Chris was a pretty good shooter . . . if there was no one near him and he had plenty of time to shoot.

Unfortunately, that’s generally not how the game works!

A quick release gives you a number of advantages:

• You need less time to get your shot off

• You need less space to get your shot off

• Your defender stays closer to you, opening up driving opportunities for your teammates & yourself 

Here are some thoughts from Coach Jim Huber in The Breakthrough Basketball Shooting & Scoring System as he discusses how to speed up your release.

5 Tips For A Steph-Like Release

1. Prepare early

   This may sound crazy, but you don’t want to focus on shooting quickly to speed up your release. Instead, focus on PREPARING to shoot quickly.

   This means:

   • Hips down and back

   • Showing your hands

   • Having your feet in the air while the ball is in the air

   Most shooters aren’t physically ready to shoot when they catch the ball, making them slow shooters. Do your work early!

2. Call for the ball

   This is almost too simple. How many times are you open but receive the ball too late to shoot? It happens all the time.

   You can’t control if or when your teammate passes to you. But you can alert them to the fact that you are open by giving a verbal cue. By aligning your verbal cue with your pre-shot preparation (tip #1), you are ready to shoot the ball immediately upon receiving it.

3. Keep your “dip” small

   Some coaches try to eliminate the dip that many shooters have. By dip, I mean catching the ball and dipping down towards the ground to generate power before exploding up.

   The reality is most players have some sort of dip. Dipping is okay, if it’s a quick one. So if you’re going to dip, do it as you catch the ball and make it minimal (3-6 inches).

4. Think shot

   We already discussed how few players are physically ready to shoot. Just as few are mentally ready to shoot.

   Unless your coach has told you otherwise, you should catch thinking shot. If you have space to shoot (more than an arms length distance from your defender) and are in your range, let it fly.

   Many players catch and then try to figure out what to do. This slows down your release and decreases your accuracy by taking you out of rhythm.

5. Practice tips 1-4

   Many players shoot one way in drills (lazy) and another way in games and are shocked when they don’t get the results they want.

   If you want to have a quick release in games, you must practice those tips in drills. That turns them into habits (the good kind). Have the discipline to train a quick release in all your shooting drills.

Shoot Faster, Score More!

A quick release is one element of better scoring. The best players can score efficiently and in a variety of ways.

To become that type of offensive threat, check out The Breakthrough Basketball Shooting & Scoring System.

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