Shooting basketballs at hoops may seem simple enough, but there’s actually more to it than meets the eye. If you want to get your shot on the court, there are certain places you should aim for—and certain things you should focus on when you shoot. Check out this guide on the four best spots to shoot on the court, and improve your shooting accuracy so you can start putting up points faster than ever before!
4 Best Spots to Shoot
1) Short corner
The short corner is a sweet spot for players with long dribble strides. If you watch carefully, you’ll notice that many point guards shoot their corner threes directly off a dribble drive or two at speed. The advantage is they can get open quickly and set their feet easily because they don’t have to run very far. Another benefit is it’s often easier for them to hit one shot right after another rather than walking back up court and waiting for another opportunity. Consider using your long-stride guard in short corners when you need quick buckets and an extra shooter on the floor without sacrificing spacing.
2) Corners
Shooting from the corners is one of the most common shots in basketball, and it’s also one of the most efficient. Basketball players love shooting from the corners because it gives them a great opportunity to shoot with accuracy and a large margin for error. The corner shot requires little space and can be taken quickly. There’s also very little risk of missing, even at a fast pace, which makes them a go-to move during a fastbreak when there isn’t much time to think about shot placement. Shooting from the corners is widely considered the highest-percentage shot in basketball, so you want to take advantage of every chance you get.
Try adding some drills into your practice routine that will help improve your shooting accuracy from all areas of the court. A good rule of thumb is to make sure you’re always hitting at least 80 percent of your free throws before taking a shot in a game, as an 80 percent free throw shooter will make around 70 percent of their two-point field goals. Free throws are typically high percentage shots because they’re close to 100 percent (or more) form shooting and don’t require any real dribbling or momentum. It’s easy to get into bad habits while practicing, though, so be sure that you’re always focusing on improving your shot mechanics rather than just going through the motions or playing around.
3) Near left baseline
If you’re right-handed, drifting to your left baseline allows you to fadeaway defenders. Aim just outside of your defender and pull up, using a set shot to help control your accuracy. You’ll shoot before they can react, giving you a lot of space on either side. If you have time before shooting and need to create your own shot, drift to your left baseline (go toward their baseline if they’re in front of you) and fade away to generate a high-percentage attempt. Like most layups, don’t try going too strong or it could lead to an airball or short shot.
4) Far right baseline
Similar to left baseline, the right baseline allows right-handed shooters to fadeaway from their defenders. Shooting from the right baseline takes just as much skill and precision as shooting from the left baseline, however, that doesn’t mean players should neglect practicing their jump shots in other spots on the court. For example, if you are a left-handed shooter who thrives when making a shot fadeaway from the right side of the hoop, it is still a good idea to practice fading away from your weak hand (right hand). This will help avoid overusing your go-to move while also increasing your accuracy when shooting during games
How To Pick Your Spots
If you have a coach, he or she can help you identify your shooting strengths on the basketball court. Do you usually shoot at short distances? Can you shoot with both hands? If your shot is slow and/or flat, can you extend your range and build up speed on the shot? There’s no such thing as a perfect player, but there are definite strengths that can be capitalized on. You might not be able to shoot it every time from every spot, but even if it only happens 25% of the time, that still equals about three shots per game that could mean the difference between winning and losing.
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
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
