It would be nice if every shot was a perfect shot. If every time you caught a pass to shoot you were perfectly squared up, perfectly on balance, and receiving a perfect pass.

However, we know that’s not the case.

Even beyond that, there is some debate about the consistency of an individual player’s shooting form.

For example, could you recognize Steph Curry’s shot if you only saw an outline of him and not his face and jersey? Probably.

But does that mean Steph shoots every shot exactly the same way? No. His shot has minor variation depending on distance, the location of defenders, whether he’s moving, and other variables.

With that in mind, it’s important to practice for the different types of shots you’ll take in games.

Differential Shooting (DS) is a fun and fast way to do so.

Shoot Like Curry: Embrace Imperfection for Real-Game Results

Differential shooting is a form of differential learning. Differential learning encourages players to explore different movement patterns. This is different from some traditional coaching which teaches that there is 1 “correct” way to perform a skill.

Shooting is a great example of this. From a young age, players are taught BEEF or something similar. This is not a bad thing. However, if players come to think they can only make shots when shooting with 1 exact form, they are limiting themselves in competition.

From Different Angles to Different Balls: Revamp Your Training with DS

Differential Shooting can be a fun segment to add to your shooting workouts. Here’s how to do it:

• Put 5-10 minutes on the clock

• Shoot continuously with a rebounder

• Cycle through the different factors below, alternating regularly to work on different variances

There are a number of factors you can differentiate:

• Range - take every shot from a different distance

• Location - take every shot from a different angle

• Height - shoot with different levels of arc on your shot

• Passes - have your rebounder throw you bad passes that you have to adjust to and then shoot

• Foot positioning - every shot must be taken with a different stance (or off 1 foot - think Dirk)

• Different release speeds - normal or fast

• Every shot must be moved into differently - sprinting, sliding, pivoting, dribbling, etc.

• Use of backboard - alternate between using the backboard and not using the backboard regardless or where you are shooting from

• Different size of basketballs

• Different height of hoops (if possible)

How to Improve Your Shooting IQ with Every Drill

Block shooting drills are good. You should be doing them. But as with most things, variety is beneficial.

Adding DS to your workouts is a great way to stay mentally locked in. It’s also a great way to challenge your ability to make shots under different conditions. . . which is exactly what you’ll have to do in games!

If you’re looking for other tools to help you become a knockdown shooter, check out The Breakthrough Shooting & Scoring System!

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