Teach Your Player How to Shoot the Lights Out

Yup, we’re talking about shooting.  How else are you going to score, unless you shoot the ball?  Coaching basketball players how to shoot is an essential part of your job. 

Your players need to be able to be their own critic.  Because shooting is generally practiced alone, your players need to know the basics of how to properly shoot so they can evaluate themselves.

When coaching basketball players how to shoot, your player needs to know their range, and they need to know the definition of a good shot.

Nothing could be simpler than shooting a basketball.  At its root, it is divided into two parts, the mental aspect and the physical aspect.

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Mental Training

The mind is a very powerful and tricky thing. Sometimes, all it takes is for a player to just visualize the ball going through the basket and he’ll never miss a shot. 

It is very important that you teach your players how to condition themselves for success.  Your players need to be thinking in the right mind frame.  When coaching the mental aspect you need to stress three main points:

Concentration: is the fixing of attention on the job at hand and is characteristic of every great athlete. Through continuous practice, good shooters develop their concentration to the extent that they are oblivious to every distraction. 

The Ability to Relax: is closely related to concentration. You often hear great shooters having "ice water in their veins".

Confidence: That is a "gut certainty" that the ball will drop through the basket without touching the rim.  Your players must believe in their ability, and believe without a doubt the every shot they take will go in.

Physical Training

Now let’s go over some of the physical aspects of shooting a basketball.

Sighting and locating the target: Since the eyes can not focus on an empty space, the best thing you should teach your players is to focus on either the front or the back part of the rim.  I’m a big fan of focusing on the back part because you never want to leave shots short.

Body Balance: Most players fail or neglect this aspect of their shot.  They’ll take wild off balance shots, and wonder why the ball didn’t go in.

You need to teach your kids to keep their knees shoulder width apart.  Even when fading away or leaning in, your players need to square up in order to consistently knock down shots.

Generating the Force: In their book, Basketball Concepts and Techniques, Bob Cousy and Frank G. Power, Jr., tell us, "From physics, we know that when several forces act upon an object, the effect is the same as that of a single force equal to the vectorial sum of the force components..." Basically, the more horses pulling in the same direction, the greater the horsepower.

Each of the following adds to the total force and are equally important when it comes to shooting a basketball:

Ø      A forward action of the wrists and fingers.

Ø      A sudden extension of the arm, snapping the shoulder and elbow.

Ø      Rising to the balls of the feet.

The easiest and most effective way to improve your players shooting is through practice.  With the proper drills, your players will automatically shoot with the correct mechanics, and apply the correct force and trajectory needed to consistently hit shots. 

You can’t afford not to take the time to check out this link for proven shooting drills that work.

With these guidelines and resources in mind, coaching basketball players how to properly shoot and consistently knock down clutch shots should be a breeze!

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