No matter how good your game has gotten, it’s never too late to practice the fundamentals.
This list of the best basketball shooting drills will help you perfect your form and build up muscle memory so that when you’re in the game, you’ll be able to take shots and convert them with ease. Don’t just stand on the sidelines waiting for someone else to do all the work – show off your skills with these shooting drills!
Best basketball shooting drills
1) 3-Point Shooting
10 Best Basketball Shooting Drills for Kids can make 3-point shots a habit by regularly practicing the same shot over and over again. There are several drills that you can use to help develop a consistent three-point shot, including: This drill focuses on knocking down a series of shots from the same spot on the court.
The best basketball shooting drills gives you practice making shots with your feet set and uses a timer to encourage you to shoot quickly.
Moving Drill – To build consistency while moving around on offense, try shooting while running in place or as you dribble. You’ll also want to incorporate some one-dribble pullups into your routine so that you’re comfortable taking an open jumper off one dribble when pressured by a defender.
2) Free Throws
This is a best basketball shooting drill where you practice free throws. You should relax and focus on breathing while shooting free throws in a basketball game, as your breathing can be easily controlled and become a good way to boost your concentration and steady your hand movements.
This is also an effective shooting drills because you can take all of your time and practice as many shots as you want without having to rush them after every shot like you do in a game.
3) Layups and Dunks
Layups and dunks are the ultimate test of finishing at the rim, one of the first skills a player should master when learning how to play basketball.
It’s hard to complete a layup—and even harder to finish a dunk—if you’re missing your layup drills, which is why it’s so important that coaches ensure their players are completing them regularly.
If a player wants to make sure they never miss another layup again, they need to make sure they’re doing these five essential shooting drills.
4) Post Moves
The post move is designed to be used against big men who have a hard time defending someone under the basket. Essentially, you want to get the ball as close to the rim as possible before shooting in order to increase your best basketball shooting drills percentages.
You can do so by spinning off or towards the goal, attacking on different sides of the defender and using a variety of moves. The most effective post moves are jabs and pivots that come from different angles. This drill helps players hone these essential skills.
5) Shot Fake/Jab Steps
A shot fake and jab step is a great way to get defenders off you in triple threat position when you shoot. To do a shot fake, place your hands in position to shoot.
Then, faking a pass to a teammate, take one quick step towards them (this should look like you’re trying to draw defenders away from where you’re really going).
By stepping towards your teammate, it forces defenders in that direction which opens up an avenue on your right or left side of the basket.
6) Ball Handling (Dribbling, Passing, etc.)
Ball handling is the foundation of basketball, and it’s important to work on dribbling, passing and other skills at a young age.
Dribble moves like the crossover and between-the-legs can be tricky to pull off, but doing them off a wall—where the ball goes exactly where you want it to go—can help kids learn how to handle the ball well.
7) Transition Shooting
Transition shooting is one of those drills you’ll have to incorporate at different speeds and with different styles. It’s hard to transition from running full court shots to stationary ones, so you should be sure to practice everything.
Shoot from all areas on both sides of the court, transition shooting is very important in basketball. Practice your form and watch some great shooters too! Michael Jordan would say it himself: Practice does not make perfect. Only perfect practice makes perfect.
8) One-on-One Moves
Practice isolation moves is important if you want to score. Practice moves while training. The most effective way to become a best basketball shooting drills player is to spend time working on your moves. Keep in mind that not all drills are appropriate for beginners or young players.
If you have been playing basketball for less than one year, or if you are new to a team, it is wise to start off practicing your skills with other people and then move on to more challenging drills alone.
9) Footwork Drills to Improve Balance, Agility, Speed, and Quickness
Having quick feet is important for footwork on the court, here’s a great footwork drill: when you jump rope, every time your feet hit the ground, jump up two inches as if you were trying to bounce the rope.
This will help your feet adjust to sudden changes in tempo and rhythm, crucial for athletes. The faster you make your feet move, the quicker you’ll be able to react and change direction.
10) Defensive Stance and Movements
Did you know that defense wins championships? That’s true whether you’re talking the NBA, WNBA, or the little league in your neighborhood.
The best basketball shooting drills teach quick reaction times, defensive stance and movements, how to move and react with a variety of players on the court, and how to make it difficult for others to score. Learning the fundamentals of basketball can be an amazing bonding experience when it comes to kids because they are learning a skill that helps them on their way toward athletic excellence.
If you want to level up your shooting accuracy, we got you. We created the 6ixShooter Academy. A one-stop basketball training program to help elevate your game and become an unstoppable shooter with coach Seth McCoy a.k.a 6ixShooter. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE
