ball
OK, let’s begin the basketball shooting drills. You’ve come to the right place for a fantastic variety of drills to help make you a master at putting it “through the hoop“.
Individual Basketball Shooting Drills
1) One Hand
This basketball shooting drill forces you to shoot straight because you won’t have the non-shooting hand steadying the ball. Hold ball comfortably in shooting hand with non-shooting hand held behind your back. In the beginning, try standing either right in front or to the side of basket about 5 feet back.
Once you can make the close shots consistently and your shots are under control, start moving back a step at a time. No matter your level, don’t move back farther until you can shoot consistently with good form to your shots.
Variation – Still use the one hand like above, but now you’re sitting in a chair. This really forces you to use proper technique. If you don’t follow through with good arm extension and the proper snap of the wrist, your shot will stray or struggle to reach the rim.
2) Three In A Row
Just like it sounds! Pick a spot to practice from and don’t move to the next spot until you’ve nailed “3 in a row“.
Variations – Instead of just practicing a stationary jumper, practice shooting shots off a dribble… Put in shot fakes… Pass to yourself to simulate shooting off a pass.
Just like we’ve mentioned earlier, focus on shots you’ll take in a game.
3) Flat On Yo’ Back -good beginner basketball shooting drill
For this basketball shooting drill, while lying flat on your back, practice shooting the ball straight up into the air above you. The objective is to extend your arm straight up and snap your wrist in the downward wave. Make sure the ball comes straight back at you. Check your non-shooting hand if the ball moves to the side.
4) Nothing But Net
Start under the basket but to the side. Practice hitting 3 shots in a row that hit nothing but net. From the 2 sides, use bank shots. As you move out toward the foul line, picking your spots, stop using bank shots but keep hitting 3 “swishes” in a row.
5) Spot Shooting
For this basketball shooting drill, you’ll pick 5 – 7 spots around the foul line and won’t move until you hit from each spot. Start at the foul line, when you sink that shot, move up halfway to basket and sink that one. Then go to the left elbow (corner of the foul line), middle of foul line, right elbow.
If you want a longer progression, try using the spots located on the sides of the lane halfway between the foul line and end line. This will give you 7 shots instead of 5.Remember, don’t move from any spot ’til you make the shot!
Variation – Merge this drill with drill #4 (Nothing But Net). Don’t move from each spot until you make a shot without hitting the rim – SWISH!
Basketball Shooting Drills With Partner
1) Ten Shots
Designate one player the shooter and the other the rebounder and passer. The shooter takes 10 shots in a row while the other player rebounds and passes back.
After the 10 shots, switch positions. Use your shot fakes and shoot off dribbles (keep the shots within your range and take game shots).
2) Shoot ‘Til You Miss
This basketball shooting drill works the same as the “Ten Shots” drill except that the players don’t switch positions until the shooter misses.
3) Partner Spot Shooting
Position one player under the basket as the rebounder. The shooter starts in the corner and takes 5 shots and the rebounder passes the ball back after each shot.
Put beginners near the end line about 10-12 feet from the hoop, intermediate players 12-15 feet and high schoolers 15-18 feet from the basket.
After the 5 corner shots, the shooter will move to a spot halfway between the corner and foul line (keeping same distance from the basket). Again, the shooter takes 5 shots and then moves to a new spot. Next is the foul line, then halfway between foul line & opposite corner and then the opposite corner. At each spot, take 5 shots, then rotate back around until the shooter ends up at the original starting point. Now shooter and rebounder switch positions and do it again. This will result in 50 shots for each player. Move quickly but focus in on proper form and fundamentals.
Team Basketball Shooting Drills
1) Shoot Under Pressure
We need 3 players for this basketball shooting drill. One player starts the drill under the basket and passes to the shooter. The passer then rushes at the shooter with a blocking hand up (don’t actually make the block, just put pressure on the shooter). The shooter must be able to focus and shoot over the outstretched hand. The shooter runs down the rebound, passes to the 3rd player and rushes him as the defender.
2) Two Ball Shooting
Two balls and three players (shooter, passer, rebounder) needed. Two designated shooting spots are picked. The shooter will move back & forth between these 2 spots and take 10 shots. One player rebounds, throws to the passer and the passer throws over to the shooter. The players rotate positions after the 10 shots. To get competitive, the shooters can keep track of who hits the most shots during this basketball shooting drill.
Individual Basketball Shooting Drills (Games)
1) Game Winning Free Throws
Imagine that your team is trailing by one point, time has expired and you are in a “one-and-one” free throw situation. Make both and you win! If you miss the 1st free throw, run the length of the court four times. If you make the 1st but miss the 2nd free throw, run the court twice.
2) Beat Michael Jordan
Try to beat an imaginary Michael in this basketball shooting drill. Start at the foul line. If you make it, give yourself a point. If you miss, give Michael 3 points. Then shoot jumpers from various spots on the floor. Give yourself a point for each successful shot and Jordan 2 points for each miss. The first one to 11 points wins. Can you beat Michael Jordan?
Group Basketball Shooting Drills (Games)
1) 21
Three players are best for this basketball shooting drill. Two players are under the basket in position for rebounds. The third player starts the game at the foul line and attempts up to 3 free throws. Each shot = 1 point.
If all 3 free throws are made, that player takes the ball near the top of key, drives on the other two players and tries to score however possible (lay-up, hook, field goal). The other two players defend and try to stop the shot.
If the shot is made (it = 2 points), that player goes back to foul line and tries up to 3 more free throws again.
If at any time (beginning of game or after a successful field goal), a free throw is missed, the ball is live and anyone can get the rebound. Whoever gets the rebound has to make a shot to earn the right to go to the foul line for the 3 free throw attempts.
The first player to 21 points wins.
Variation – Players take turns attempting a perimeter shot, grabbing the rebound and then putting up a lay-up. Perimeter shots get 2 points and lay-ups = 1 point. Again, first player to 21 wins.
You can spice things up by stipulating that the game can’t be won with a lay-up. So after reaching 19 or 20 points, a perimeter shot needs to be made to win the game.
2) 33
This is a three-point shot game. Have players take turns trying 3-point shots from different spots all over the floor. Whoever gets to 33 (11 hoops)points first wins.
3) Free Throw Game
For this basketball shooting drill, points are rewarded as follows: minus 2 points for a missed shot, one point for a successful shot that touches rim and two points for a “nothing but net” shot. Players take turns shooting free throws and whoever gets 15 points first, wins.
4) Horse
This game can be played with 2 or more players and is probably the most popular basketball shooting drill alive.
Whoever is chosen as player A begins the game by taking a shot from anywhere on the floor. If player A is successful, then everyone else must make the same shot. Anyone who misses gets the letter “H”. Player A now gets to try establishing a shot from a different area on the court and keeps this right until missing.
If player A’s shot had missed, player B tries from anywhere on the court. If player B makes a 15 footer, everyone else needs to make that same 15 footer or else receive the next letter in “horse”.
If player B misses, player C then gets to try any shot they would like to. This process keeps going until someone gets all five letters (horse). The last player standing without all 5 letters, wins.
By the way, if it’s your turn to “establish” a shot and you miss, you do not get penalized with a letter. You only get a letter if you miss after another player has “established” a shot.
If you’d like a shorter version of this basketball shooting drill, you can always pick a shorter word.
5) Knockout
Four or five players are best for this game, although the basketball shooting drill will work with any number of competitors.
This game is based on getting to 21 points. A 3-pointer is worth 3 points, a regular 2-pointer is worth 2 points and a free throw is worth 1 point. Just like the game of Horse, a player establishes a shot from anywhere on the floor and then all other players must try to make the same shot.
The point of this game is to get 21 points as quickly as you can. As players reach 21 points, they leave the game and the last player to left standing the loser.
6) Seven-Up
You’ll need at least 4 for this basketball shooting drill. The players form a single-file line at a pre-determined perimeter shooting spot. Player A attempts the shot. If the shot is good, player B must make it or else they receive 1 point. If player B makes it, player C must also hit the shot or else receive 2 points.
Basically, if you miss, you receive points equal to however many consecutive shots were made before you. If you reach 7 points, you have to leave the game. The last player left standing in this basketball shooting drill wins.
7) Around the World
This basketball shooting drill is a fun game. Players shoot from 5 designated spots on the floor: right corner, right wing, top of the circle, left wing and left corner. You must make your shot before you can move on. If you miss, you have two options. You can stay and try again or wait for your next turn. If, however, you take the shot right away and miss, you have to go back to the starting point. The winner is the one who can make it to the opposite corner and than all the way back to the starting corner -“Around the World”
Variation – This version of the game uses seven basketball shooting drill spots: just to right of basket on the lane, midway up to foul line, corner of foul line, middle of foul line, opposite corner of foul line, midway down opposite side of lane and then just to left of basket on the lane.