Jeff says:
2/22/2008 at 8:32:32 AM
DJ,
When it comes to shooting, there are lots of variables to consider. And it’s a little difficult to give specific advice without seeing your shot. But I’ll try to give you some general suggestions…
Hanging
Do you jump as high as you can and try to shot like Kobe? If so, that could be the problem.
Your release should be a split second before you reach the top of your jump. If you wait longer, there’s a good chance that you’ll actually be shooting on the way down, robbing you of range and touch.
It’s best for you to shoot about 1 inch before you reach the top of your shot. And the best shooters in the world don’t usually jump very high. They use a quick and consistent jump. Your legs should help you extend range and you should shoot a quick shot on the way up. All too often, players end up with horrible shots because they try to mimic Kobe by jumping as high as they can, hanging, and then shooting. This is a mistake.
Mechanics
Good mechanics are important. And it’s especially important to develop good mechanics early because bad shooting habits can tough to break. Check this page for some advice on general shooting mechanics:
http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/fundamentals/shooting.html
You'll also find a few basic drills on this page.
Practice
The obvious answer is to practice. The question becomes what to practice. Shooting revolves around rhythm and form so that is where the answer lies. Just be sure to practice good form. Grooving 500 shots with bad form won’t do you any good.
Developing range
1 - First of all, don’t go too fast. Increase range as your technique and strength develops. Never distort form to get range.
2 - The other thing to keep in mind is that your legs and arc determine range. A good follow through that is high will help your arc. For sufficient arc, a good rule of thumb is to make sure that your elbow finishes above your eyes on your follow through.
3 - A helpful technique for developing range is to intentionally shoot the ball all the way over the backboard. This kind of power is achieved through using optimum leg power and releasing the ball a split second before reaching the top of the jump motion. If done properly, then generating enough force to shoot over the backboard, even from beyond the three-point line, is not that difficult. Once players realize how much power is available through this motion, they can learn to control it for shooting at the rim. Since this takes less force than shooting over the backboard, players have more confidence shooting form long range.
The same general effect can be achieved by using a larger or heavier than normal ball for awhile and then going back to the regulation size one. Players usually find it easy to shoot from farther out because of the contrast. Wait until at least junior high before working with an over-size or weighted ball.
4 - It might sound strange but to become a better 3-point shooter or develop range, you have to practice a lot, close to the basket. Take 100’s and 1000’s of shots 7-12’ from the basket. The purpose for this is to really ingrain your shooting form from an area you can shoot comfortably and have some success. It doesn’t make a difference what drills you do or how you practice it as long as the primary thrust of the work is your form.
Once you have your form ingrained, gradually move back. If you get to a point where you feel the rhythm change or your form start to change, that is the limit of your range. Stay at that spot until your shot feels like it did at 7-12’. Once it feels comfortable again, shoot several hundred until it becomes automatic again.
Once it feels automatic again, start to move back again until you reach the limit of your range and shoot continually from that spot. Once you feel comfortable from behind the 3-point line, you can start doing drills that will make you more proficient.
Players struggle from behind the arc because they have to change their shot to get the ball to the basket. This not only makes the shooter inconsistent from the 3-point line but it affects his shot from everywhere. Remember, to be a good shooter, you have to take the same shot every time, no matter where you shoot from.
DJ, this is just some basics to help you out. We have written an eBook (that’s almost done) that gives you a step by step formula to develop a great shot. That is really what you need, but it’s not quite done yet. Keep an eye out I the next couple weeks, because I think it will really help you.
BTW – Don’t forget that the time of year that you develop a great shot and improve your shooting percentage is the OFF SEASON. So this could be the perfect time for you to start devoping a great shot.
Hope this helps.
Jeff Haefner
http://www.BreakthroughBasketball.com
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