Shooting Tips
1. Shooting improvement
starts with technique.
2. Technique must be practiced close to the basket.
3. To improve your shooting range start close to the basket and
gradually back off.
4. To improve shooting you must shoot in a game-like situation.
5. Every shooting move, as will as every other move to dribble
or to pass, starts with a pivot. So, you must be an expert at
pivoting.
Counterproductive Beliefs
1. Repetition yields
improvement. This is only true to a limited degree. Improvement
only follows doing things correctly. Practicing incorrectly yields
problems. If you practice correctly, follow the lessons, improvement
will come with much less repetition than you initially thought.
2. Only 7th graders need to practice technique. Not true. Even
Hall of Famers do. Every time you play ball you need to warm
up with a few minutes of shooting technique.
3. Only 7th graders need to practice close to the basket. No,
everybody does for several reasons. One is that this is the best
way to use and apply technique. And again I say, without technique
improvement, there is no improvement. The other reason is that
a great percentage of shots are taken from this area in a game.
So, it is most beneficial to practice game level shooting especially
in this area.
4. You can work on technique as you work on shooting. Nope. Technique
and shooting need to be practiced separately. One, technique
improves your shot by changing and focusing on the mechanics
(movement) of the shot. You give little thought to the actual
shot when working on technique. Conversely or inversely or reciprocally,
thinking about technique when in the motion of shooting can only
psyche you out. These two things should be practiced, and even
more importantly, thought about separately.
5. If you are a good shooter in practice, then you should be
a good game shooter. No. Shooting rested, under little psychological
pressure or physical defensive pressure in practice is not the
same as shooting under more adverse game situations. Good shooters
are good game shooters.
6. You need talent to shoot well. Only naturally talented players
can shoot well and learn tricky moves. Not so. Anybody can be
a good shooter or dribbler, passer, etc., if they practice properly.
7. Great shooters are great players. Not so. Note that many Hall
of Famers are not great shooters, so you can be a great player
without being a great shooter. Shooting is only one part of the
game. If you want to be a great basketball player, you need to
be as tall, strong, quick, and fast as possible. Work on being
an athlete as well as practicing the skills. All Hall of Famers
are great athletes.
Your comments are welcome.
Sidney Goldstein, author
of The Basketball Coach's Bible and The Basketball Player's Bible,
has successfully coached both men's and women's teams over a
period of 15 years. |
