My daughter is quite skilled at shooting as we have been shooting since she was about 5 or 6 she is now 11. We started out with a small ball on a low hoop and have gradually increased her range through the years. I never wanted her to have improper shooting form. This year her aau coach encouraged us to begin shooting 3's which i felt was beyond her range. Anyways about 6 months ago we started to shoot them and she did amazing. So for the last few months we have been shooting about 150 a dayabout four days a week and she will make about 55% of them which to me is outstanding. However I do notice that she jumps forward quite a bit more then she does on closer range shots and although she is not what i would consider heaving the ball it doesn't look as effortless as closer range. My question is should we continue to shoot as many 3's? Like I said she makes them like crazy but in the meantime could this be developing bad habits for when she gets older? I was thinking of maybe cutting back to about 50 3's a day and focusing more on closer shots. Thanks

That is really good shooting for an 11 year old! My daughter is 11 and she can't shoot 3s. She's 4-11 and about 90 lbs. Well she can, but it's a big heave to get there. There are 10 players on her 6th grade team... it's a very good team playing against top clubs in the state. There are 3 players that can shoot 3s. They are the biggest players... 5-2, 5-4, and 5-5.... all solid strong players. The other 7 players can't shoot 3pt shots without getting ugly form.

My opinion is that you error on the side of caution. I think you push the boundaries to develop strength and power but quickly reel back in when form is questionable at all. It's also my opinion that you mix up your shoot distances fairly even (in other words don't practice 75% 3s and then 25% close to mid range).

As long as form is good, I don't see a problem with shooting 3s, although I don't see many 11 year olds that are able to do that. And I would not over do it. We never shoot 3s in our 6th grade practices because I care more about my players long term development than winning games this year. None of them are truly ready yet and I can't watch all 10 of them when they shoot. So we stay close so no issues arise.

All players have to (or they should) make some adjustments to their shot once they are done growing and fully mature. So in a sense, you are probably practicing a shot she won't use when she's a senior. If your daughter continues practicing that much in later years, she won't have much trouble adjusting. Although she will have to be willing to get worse for a stretch of time before she gets better. Just keep fostering a love for the game so she is still wanting to practice a lot after puberty and when it really counts in high school. The post puberty reps are more important then pre-puberty when it comes to shooting.

Thank you so much Jeff that was an awesome thoughtful reply. We will distribute the shots more evenly and error on the side of caution when it comes to her form. The funny thing is she is only 4'11 and 80 pounds it just doesn't seem right to see her do what she does but she is extremely gifted. She made it to nationals last year in the Elks hoopshoot (yea I may be bragging a bit haha). I never thought about the idea that her shot will be different after puberty. Interesting. You guys have an amazing website. It sure would be cool to have you as her coach! Thanks for responding and Happy Thanksgiving!