No matter how much natural talent you have, you’ll never reach your full potential as a basketball player if you don’t put in the time to practice your skills and perfect your technique.
Shooting drills are an essential part of the process; this collection of five basketball shooting drills will help you improve your shooting, passing, and other fundamentals to take your game to the next level.
1) Weave and Transition Drill
In this drill, three to five players race up and down the court, weaving in and out of each other’s lanes and passing the ball back and forth. Players weave back and forth instead of running in a straight line to confuse defenders and free up space for throwing.
Although these passing drills are more effective with older players, youth basketball teams will use them to teach young players the fundamentals of passing in transition.
Advanced drills follow weaving exercises in that they coach players through transitions where there are more offensive players than defensive players, leveraging a fast break to capitalize on an offensive mismatch.
2) Short-Long Shooting Drill
Short-Long is an excellent individual shooting drills basketball workout for improving your shooting skills. Not to mention that it makes an excellent warm-up drill. As a result, you receive many shooting repetitions in a short period.
You improve your skills to step in and shoot your shot. You improve your release time; it’s also an excellent conditioner as the player begins a few feet behind the 3-point line. Then, the player rushes in to fire from 7 to 10 feet away.
The player returns to his starting position, switches directions, and sprints into the next shot from 15 to 20 feet away. You repeat this for ten shots in three to seven distinct locations.
3) The Rocker Shooting Drills
For this drill, you catch the ball and are ready to shoot, then you take one dribble and step for the pull-up jump shot. Covering space with the dribble allows you to separate from the defender and produces an open jump shot.
In addition, pounding the ball forces it back into your hands rapidly, which speeds up the firing process. This also reduces the time the ball is out of your hands, making it more difficult for the defender to steal it.
The step-back progression involves the player taking one dribble at the basket and then stepping back for a jump shot. To establish separation from the defender, you need to move backward. Getting balanced will improve the consistency of your jump shot—balance results in improved shooting percentages.
The step-back drill is used with the rocker drill. If the defender closes out on the step-back move, you can blast ahead or execute a dribbling motion. This is known as the “rocker step.”
4) The Euro Step Drills
The Euro Step Drills are one of the best shooting drills for basketball.
- First steps – No dribbling: You take the jab and sidestep. Once you’ve mastered the footwork, you should concentrate on lengthy, explosive steps. Understand that it is a journey. It is used as a progression to assist you in understanding the footwork.
- Euro Step – Dribble: You now practice incorporating the dribble into the Euro step routine. Then, depending on the player’s skill set, you begin a step or two inside the 3-point line.
- Euro Step from the Three Point Line: You may now bring the players back up and execute the move from the 3-point line. If you add this after moving one and before moving 2, you may fit in a move where the players only go two steps, like in the first step, but add the dribble. Once you’ve mastered the footwork, practice it from all angles and distances throughout the half-court. It’s critical to do this since the number of dribbles and distance from which you leap might alter throughout the game.
5) The Ricochet Drill
You can do this drill anywhere because it only requires a ball. It improves your hand-eye coordination and familiarity with ball handling, which transfers to almost every aspect of basketball.
All you have to do is stand with your legs slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, knees firmly locked, and the basketball in front of you. Bounce the ball between your legs at a 45° angle, catching it as it rebounds behind you.
Throw it back through your legs and catch it in front of you. Increase the speed and attempt to build a rhythm as you get more comfortable with the action. Begin by doing this for 30 seconds, then as you get better, increase the time.
Conclusion:
Shooting hoops alone can be tedious and unproductive, but with the right drills, you can significantly improve your skills and have fun. These five basketball drills will help you master individual shooting, ball-handling, and team skills, so you can take on your opponents and beat them at their own game.
