9 Tips For Elite Shooting

   Previously, we went over 5 shooting tips to help you become an elite shooter this offseason. Hopefully you’ve started to incorporate those into your offseason plan!   If you have, you are off to a great start. But there’s still more to be done! With that said, let’s jump back in with 4 additional shooting tips below. You can also view the previous [5 elite shooting tips]( here in case you missed it. This article also includes the 4 tips below… which gives you a total of 9 shooting tips in the article. 6 - Track Your Shots  Of all the tips we’ll cover, this one may be the most important.   There is a famous saying that says “What gets measured, improves.” This is so true!  Think of other areas of life. People who want to manage their money better keep a budget. People who want to get stronger record their sets and reps. People who want to lose weight use a scale to track their progress.  Shooting is no different. The best shooters track their shots.   It’s super simple, but it’s not easy. It takes work. But that’s kind of the point - if it was easy, anyone could do it.  This is how you can get a huge advantage over your competition.  Every offseason, I challenge our players to make 10,000 shots. They have to record their makes every Sunday on a google form.   Between 10-20% of our players actually do it. While I wish this number was higher, this is not terribly surprising. You must have discipline to track.  One of our players tracked every single shot last offseason…  He made over 27,000 shots, which is an incredible amount.   This year, he’s averaging 19 ppg as a sophomore and shooting 45% on 3’s. That’s not a coincidence.  It’s easier to just go in and shoot. Or, you might actually have a plan but still not record. Both of those are suboptimal paths to development.  When you track, you see your improvement.   You can see that over time, your accuracy on certain shots has improved. Or, if it hasn’t, you can analyze why.   Regardless, you are getting valuable information.   It’s also a confidence builder. When you see your percentages increasing and you see the amount of shots you’ve made, you can’t help but become more confident.   You know how important the mental side of shooting is. So give yourself that boost!  Some like to track on a phone. Others prefer a notebook. That doesn't matter. What does matter is that you do it. 7 - Use Multiple Types of Footwork - Hop and 1-2 Step  If you search the 1-2 step versus the hop, you will get hundreds of videos and articles advocating for one type of footwork or the other.  The truth is it’s not an either-or proposition. It’s a both-and situation. The best shooters can shoot using multiple types of footwork.   For you to truly be an elite shooter, you have to be able to get your shot off quickly in different situations. No two shots (except free throws) are the same.  Thus, it’s important to be able to execute more than one type of footwork. Some shots will be easier with the hop. These might be shots where you catch and shoot with your shoulders facing the rim.  Other shots will be easier with a 1-2 step. For many, this will be shots off screens where you are squaring your body. The 1-2 step allows you to pivot into the shot on your first step.  Another area where the 1-2 step is preferable is shots off the dribble. Using a 1-2 step is usually quicker than a hop or jump stop.  You might even find that the footwork used is player specific.   You might have one player that prefers to hop off of cuts from the basket to the perimeter and another that prefers a 1-2 step.  The bottom line is being good at both gives you options. In games, that’s what you want.   So, when you practice, make sure your workouts incorporate both types of footwork. Speaking of options . . . 8 - Increase Your Shooting Range  In today’s game, almost everyone shoots 3’s. If you aren’t there yet, continue working to become a good 3 point shooter.  If you are already making 3’s with consistency, move back. There are some coaches who will disagree with this. If your coach is one of them, you should do what they ask.  However, being able to shoot with extended range will open up your game.  First, with more range comes more shooting opportunities. Many defenses use the three point line as a landmark for how they guard. If you can regularly make shots from a couple steps beyond the 3 point line, you will get more open shots.  Second, the threat of your range will open up other scoring opportunities. On offense, the name of the game is space. The less space the defense has to defend, the easier for them.  By expanding your range, you will make your defender guard you further from the basket. This will create bigger openings on the court for cuts and driving opportunities.   Think of Steph Curry. Because his defender always thinks he has to be right on him, Steph is regularly able to drive to the rim for layups. This despite not being an elite jumper for the NBA level.   Expanding your range takes work. As mentioned in part 1, the shooting motion you use from three feet is different from the shooting motion you use from 15 feet. Likewise, the form you use from 15 feet will be different than the form you use from 23 feet.   Thus, you have to practice shooting deep shots. Youtube has multiple videos of Dame Lillard shooting 35-40 foot shots in drills. That’s why he’s able to do it in games.  He has learned how to efficiently generate force from long distances. You will, too, if you make it part of your routine.  9 - Bring a Friend For Contested Shots and 1v1 Play  In the first part of this series, we said one great thing about shooting is you can improve by yourself.  While that’s true, consider finding a workout partner.  There are a couple benefits to that. First, it’s great for your motivation.  Having someone to work with is great for accountability. You and your partner can help keep each other focused.   It’s also great for competition.  You can compete against each other in your shooting drills.   Another benefit is you can do drills with a partner that make your shots more game-like and even use 1v1 drills.   It would be great if every shot you took was a wide open, uncontested shot. But we know better.  Working with a partner allows you to simulate defense. This can be done in many ways.   The most common way is having your partner contest your shots by running out from the rim. This is an important thing to practice. It is common in games for the defense to close out on shooters and contest.   Practicing that shot helps you block out the distraction of the contest come gametime.  However, that’s not the only type of contest you’ll see. Two others should be practiced as well.  First, have your partner contest from the side.   This is common when shooting off screens.  For shooters who haven’t practiced against that contest, it can be distracting. All contests are not the same. The side contest is different than the straight on contest and should be practiced.  You should also practice against the rear view contest.   This is when the defender is behind you and is trying to get back into the play and block or alter your shot. To do this, put yourself closer to the hoop than the defender. Have them come from behind to try and bother your shot.   Practicing with a partner is a must if you want to make your shots more gamelike. You will learn to tune out the distraction of your defender and focus solely on making the shot. Conclusion  There is not one perfect shooting workout. So don’t waste your time trying to find something that’s perfect.  Instead, focus on incorporating good habits into your offseason shooting work. The 9 we’ve covered are a great start.   If you follow those steps, you can’t help but improve. Ray Allen, one of the greatest shooters in the history of the game, once said “Great shooters are not born, they are made.”   Time to get to work! Also, if you're ready to improve your shooting ASAP, here are some great resources to help you become an elite shooter…  [Breakthrough Basketball Shooting Camps](  [Breakthrough Shooting System and Workouts](     All the best,  Jeff Huber Breakthrough Basketball  This email was sent to {EMAIL} because you indicated that you'd like to receive emails and updates from Breakthrough Basketball on 2016-12-16 05:42:39. 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