July/August 2019 - 12

CREATING
SHARPSHOOTERS
Seven proven drills to help your players hit more shots
By Don Kloth, contributing writer
Most coaches believe that great
shooters are made, not born. Shooting
is one of those skills that can be
improved to near perfection if teams
are committed to doing it right.
How players practice shooting
plays a significant role in determining
their success. We have used seven
basic shooting drills in our practices
for many years and are thrilled with
the results. Before diving into the
drills, consider these four areas as
they relate to shooting.
* The mental approach.
* The basic fundamentals.
* How to practice shooting.
* Shot selection.
The mental game
It's important that your players have
a readiness to learn. Encourage your
players to keep an open mind when a
coach talks about shooting. Hopefully,
you can get your players' undivided
attention when you have something
useful to say about shooting.
Generally, most players are willing
to watch demonstrations. I always
remember this statement from a
hall of fame coach: " Good shooters
can take constructive criticism;
great shooters can take constructive
criticism and learn. "
The fundamentals
One of best known methods of
teaching shooting is B.E.E.F. -
balance, elbow straight, eyes on target,
follow through. Besides being a simple
approach to shooting, it's extremely
sound. This is the method we have
used for more than 40 years with great
results. Balance emphasizes proper
footwork. Eyes on target demands
concentration. Elbow under the ball
focuses on alignment, and follow
through reminds players to finish.
An area of concern for coaches
might be players trying to mimic
10 JULY/AUGUST 2019
their favorite NBA star. There are
some outstanding shooters in the
NBA whose shot mechanics are not
fundamentally sound. Trying to adopt
someone else's style may not be the
best approach for a young player.
High school players must focus
on the basic fundamentals. Remind
them that the vast majority of the
great shooters today on any level are
fundamentally sound.
Practice shooting
A phrase that's constantly used
in our practices is, " Game shots,
game spots and game speed. " Great
intensity, effort and attention to detail
in your shooting drills is essential.
Coaches should observe, encourage
and, when necessary, correct
mistakes or offer suggestions during
shooting drills. We emphasize
hard cuts, good footwork, hands
ready, and good, crisp passes to the
shooters. Try to make it as gamelike
as possible. We have at least one
20-minute shooting segment in every
practice, and we always run it early
on. I found that when I scheduled
shooting drills late in the practice
plan, I would often get sidetracked
on other segments of practice and
we wouldn't spend enough time
shooting. Make this a priority at your
practices.
Shot selection
Hopefully, every player on your
team has a realistic idea about what
qualifies as a " good " shot.
Players must honestly assess their
shooting range. If players are taking
low-percentage shots, that's when
the coach must step in and define
what constitutes a good shot. There
are many players who could be more
productive by improving their shot
selection.
In addition to distance, shooters
must be aware of defensive pressure.
A " hand in your face " should be
a major guide in determining shot
selection. We do not want our players
to force contested shots. Players
must also be aware of time and score
situations during a game.
Drill No. 1: Partner shooting
We have seven basic shooting
drills that we use in practice, and
partner shooting is one that we do
every day. It's without question our
most important shooting drill.
The setup for the drill is very
simple: Two players with one ball.
DIAGRAM 1 demonstrates the
initial movements with 1 shooting
a jumper and following the shot.
DIAGRAM 2 shows 1 securing the
rebound and 2 moving to any spot
on the floor before receiving a pass
from 1. We encourage the players to
call out their location on the court
- wing, corner, top, elbow - as
the rebounder secures the ball. In
DIAGRAM 3, 2 secures the ball
after either a make or miss and passes
to 1.
There are 10 phases to this drill:
* Jump shot off the pass.
* Jump shot off the dribble.
* Shot fake shot.
* Receiver making a V-cut and
taking a jumper off the pass.
* Receiver making a V-cut and
taking a jumper off the dribble.
* Receiver making a V-cut, shot fake
and shooting a bank shot.
* 3-point shot off the pass.
* Extended range 3-point shot
(23 feet). We emphasize the same
shooting form but more use of the
legs. We say, " Shoot the ball, don't
throw it. "
* " Pressure shooting " has the same
person shooting and the same
person rebounding while closing
out on the shooter for 35 seconds.
July/August 2019

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of July/August 2019
