Tired Legs, Pure Form: 3 Shooting Drills Every Player Needs
The legendary football coach Vince Lombardi once said, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.”
While he coached football, the sentiment applies equally well to basketball.
In my 20+ years of coaching, I’ve seen this take many forms:
Failure to box out
Jogging back in transition
Not diving on the floor
As a player, you need to learn how to play through fatigue. One area where fatigue commonly shows up is shooting.
There are many players who make shots in the first half but come up short by the time the fourth quarter rolls around.
One reason this happens is that players don’t shoot when tired. Most shooting workouts consist of block shooting reps. You might even work on some contested shooting. Those are good things.
However, can you maintain your form and focus when you’re tired? If you don’t prep for that moment, you won’t be ready when it comes.
Use the following three drills to ensure your shot is ready for crunch time!
3 Drills to Hit Shots When You’re Exhausted
Perform drills 1 & 2 for 1:00. Over time, try to extend to 1:30 or even 2:00 (without sacrificing effort).
Drill 3 is based on the # of shots attempted.
All three drills are performed with one ball & one rebounder. Each drill is diagrammed with 3-point shots, but you should adjust for your age & range.
Focus on the following two things:
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Maintaining your form - many players stop using their legs when tired. They begin heaving the ball. Stay strong with correct form.
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Balance - when sprinting into shots, it is easy to start drifting. This can throw off your balance. Focus on staying on balance on every shot.
For all three drills, track your makes & aim to improve over time.
Drill 1 - Star Shooting
Start in the corner. After shooting, sprint to the opposite wing.
After shooting from the opposite wing, sprint across to the other wing.
After shooting from the wing, sprint to the opposite corner.
After that shot, sprint to the top of the key and shoot.
Return to the starting point & continue the pattern for the duration of the drill.
Drill 2 - W Shooting
Shoot from the corner. Sprint to half court.
Shoot from the wing. Sprint to half court.
Shoot from the top of the key. Sprint to half court.
Shoot from the opposite wing. Sprint to half court.
Shoot from the corner.
After shooting from all five spots, sprint to half court and start working your way back to your starting point. Continue for the duration of the drill.
If you want to make the drill harder, sprint to half court after a make and to the opposite baseline after a miss.
Drill 3 - Ladder Shooting
Shoot one shot from the top of the key. Sprint to the opposite baseline and back.
Shoot two shots from the top of the key. Sprint to the opposite baseline and back.
Continue this pattern, going up to 5, then back down to 1.
You will shoot a total of 25 shots.
Be A Shot Maker (Not A Shot Taker) When Tired
Fatigue can make cowards of us, if we let it.
By practicing when tired, you will develop the confidence needed to make shots late in the game. That, in turn, will give you the courage to take the shots that matter most.
The players who have those traits are the ones who are on the floor in crunch time. Use these drills to make sure that’s you!
If you're looking for more ways to become a knockdown shooter, check out the Breakthrough Basketball Shooting & Scoring System!
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5+ hours of video training on mechanics, footwork, release, and shooting off the catch and dribble
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A workout app to track progress, customize training, and stay consistent
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