Teaching Sportsmanship in Youth Basketball
Shooting is the most important skill a basketball player can possess. Whilst the play in the lead up to making a shot; passing, dribbling, defense and rebounding can lead to a high percentage shot, you must actually be able to then make the said shot. Good shooters are always highly valued players, and have perfected their form and technique to ensure their performance is always consistent on the court. Correct form, technique and consistency are all pivotal elements in being able to successfully land a three-point shot. Given that it has the highest point score, three-point shots are exceptionally important in a game, and players that can maintain consistency in scoring are invaluable to their team.
Learning and practicing your shooting techniques correctly from the start will mean that you will be able to increase your shooting consistency as your experience and skill develops. Whilst practice usually makes perfect, this is only the case if players are practicing their shooting skills correctly so as not to reinforce poor training habits and jeopardise court performance. Below are three concepts that will help you improve your three-point shooting skills and increase your accuracy and range for your next game.
These exercises focus on developing the correct technique and form to perform the shot correctly:
Validation Drill –
This is a great three-point shooting drill as it puts mental pressure on the shooter. If you want to be able to improve your accuracy shooting under pressure, this drill is ideal. Start by putting 4 minutes on the clock, player starts at the far corner behind the three-point line and shoots the ball. They have to shoot from seven spots behind the three-point line, for every shot they make, they advance to the next shot, for every shot they miss, they go back a spot or stay in the same spot if you are at the beginning. The reason for the validation name, is because the player needs to be able to shoot from all 7 spots, then they must go to the free throw line and shoot one free throw to ‘validate’ that they have completed 1 cycle. The goal is to make as many cycles as you can within the 4 minutes.
5 x 1 Minute Drill –
Start in the deep corner, and practice shooting from this position for one minute (each basket scored is one point or -1 if missed), then go to the free throw line and get two free throws (each basket scored is +2 points or -2 if missed). Then go to the 45 mark for one minute and then two free throws from the free throw line, do the same when you get to the seam and then the top of the circle, and back around the other side, seam, 45 mark and deep corner.
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