How to Develop Supreme Basketball Shooting Confidence (Required to Become a Great Shooter)

I truly appreciate all you provide on the site, which is basically everything I need to improve as a strong player and better. I really need assistance with shooting because I am now expected to shoot and must be a steady stroker, but I am having difficulty modifying my form.

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Barb says: 9/14/2022 at 7:38:44 AM Thank you for the feedback. Continue working hard, keep up the great effort and have great season. Like     login   register

You are so stuckup

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So I'm a freshman in high school and after volleyball season everyone wanted me to play basketball and I heard it was fun so I signed up though I don't know any of the rules then when I signed up and the coach was teaching us the rules and what to do and stuff I never pick up as fast as the others so it's takes me awhile to really know what do and I suck and I know what most stuff is now its just that when I get on defense or offense I never know what to do because I know what they are and I know that you block the opposite team and attempt to steal the ball and shoot and etc but it's just right when I get there I get so confused on everything idk why cause I know what to do I just get afraid I'll do something wrong like I usually do anyways I know it doesn't matter and everyone makes mistakes and I usually get over it but I always feel hopeless and basketball is fun and all its just that I suck, don't have much experience or confidence cause some of the people don't like me and I always feel pressured by the coach although she says no pressure what do I do ? Please help And sorry this is long sometimes I'm just bad at explaining stuff and I'm confused

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Jeff says: 12/12/2014 at 8:31:07 AM Just play, have fun, and continue learning. That's all you can do. As a new player, it's normal for you to be confused and not understand things. Just keep playing, listening, and learning. It takes time. You can also do research on your own to speed up your learning. Research the rules on the internet. If you coaches talks about something that you don't understand, ask him or her and then go google it that evening. Like   1 reply   login   register KristinMJ says: 1/21/2015 at 6:29:36 PM I have an alike problem as Emily. I'm in sixth grade and I'm 12 yrs old. I love playing basketball but have never played on a team. I wasn't able to Play this yr. I am confused when my friends talk about basketball things and am too shy to ask. HELP Like   1 reply   login   register Joe Haefner says: 1/23/2015 at 8:54:38 AM What are you confused about? You can use our search box to look up anything you might want clarification on. Like     login   register

it helping to improve my basketball moves

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Adam -

Its not just any ONE thing, but being COACHABLE has to be on top of the list for me.

Talent certainly doesn't hurt, having some leadership skills helps but all you have to do is list all the things that players need to play the game also. BUT, IF they aren't coachable.... you are going to have a hard time.

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What' is something that makes a coach say"I want this kid on my team?

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Thanks, breakthrough basketball has really helped me. Your tips and strategies has helped me along the way. I plan to pursue basketball as a career and this website has helped me a bunch thank you, again.

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Alex -

There is no easy answer to this... but it seems like you are worried about making mistakes... the game is made up of mistakes.

A wise coach once said, "IF you don't want to make any mistakes, don't play! " ( Don Kelbick )

Think about baseball players making millions of dollars... they hit .270 - .300 or in that area. That means they are failing aroun 70% of the time. So relax, have some fun, its a game.

Gym or park ball is a lot different than playing organized ball, you have to play within a system.

Start off by playing GREAT defense, rebounding, diving on loose balls, taking charges. As for offense, work on your ball handling and passing... then at school, don't try to do anything fancy, just stay with the basics... as for shooting, don't force your shots, take the ones that come to you.

So, again, RELAX... have some FUN and learn the game. When you get a chance, try to go to some camps to help you with your game. Lastly, sit down with your coach and ask him what he thinks you should do to get better.

Good luck

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Hello, I''''m Alex Granados. I love the game of basketball and its all I do. I''''m currently playing for my Highschool FHS. I rarely start and I play B. I hustle, try to play smart, and provide for my team but sometimes it doesn''''t work out. I''''m here today asking for some advice, tips, or anything to help me. I want to play college ball, its my dream. I am 15 years old and a freshmen. I need to prove myself to the coaching staff to show I have what it takes. the thing I''''m struggling with is confidence in my abilities. I play different at school then I do at the gym... I don''''t know if its because I cant handle pressure or what because I feel calm most of the time when I play..

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yes we need this but try many ways to help

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thank you this works

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Anne -

Why don't you sit down with your coach and ask him/her what you need to work on to make yourself a better player and give you the skills to be a varsity player.

Here are some thoughts about shooting and this is how I taught our players to shoot.


As I talk to a lot of players, they are looking to correct their shot, dribbling, passing etc. Mostly shooting..... there is no quick fix for this, you have probably been shooting that way for a long time and have created a bad habit and its in your muscle memory.

To correct this problem, it is going to take 100s, no, more like 1,000s of shots to create a new muscle memory - so the shot becomes automatic.

The first thing you have to do is correct your form... that can be done by shooting against a wall so you don't have to worry about making the shot... only using correct form - 100s of shots a day until you have correct form. Then you can go to the basket and do what we called BEEF check going from Block to the Middle to the other Block.

Step 1 - We started this with the SHOOTING HAND ONLY.... maybe 12 shots in all.

Step 2 - Then you can bring your guide hand up but NOT on the ball and do the same thing. 12 more shots.

Step 3 - - 12 more shots with your guide hand in the proper position. ( your guide hand has nothing to do with the shot other than to keep the ball in the proper position on your shooting hand.)

The next thing to do would be to step back several feet... 6-7 feet? Now repeat Step 3, don't move any further back until you have mastered this distance. Once you are shooting with a good percentage, you can move further back. Don't move to the three point line if you are shooting 30 percent from 10 - 15 feet.

Don Kelbick says that a good shooting percentage is around 46% and in game situations that is good... in practice, from short range, I would like to see it a little higher.

From the free throw line... depending on your age and ability level, 60 to 80 percent is what I had my kids try to achieve.

To explain BEEF for those who haven't heard that term.

B - Balance ( staggered stance, one foot slightly in front of the other )
E - Elbow under the ball ( the elbow might be SLIGHTLY out )
E - Eye on the target (keep your eye on the target until the ball goes in)
F - Follow through..... ( keep your arm extended until the ball goes in)
I hope this helps.

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I''m a sophomore in highschool and this summer I made a tough decision and quit volleyball too focus on basketball considering I wouldn''t get much playing time on volleyball anyway. My parents respected my decision but it lowered my confidence a lot. I shot baskets with my dad everyday and ran and conditioned and worked so hard. I even played a couple games of summer league at a varsity level. But now that basketball is starting up, a freshman is on varsity and I''m still on jv. I just don''t know what I''m doing wrong? There are days that my shot is awesome and then not so much, but confidence in myself is mainly my low point . Everyone else seems to just have shots fall in the hoop and I go through technique every day and I miss all the shots. I guess All I''m asking for is a little advice ?

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I'm a sophomore in highschool and this summer I made a tough decision and quit volleyball too focus on basketball considering I wouldn't get much playing time on volleyball anyway. My parents respected my decision but it lowered my confidence a lot. I shot baskets with my dad everyday and ran and conditioned and worked so hard. I even played a couple games of summer league at a varsity level. But now that basketball is starting up, a freshman is on varsity and I'm still on jv. I just don't know what I'm doing wrong? There are days that my shot is awesome and then not so much, but confidence in myself is mainly my low point . Everyone else seems to just have shots fall in the hoop and I go through technique every day and I miss all the shots. I guess All I'm asking for is a little advice ?

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Kiersten -

I wont kid you but since you haven't played before it wont be easy... but you have an advantage.... you are TALL and you cant teach that... so hopefully the coach will take a look at that and like what he sees.

Next, RELAX and listen carefully... try to do things the way the coach teaches them. Be coachable, work hard and HUSTLE.

Good luck and HAVE FUN.

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ive never played on an official baskeyball team but im trying out for my school team for 8th grade and im really nervous.... i practice like very day but i seem to always mess up and i get super stressed out...any advice for my tryouts??? im really tall too so yay layup! lol i feel like im doing those wrong tpp... HELP ME please :)

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Tom -

Here is something that I found today, things that I used for my teams as "Thoughts for the Day."

Perfect for you.... especially the last sentence.

"I'm a firm believer in quiet confidence. By that I mean knowing inwardly that you are good, and not exhibiting a boastful attitude outwardly.

If an athlete doesn't believe in himself, no one else will."

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Tom -

Trust me, you are NOT alone in this situation. Just remember this, every sport involves mistakes - just look at baseball players that hit
.300 and make MILLIONS...... .300 means they are failing 70% of the time.

"I cannot dribble because of my low confidence and the last time i dribbled up the court i turned it over"

This seems like your biggest problem.... so, while you are shooting 300 shots a day, you need to put in some time dribbling. Work on this until you can make all sorts of move in your sleep. See if your brother will help you out here.... and maybe play some 1 on 1, playing against better competition will make you better.

As for your shooting... I had several guys on my team that were great practice players, drove me nuts when they were playing against the starters... put them in games and they choked. So, obvioulsy they didn't get a lot of playing time.... one game we were down a lot and I needed a good 3 point shooter in the game.... I put him in and he keeps passing up shots. Finally at a dead ball I call the kid over... I tell him that I didn't put him on the floor because of his looks..... SHOOT THE DARN BALL. He laughs and says, OK, IF you put it that way.... and he starts to hit some shots.

So, let me tell you the same thing.IF you can hit nine 3s in a row in practice... SHOOT the ball..... you are NOT out there because of your looks.

Seriously, relax and have some fun, and when your shot comes to you... shoot it. Don't worry about missing. Look at that freshman kid from Michigan, has to come in to the game for the College Player of the year..... and he hits four 3s and gets 17 points in the first half. Have some fun.

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I am 13 and probably the 2nd best in my team, but on the court i have no confidence.I shoot about 300 shots a day. My brother(16 yo) is very good at basketball and he doesn't even try or practice. I cannot dribble because of my low confidence and the last time i dribbled up the court i turned it over. I have hit 9 threes in a row in practice but somehow i cant shoot in games

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Josh -

The only thing that I can think of is to make sure that your players are working on their shooting at GAME SPEED.

You might add a defender to put a little bit of pressure on the shooter / NOT blocking the shot.

Hope those ideas help.

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I'm going to try to incorporated more shooting drills into our practice planning. Our team has been shooting well in practice but less than 20% from the field through the first three games. Last night we shot 17% from the field, only 8 shots were attempted outside of 10 feet from the basket. I really feel our girls just don't have any confidence that there shot will go in right now.

We have a some really talented ball players which most of them are Seniors and I know if they get that confidence back they will be hard to beat. We have out rebounded all our appoints significantly, forced numerous turnovers but we just can't seem to make the easy baskets. One drive last night we attempted 6 shots within 5 feet of the basket all of which were off offensive rebounds and came away with 0 points.

Thanks,
Coach Josh

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Sammy -

It sounds more like confidence than ability. Work on your form and shooting closer to the basket... work your way back until you get to the point where you were shooting last year.

I'm sure that your surgery forced you to take a few steps back... but if you are serious, and are HEALTHY enough to play, just keep working on your game and your shot.

If you are having problems with your shot in games I will tell you the same thing I told my players... get yourself to the Free Throw line where you can take a couple of form shots before the ref hands you the ball. This is the best place to fix your form in games.

Good luck.

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I'm 15 years old and in basketball last year I did pretty good. And after basketball I had went to the dr because I had scoliosis and it was so bad I had to have surgery in the net two months so I'm in my freshman year of basketball and I use to play point guard but I got moved to right hand guard because I am the bet scorer. But in practice in games I lost my cofidence in shooting I don't like to because i feel like a ball hog and my shooting is just messed up now and I don't finish. I don't know if its cause i don't shoot or I'm not confident will some one help me..?

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I finally decided to teach the kids the fundamentals of basketball (the right way) when at one time I was able to make 85 free throws out of 100 attempts (10 sets). I just challenged myself and see If it was really meant to be. That was back in 2004. Now part of my skills demonstration is showing them different free throw routines (and humbly making the shots), ask them to observe, what they notice going through the different routines and advising them the best shooting form to use sans the time-wasting, distracting shooting routines. Maintaining the right shooting form with the right mechanics, physical and mental conditioning a given, is really the key.

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Melissa,

IF you are not the coach, remind your daughter who she should be looking to for guidance...... tell her to relax and have fun..... stay focused and trust her own instincts. I'm not sure what level she is playing at and that makes a lot of difference.

She needs to have a little patience with herself.. play good defense and a lot of times the offense kind of falls in place. Again, stay focused and don't look for someone to bail you out... your the one on the floor, do your best.

Patrick,
My suggestion for you would be - do a lot of form shooting, EVERY DAY.... this will develop muscle memory so you don't have to think about your shot in games. If you are struggling in a game.... get yourself to the free throw line and take a couple of form shots before the ref hands you the ball.

I hope this helps, be patient, good shooters are made not born. It takes a lot of repitions to become a good shooter.

Good luck.

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My daughter practices hard but I can see in big games she starts to zone out. She is looking to me for guidance and keeps saying she doesn't know how to get out of it. Any ideas friends?

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I really appreciate all the stuff you guys have on the site, basically everything I need to develop as a solid player & better. Especially on shooting I need help because I am relied on to shoot now & need to be consistent stroker but I have trouble w/ my form changing.

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great tips i hope they work

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im a 10th grader on my high school bball team. my shot has always had great form and i practiced it everyday. i made just about every shot and had my confidence up high. however, i got lazy for a bout a week to a week n a half and shot only a couple days. ive started again on a daily routine but my shot has altered itself. something with it feels off, i know how its supposed to feel but i cannot for the life of me get it back to normal. it will not fix and my confidence has just went down the drain. do yall have any advice for me to get my shot back to normal because this is killing me

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I am an average shooter and struggle with confidence in a game, Im a much more efficient passer. Would practicing these 3 steps persistently all I need to increase my shooting confidence?

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look im 15 and i love basketball as much as anyone or more, ive been trying out for my school teams since i was in 5th grade never made 1 it hurts it sucks but i always told myself to never give up im one of the best shooters there is im 89% from the free throw line consistently and deadly from three i was blessed with that talent but i cant dribble well and i was born with weak core muscles so im not very fast i love this game and have the heart to be a pro its a shame i wasnt dealt the same cards as other people

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Cameron says: 8/11/2016 at 9:49:07 AM Hey there Austin, your problem can be fixed easily. You say you were born with weak core muscles, but really everyone is born with weak core muscles and that is why we can't walk or sit up as infants. All you have to do is start a strength training program using weights or calisthenics and focus on core and leg exercises to increase your speed and strength. You should see dramatic improvements in your overall physical ability, especially stamina, speed, and jump height; you can have both athleticism and skill. Like     login   register

Alright so I''ve recently grown a big interest in basketball , I played soccer when i was younger and martial arts was my last sport til high school. I mean i''ve played basket ball and stuff for fun on games with friends and this last month for my church but i want to take it further and do it for my college team. Mostly i think i wanna try something different , Im confident i can do it i''ve always been a great athlete but walking through the college and i see the bball players they are intimidating and i almost wanna be like nvm , there is no way i can do it, they will just laugh if i went in. they all know eachother and im the freshman w/ no bball back ground so ima little hesitant but i know that if i work hard enough i can do it we all start somewhere. So if someone can please give me some kind of advice on what to do to start out practicing this summer . what should i work on , what exercises to do? drills? whatever it takes for me to become a great bball player and get on the team. I would gladly appreciate it. You guys have no idea how determined i am to do this. HELP ME OUT GIRLS / BOYS :)

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hello thanks jeff.. such a good man revealing important steps in becoming a pro..i'm selected to be a varsity player, don't have any position yet because this is the first year i start playing basketball.about 2 month ago...i have good dribbling, speed and under basket shot. but i am very poor in 3 point shot and lay up..the problem is, with my height 164cm, the opponent defend easily block me from shooting under basket.. so i'm trying to work on my 3 point shooting..so do you have any tactics to defeat bigger and higher opponent under the basket..?

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Thanks, everyone. Your tips helped and I made the team, getting better every day. I had tons of fun. It's a great sport to play, and it kept me in great shape for track. I made the track team this year, because of my 100m sprint at 15.2 seconds. I've had bad luck the past two years with badly pulled muscles because my body wasn't used to the cold weather or all the running so suddenly. But basketball kept me in shape, helped me have tons of fun, and made me faster and faster. Thanks again for your tips, and your feedback. Hope everything went all right for you too, Zach.

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Sach and Jamie -

Don't measure yourself as person by how you do on the basketball floor. This is a GAME and its supposed to be fun. DO the best you can and move on.
Jamie, I hope you make the team because there is nothing like being part of something like this, so good luck to you.
Zach, keep working on your game and things will get better - you are 16 and still growing, both of you will get bigger and stronger and BETTER, just keep working at it. Everyone matures at a different rate so hang in there.
There is an old saying... "sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes the bear eats you."

I coached for many years and saw young kids come in as freshman and were terrible... ended up as all conference players as Seniors thru hard work and perserverance. So, be patient with yourself and work on your fundamentals.

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Jamie - If you enjoy playing, you should absolutely keep trying. Work hard and try again next year.

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I'm in eighth grade and I've decided to try out for basketball because I have tons of friends that play the sport, and them and my mom have always toild me that its really fun. But I've never played on any kind of team, so what if I don't make the team? I'm learning a lot from your websight, so thanks a lot for all of your tips. I'm learning and practiciing as much as I can, but do you guys think I should continue to try if I don't make it?

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Zach,

First of all, there's a very good chance that this game you played poorly in was just a fluke. You CAN'T base your confidence on 1 game! Seriously. How many times has Michael Jordan bounced back after a few poor games? Everyone has their ups and downs. It's seriously not a big deal and you are thinking WAY too much. Just go out and play, give it all you have, and have fun! Enjoy yourself. Basketball is so much fun. Don't make it a job and stress yourself out.

All you can ask of yourself is to give it everything you have. If you didn't try your best, that is the only time to be disappointed.

If the ball didn't go in... so what?! Who cares? The best shooters in the world miss over half the time. The often go on streaks of missing 5,6,7, or more shots in a row. Do you think they get down? No! They realize that they will miss shots. It's no big deal. They realize they will make mistakes. All they can do is focus on the next play.

Realize that you can do much more than score and make assists. Coaches absolutely love players that hustle, play defense, and rebound. None of these traits require skill. All of these things (even rebounding) are simply based on EFFORT and DESIRE, not skill.

Read this article and realize that you can be a winner and contribute to the team in other ways. Trust me, I'm a coach and I know.
http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/players/10-basketball-tips-playing-time.html

If confidence becomes a big problem, which I don't think it will because it sounds like this is just a fluke and you be completely fine, you can use our shooting guide which has many confidence building techniques and slump breakers.
http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/pr/btshooting.html

You can also try this technique:
http://www.positivecoach.org/Blog.aspx?id=3918

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Hey guys, I'm 16 and have been playing basketball my whole life. I've always have been some what talented but never to the same amount as some of my other teammates. So, this summer I had decided that if I wasnt given the same amount of talent, that I would earn my skills through hard work. Each day (excluding vacations) I shot on average 300 shots a day, I was always active and worked on the things that I needed to get better on. I still need to work on my left hand dribbling and my up close and personal deffense, everything else I have basically down. I do need to get stronger though, I am very skinny and people knock me over easily. I've worked so hard for the upcoming season, all throughout the summer I've been playing with different players in other leagues, and have been doing quite well. But when my school team from last year got together this past weekend, I did horribly, normally in my other league I am an excellent player, but when I got onto the floor with my old teammates, I did horribly. It seemed like all my hard work, the countless hours of shooting, dribbling, running, etc. all went to waste. I was basically man handled and my confidence was crushed. I felt so out of place, I was so confident that I was ready for the season, because of the incredible amount of time and work I put into it. I was so shocked at what happened, I was frustrated because I didnt know what to do, because I couldnt do anything. I don't know what to do, I've lost all confidence in myself in both the game of basketball and in life because of how badly I feel about all my hard work seeming to go to waste. I know inside that I deserve to be the best player on the team because of the work I put in, as i hit the court daily. But for some reason all my confidence was ripped away, I still had desire to be the best but yet I felt it was impossible to obtain it. I am extremly confused and I need your help, my life fells almost empty because basketball is basically what I live for. Please could you give me some advice on how to regain confidence in myself, to be able to step up and achieve my goals when its clutch time, not just when I'm sitting around at my hoop at home or just playing a small game of pick up. Maybe I have to practice more at game spped? maybe I have to hit the weight room more? maybe I have to dribble the ball elft handed nonstop while I am practing? I don't know, But what I do know is that I REALLY need to get my confidence back before basketball season starts. Thanks guys I would appreciate the help, sorry this is such a long message, I just cant find any one to help me find an answer to my problems.

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Sean says: 6/21/2016 at 9:11:58 AM Hey Zach,I know that this is really old,but,I guess here we go?..Anyways,I'm just a 13 year old boy who loves playing basketball,I have the ability to compete,but I was so flattened to TRY,I never tried giving my best when I'm playing with some of my bully classmates,I always expect to hear bad from them,so starting tomorrow (literally) I'll try to accept everything the is thrown into me,basketball isn't only about physical fitness,it's also a mind game,just look at MJ,he's the type of guy who always trash talks,so that's why he achieved success,I'm so dumb,why did I even replied to this comment,I know that you are already a great player,but I just want to help anyways...I've been in your situation,I can beat the clock in practicing,but I can never be able to receive hate,so..I guess may I ask some help?? ;( I'm only good in encouraging but I can't do it to myself Like     login   register

what if my shoots keep missing

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JoDee F says: 2/7/2015 at 9:27:27 PM What did the documentary or what ever u want to call it say about confidence asking that question brings down your confidence level. U are doubting yourself with the question which is not good. Like     login   register

It helped

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I always shoot very good,but sometimes very bad

how to increase our shooting range

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Hi Archie,

If you have not signed up for our FREE newsletter, you can do so at this link:

Players - http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/toptips.html

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nice tips,
I learn more on this site.
I will always read the tips in your site. can you send into my email some tips?

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I wanna try these things^^ nice tips... hope these will help me :)

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J-money says: 1/12/2017 at 10:09:45 PM I have an awesome shot and can dribble well but don't have much confidence. A couple nights ago I shot 7 3-pt field goals and made them all. However, I'm still Like     login   register