Shooting Drills

These two drills came from Drew Hanlen’s Pure Sweat Basketball Competitive Shooting Challenges Drill Book.

Drew is an NBA Strategic Skills Coach & Consultant that has helped over 25 NBA and NBA pre-draft players.

Drew is the Head Skills Coach for Pure Sweat Basketball.

He has run his internationally renowned Elite Skills Clinics in over 30 states and 4 countries over the past four years. He is also the Head Skills Coach for the Reebok Breakout Challenge and has worked various events for Nike Basketball.

5 Spots in a Row Shooting Drill

Diagrams created with FastDraw

Step 1: You will shoot spot-up jump shots from five spots on the court. You have to make three shots in a row to move on to the next spot.

Step 2: After making three shots in a row from all five spots, you have to make five shots in a row (one from each of the five spots) to finish the drill in as little time as possible. A good goal is to finish the drill in less than three minutes.

Record: Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards) finished this drill in 1:20.

Wing Ball Screen Blitz Series

Step 1: Start on the wing with a live dribble. Set up your defender with a quick fake away from the screen, then come shoulder-to-hip with your screen. Simulate that the screener’s defender is showing, so you will perform a quick evade, by quickly jabbing your inside foot between their stance, to freeze them, then uphill lunge, and then separate down hill with an explosion dribble for an uncontested jump shot.

Step 2: Run back to your starting spot, set up your defender, and then come shoulder-to-hip with your screener. This time, simulate that the screener’s defender is blitzing, so you will perform a top pop, by quickly jabbing your inside foot between their stance, to freeze them, then pop to the top of the screener’s defender’s hedge, while squaring your shoulders to the rim, and then separate down hill with an explosion dribble for an uncontested jump shot.

Step 3: Run back to your starting spot, set up your defender, and then come shoulder-to-hip with your screener. This time, simulate that the screener’s defender blitzed, but left space between him and the screener, so you will jab and throw your shoulders towards the screener’s defender’s outside hip, as if you were trying to evade the defender. This will get the screener’s defender to slide uphill and create more separation from the screener. When they begin to slide to cut off your evasion step, split between him and your screener, by throwing the ball through space, with a long, low dribble, and then finish with a floater.

Step 4: Run back to your starting spot, set up your defender, and then come shoulder-to-hip with your screener. This time, simulate that your defender leaves space between you and the screener and the screener’s defender is hedging or preparing to hedge, so you will split through the space before the screen, by throwing the ball through space, with a long, low dribble, and then finish with a floater. Continue repeating these four reads and try to see how many shots you can make in two minutes. A good goal is to finish the drill with at least 10 made shots.

Record: Bradley Beal (Washington Wizards) made 16 shots.

These three shooting drills were posted in the FastModel Sports Basketball Plays and Drills Library

The site has thousands of drills and plays that have been submitted by basketball coaches from around the world.

You can also find out more about FastModel Play Diagramming software by clicking this link: FastDraw.

The first two drills were submitted by Kyle Gilreath, Assistant Basketball Coach at Fort Myers (Florida) High School. Kyle previously served for five seasons as an undergraduate manager and graduate assistant for Billy Donovan at Florida.

The third drill was posted by Tim Springer, Girls Varsity Basketball Coach at Castle Hills First Baptist School.

Big 8 Shooting Drill

Player starts at block and sprints around opposite cone of catch & shoot jumper.

After shooting the player then sprints to the corner and curls back around the other cone for another catch & shoot jumper.

 
 

After shooting player sprints and touches the other block and repeats the drill from the other direction.

Do drill for time or number of makes (10).

 

 
 

Back and Forth Shooting Drill

This drill was used by Billy Donovan at Florida.

Player stands in the middle of the floor at the top of the key with a coach flanking him on the right wing and the left wing. The player will attempt to take and make as many shots as they can in 1 minute.

The player starts by going to their right 1st for a catch and shoot and then turns back to their left (all catches will be made at the slot/elbow extended).

You can use other players, managers, or coaches to rebound.

Attack Closeouts Change of Direction Shooting

Drill to teach players how to take ground from a defender, make a move based on speed and direction of the defense, and pull up into a jump shot.

Defenders pass to offense lined up at volleyball line and then close out.
 

Offense immediately puts the ball on the floor and trys to take ground from the defender. They hit a change of direction when they meet the defender and separate into a jump shot.

Players can attack middle or baseline.

These videos are two of the great resources available from basketballhq. They have several more videos as well as basketball coaching resource articles.

I hope these videos give you some ways to add variety to your summer shooting drills to keep what you do fresh for your players.

You can use the idea and incorporate the cuts that you use in your offensive system into a similar drill. You can time it. They didn’t show the other side of the floor in the video, but shooters should make the same cuts on the left side of the floor to complete the series.

Matthew Graves is currently an Assistant at Xavier. He was an Assistant to Brad Stevens and a player at Butler.

Please make sure your sound is on to see the video.

Click the play arrow so see the drill. The drill is a You Tube video, so you will need to be able to access You Tube to see the drill.

Combo Series Shooting Drill

M Shooting Drill

This video is one of the great resources available from basketballhq. They have several more videos as well as basketball coaching resource articles.

This drill is a good “gut-buster” to use at the end of a shooting workout. It is physically demanding. It also forces players to shoot under the pressure of making three in a row. Having to make consecutive shots to complete a drill is one of the best ways to put mental pressure on a shooter.

Matthew Graves is the Former Head Men’s Coach at South Alabama. He was an Assistant to Brad Stevens and a player at Butler prior to taking the job at South Alabama. Coach Graves was the top assistant for both Championship game runs that Butler made in 2010 and 2011. He is currently serving as an assistant at Xavier.

Please make sure your sound is on to see the video.

Click the play arrow so see the drill. The drill is a You Tube video, so you will need to be able to access You Tube to see the drill.

Basketball Drills Nuggets Fatigue Shooting Drill

Depending on the needs of your program, you could shoot closer shots or require only two consecutive makes then build up to three consecutive made three point shots.

Note: At the end of the video, Coach Graves says that the goal is to complete the drill in 30 minutes. What he meant to say (and did say at the start of the video) is the goal is to complete it by shooting less than 30 shots.

Two shooting drills from Wichita State and Gregg Marshall. These drills could be a part of either an in season practice or an improvement season skill development workout.

I also have links to other Wichita State skill development drills at the bottom of the page in the list of Related Posts

They are You Tube videos, so you will need to have permission to view You Tube videos.

Make sure your sound is on as you watch. Click the play arrow to see the videos.

If you are interested in learning more about the entire DVD that this sample came from, click this link: Wichita State Skill Development Workout Guards. Anyone who purchases anything from the store receives one of my basketball coaching eBooks as a bonus. Just email me and let me know which one you would like to receive!

Curl, Fade, Transition Shooting Drill

Each player shoots nine shots in this drill–3 sets of 3 shots. A 12 foot curl shot, then back peddle for a fade shot, then touch the half court line and come back to simulate a transition 3 point shot. You can certainly change the drill to incorporate the types of shots you get in your offense. A way to insure that your players go full speed is to add a time that they must complete the shots in once you determine what shots you will be using in your version of the drill.

4-3-2-1 Shooting Drill

Player shoots four shots at one end, sprints to the opposite end to shoot three more, back to the first end for two more shots, then change ends one more time for a three dribble max pull up shot.

If you are interested in learning more about the entire DVD that this sample came from, click this link: Wichita State Skill Development Workout Guards. Anyone who purchases anything from the store receives one of my basketball coaching eBooks as a bonus. Just email me and let me know which one you would like to receive!

Here are 3 finishing drills to consider for your skill workouts.

There are links to other skill development drills at the bottom of the post.

I think it is good to have a variety of drills to use that still fit your system of play, fit the skills you need the players to develop, and that fit your philosophy.

Diagrams created with FastDraw

 

 

 

 

Baylor 1 vs. 2

Coach initiates the action by passing the ball to offense with two defenders starting on the blocks.

The defenders move as soon as the ball leaves the coaches hands.

During closeout, offense needs to beat his defender and then get past the help.

Emphasize the attack by limiting dribbles, focusing on first step, step through, and working on a specific finishing move.

Alabama 1 on 1

From the Kansas women’s program.

Coach has the basketball under the basket. Offense begins on one block, defense begins on the opposite block.

Coach tosses the basketball out,

Offense goes out to get the basketball.

Defensive player touches the opposite block and then closes out on the offense.

Play live 1-on-1 from there.

1 on 1 Lane Containment

Also from the Kansas women’s program.

OBJECTIVE: Improve ball-handling in a tight space & improve defensive footwork.

Boundaries are the lane lines. Offense starts with the ball between the free throw line and top of key. Defense begins an arm’s distance away from offense.

Offense’s goal is to beat the defense to the baseline in 6 seconds without going outside the lane lines or turning her back to the defense while dribbling. Defensive goal is to force offense outside the lane lines or don’t get beat to the baseline in 6 seconds. You can progress drill to have offense finish with a one-footed lay-up.