A State Champion's Secret to Fixing Your Team's Shooting Woes
It sure would be nice if we all inherited great shooting teams. Unfortunately, that's not reality. For most of us, we have a mix of good and not-so-good shooters.
You can lament this and complain about it, or you can get busy doing something about it.
I'd suggest the latter. If you're looking for a great example of how to develop shooters, check out The Screening Game With Bob Martin.
A big reason Coach Martin's King's Ridge Christian team won a Georgia State Championship was because of their elite shooting. Follow his lead and watch your team take off, too!
How 12 Extra Points Per Game Can Transform Your Season
You know shooting is important. That's obvious. But let's really look at the effect elite shooting has on the game.
Coach Martin's teams shot 39% from 3. The average high school team is about 29%.
Translating that to points per shot, Coach Martin's team average 1.17 (.39 x 3) per 3 point attempt. The average high school team would be about .87.
Assuming most teams shoot around 25 3's per game (which is conservative for some teams), that's a difference of over 8 points per game
But it's not just the point you gain. By shooting better, you'll also give up less points.
Why? Because instead of getting out in transition off the long rebounds created by missed 3's, your opponent will now be taking the ball out of the net a few more times per game.
All told, your better shooting will probably swing the game 12 points in your favor.
How much of a difference would that have made in your record? I'm willing to be a significant one!
The Drill That Develops "Green Light Shooters"
To become a great shooting team, you must prioritize it. That seems obvious. However, many coaches don't shoot enough in practice.
They challenge players to shoot on their own. Is that a risk you want to take?
Coach Martin's teams shoot for approximately 30% of practice. That means that in a 2 hour practice, they shoot for roughly 35 minutes.
What do they do during that time? A big part of their shooting success can be attributed to their Green Light Shooting System.
Green Light Shooting is a series of drills that determine the types of shots players can take.
Every shot is tracked so data can be used and progress shown.
In the end, the better shooters get to take more shots. This is a powerful incentive for players to improve.
One of the drills Coach Martin uses is Dribble Kick Shooting.
- The drill starts with a drive and kick. This reinforces the importance Coach Martin places on seeking paint touches.
- After passing to 2, 1 closes out and contests 2's shot. This is a crucial difference from most shooting drills.


Being able to shoot when contested is a skill that needs to be practiced. Most shots have some level of contest. So why would almost all practice shots be unopposed?
By getting his players used to shooting with a contest in practice, they are unfazed by it in games.
The Mental Edge That's Helping Teams Shoot Over 50%
The drills are a big part of King's Christian's shooting success. But they don't tell the whole story.
As you know, so much of shooting is mental. A lot of players get down on themselves when they miss a shot.
Coach Martin has a unique and powerful method that he uses to prevent this. It's a great way to get players' minds off that last shot and onto the next one.
And it's resulted in over 50% 3 point shooting on shots off offensive rebounds!
By focusing on both parts of shooting - physical and mental - Coach Martin has developed a shooter's mindset throughout his team and program.
The Offensive System That Turns Average Shooters Into Snipers
It's one thing to be able to shoot and to have confidence in your shot. However, if your offense doesn't produce quality looks, your good shooters become average and your average shooters become bad.
That's the third key to Coach Martin's shooting success. The Screening Game is an offense that creates open 3's. It does this through a mix of screening, cutting, and dribble penetration.
The offense also clearly lays out the conditions under which players can shoot a 3 (one being after a paint touch).
By creating advantages and defining shot selection, Coach Martin has ensured the drills and psychology of shooting translate to game performance.
Want To Shoot & Coach Better? NOW'S THE TIME
We all look like better coaches when our players make shots. However, do we leave that to chance or are we actively making it happen?
If you've been leaving it to chance, stop today. There's good news - you can create shooters. Yes, it takes work. But it's definitely worth it.
Think of it this way - have you ever heard a coach say, "I've got too many good shooters?"
Wouldn't you love to be able to say that? If so, get going on it!
And that's not all that's in The Screening Game Coach Martin covers many other concepts that have made his offense elite:
- Playing in 1/3's
- Attacking opposite of the pass
- Secondary break spacing and triggers
- Surfing the baseline
- 1 more's
- Use of the bounce pass
Check it out today!
What do you think? Let us know by leaving your comments, suggestions, and questions...
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