Start Close, Finish Strong: The Key to Becoming a Better Shooter

Lebron James won his first MVP in the 2008-2009 season. I was lucky enough to be able to attend a Cavs practice that year.

Lebron was one of the first players to come out on the floor. I was really interested to watch his routine.

What he did has stuck with me for the past 15 years. He came to a hoop and stood about 2 feet away. He started shooting 1 hand form shots. He did that for about 2 minutes.

Then he added his guide hand and shot for another 2 minutes. He gradually moved back, adding slight variability as he got warmed up.

The whole process took about 10 minutes. And he hadn't left the paint. This isn't just Lebron. I've read that Steph Curry and many other elite NBA players have similar routines.

If you're like most players, contrast that to what you do. I've been running basketball camps for close to 20 years.

Every year, I watch what players do when they arrive each day for camp. Almost every single kid runs out to the 3 point line (or beyond) and starts heaving up outside shots.

What a dichotomy:

The leading scorer in the history of the game and the best shooter in the history of the game spending their first 10 minutes on the court shooting from right in front of the rim.
Youth and high school players who are still developing physically and skillswise coming on the floor and immediately jacking up long-range shots.

Do you see the same problem I see?

Why Most Players Lack Lebron's & Steph's Discipline

Is form shooting 'fun?' Not necessarily. And that's the problem. Most players aren't willing to defer their gratification.

On the one hand, you have Lebron and Steph. They embrace the monotony of form shooting (remember what Kobe said - "Never get bored with the basics."). While their pre-practice routine probably wasn't that fun, it helped them make more shots in games. And guess what - that's a lot of fun!

As a result, they miss shots and play less. Not much fun.

The question is, where do you want your fun to occur - in the first 5 minutes you walk on the practice floor? Or on game night?

The Mind/Body Benefits of Starting With Form Shooting

Starting close to the rim has two major benefits for you.

Physical You are developing good shooting habits. The Spurs call it "taking your vitamins." By intentionally focusing on proper shooting technique, you are more likely to carry over those habits to the game.

When you do that, you make more shots.

Mental- So much of shooting is confidence. When you start in close to the rim, you see the ball go in. There is no substitute for that. Every time you see the ball go in, it's like making a small deposit in your bank account. Over time, they add up.

Because you start each day seeing the ball go through the net, you feel good about yourself when practice starts.

Ready to Master the Basics?

There are no shortage of form shooting drills. Here are a couple to get you started:

6 form shooting drills - this is a great routine to develop correct form.
5 make from 5 spots

There's a saying that applies well to this approach: "easy life now, hard life later. Hard life now, easy life later."

Do you have the discipline to make the wise choice now, knowing it will pay off later? If so, you'll be happy you did!

For more shooting resources, check out:

The Breakthrough Basketball Shooting & Scoring System - shooting is the most important skill in basketball. It also might be the hardest to teach. In these videos, Coach Jim Huber takes players through an encompassing program that covers the in & outs of shooting. He starts with form and then progresses players through increasingly higher levels of difficulty. After learning how to catch and shoot, players are taught how to shoot off the move & the catch.