Coach K’s Shooting Tip To Improve Shooting Range and Shooting Percentage

A few years ago, I heard Duke’s Coach K instruct this shooting tip to his players.

This same tip can...

• Elevate your shooting percentage immediately.
• Improve your shooting range TODAY anywhere from 2 to 5 feet.
• And help you get more open shots.

Here is the tip...

If you’re spotting up for a perimeter jump shot, position yourself a few feet behind the spot you want to shoot from. Then, on the pass, step in or hop forward into your shot.

So if you’re going to shoot from 20 feet, line up around 23 or 24 feet.

Here is a little drill that Don Kelbick uses in his Attack & Counter Skill Development System.

This Gives You More Shooting Range, Shooting Touch, and Helps You Make More Shots

When you bring your body forward, this creates momentum. And momentum will obviously provide your shot with more power. It doesn’t matter if you hop or use the 1-2 step.

And when you have more power with your shot, this improves your shooting range

Additionally, when you have more power, it makes it easier to shoot with “touch”... Or what you might call a shooter’s touch.

This basically means you shoot in a relaxed manner with sound mechanics. Everything is fluid and smooth through the shot motion.

Typically, this results in the proper arc, the proper backspin, and the ball traveling at an optimal speed to the basket… You create an environment where you make more shots.

Now, you also get more of those “lucky” bounces that hit the rim first, then go through the basket.

How This Also Gets You MORE Open Shots

Now, let’s take that same situation above. You want to shoot from 20 feet off the pass… a catch and shoot situation.

Let’s say you DON’T take Coach K’s advice. You don’t start a few feet behind your spot.

Most likely, you’ll have a little forward momentum as you catch the ball. So instead of shooting from 20 feet, you shoot from 17 to 19 feet. This brings you closer to the defense.

This can lead to a few negative things.

1 - You will have fewer shots because the defense is closer and can block your shot.

2 - You will have more contested jump shots. And contested jump shots almost always correlate to a lower shooting percentage.

3 - You might step on the line more often, so you have a REALLY long 2-point shot instead of a 3-point shot. This is one of the least efficient shots in basketball.

So try Coach K’s advice... Start a few feet behind your shooting spot and step or hop forward into the pass.

You might find that you will make more shots, get more open shots, and shoot with more range.