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Your potential is limitless.
But only with a strong foundation.
Without a strong base, the tower crumbles.
Shooting is the base of becoming a pro.
Without mastering the fundamentals of shooting, it will be difficult to become a pro.
NBA starter Patrick Beverley famously said, "Men lie, women lie, but the numbers don't."
Here are my numbers.
At the u19 world championship, I went 0/18 from the 3pt.
U20s nationals I shot 3/29 from the 3pt.
In college, I scraped in at 33% from a closer 3-point line.
I started my career riding the bench.
Shooting 26.3% from the three.
I couldn't shoot.
I also never saw consistent playing time.
Now I'm known for being a knockdown shooter.
40% 3pt seasons.
Starting in multiple world-class leagues.
Paid to make shots.
This wasn’t an accident.
I studied the best shooters in the world.
Their habits.
How they trained.
Their form.
Then tested my theories on myself.
It worked.
People aren't born shooters.
They become them.
This is the 3 step process I followed to become a world-class shooter.
Build the follow-through
All great shooters have different form.
Some may be more efficient than others, but everyone's form varies greatly.
Reggie Miller shot above his head.
Larry Bird slung it over his head.
Steph Curry throws it from his hip.
Different forms but still great shooters.
But they all have one thing in common.
A consistent follow-through.
The wrist snaps straight.
It never changes.
The follow-through.
This is the first skill to master.
Start in close and don’t move out.
When I was working with Lloyd McVeigh, he wasn’t allowed to leave the paint for a month.
His 3pt shot improved without ever shooting a three.
My challenge for you is:
Make 50 form shots in a row.
Until you can do that, you're not ready to shoot midrange.
Keep it simple.
Build the wrist conditioning.
Create a follow-through you can always rely on.
Build the range
The 80-20 rule.
If you're shooting below 80%, you're too far away.
Practicing missing doesn’t improve your shot.
Create a healthy balance of made shots while missing just enough for feedback.
That is the key.
Shoot from the 5 spots around the basket.
If you make 80%, take a step back and repeat.
Slowly build your legs into your shot.
Notice what goes wrong when you miss.
Are you missing left or right?
Is it the follow-through?
Are you missing short or long?
Is it your legs?
Are you inconsistent on the shot?
Is it your balance when you land?
Make more shots than you miss.
Reflect on the misses.
Adjust and continue.
Build the balance
At this point, your stationary shot has greatly improved.
You're shooting free throws at 80%.
You're building towards the 80% 3-point shot.
(To achieve this will take anywhere from 6-12 months of 1-2 hours of shooting a day.)
You're ready to build game situation shots.
To do this, you have to create movement and momentum while in control.
All great shooters do their work early.
They fight to find balance with their feet.
How quickly you can decelerate while creating upward momentum is key.
Improve this with short sprints into jump shots.
Two fast steps into your shot.
The focus is on the landing.
Balance and control.
Some great shooters land forward.
Some great shooters land in the same place they jump.
No great shooters consistently land left, right, or backward.
The process of improving this skill is a lifetime goal.
You can always become more efficient.
People aren't born shooters.
They become them.
It is a skill set that anyone can learn.
A skill set that is required to be a pro.
Build the foundation of your career.
Build your jump shot.
Do this by:
Building your follow-through.
Building range.
Building balance.
Form shots are your best friend.
1 Hour of focused shooting a day for 365 days is all you need.
Becoming a great shooter is simple.
Thank you for reading.
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