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You aren't where you want to be in the sport of basketball.
Well.
It's not your coach's fault.
It's not your teammate's fault.
The truth is.
It's because you aren't good enough. (YET)
My younger brother came to me for advice at the end of his high school career.
"What do I have to do to become a professional basketball player?" He asked.
I replied with confidence, "College or NBL development spot."
Now.
That's easier said than done.
My brother was a bucket in high school.
He made state teams.
Won championships.
Went to Australian camps.
A successful junior career.
But.
He didn’t get offered a single college scholarship.
And he couldn't find an NBL development spot.
They all said the same thing:
"You need to become a more consistent 3-point shooter."
He had to improve.
It was time to get to work.
He traveled down to Tasmania to stay with me for 2 weeks.
We started training immediately.
His mid-range shot looked good.
But his current shooting form didn’t let him extend his range.
He shot the ball with a two-motion shot.
Instead of shooting the ball with one smooth motion, his jump shot had a pause above his head.
This pause created a slingshot.
It was time to change this.
For 6 weeks I didn’t let him shoot from outside the key.
Form shot after form shot.
Toe touches every single day.
He stayed disciplined and focused.
He built a consistent one-motion shot.
It took him 2 weeks of shooting for an hour every day.
That is all.
Over the following 4 weeks, he added range to his new form.
He did this by:
Moving 30cm back each day.
The further you move back the more stress it's going to put on your form.
Move back small amounts each day.
If you can't make 7/10 at a certain range, don't move back any further.
Master the current distance.
Keeping his follow-through consistent.
When shooting from a distance it requires more power.
Creating power needs to come from somewhere.
Don’t let that come from your follow-through.
Keep the rise of your arm consistent.
There may be some extra dip in the ball when you are shooting.
That's okay.
But.
Don’t start throwing it from your hip or bringing the ball up to different sides of your face.
Keep your follow-through the same.
If your follow-through is changing too much, move in closer.
Focusing on creating power with his legs.
Learning to bend from your hips to create power is important.
This slight hinge movement helps you build momentum on your jump shot.
Bend your ankles.
Bends your knees.
Bend your hip.
We did this by getting him to start his jump shot while resting his but on a seat.
This forces him to get lower than normal.
You don't want to shoot that low all the time.
But this drill helps you teach your body that it can go into the position if it needs to.
Focus on shooting a one-motion shot from the chair to your follow-through.
Improved his body
If your body can produce more power, it will be easier to shoot from further.
We sprinted hills.
Did pushups.
Shot 1000s of toe touches.
This isn't an overnight process.
But.
It's important to be building awareness and control of your body every day.
My brother trusted in the process.
He spent hours and hours working on his jump shot.
Before he knew it, he was shooting the 3pt better than he ever had before.
He traveled to South Australia and dominated the NBL ONE Central.
His continued performance earned him multiple Division 1 scholarships.
The work paid off.
He took the next step to become a professional basketball player.
This could be you.
It takes discipline and a growth mindset.
But anyone can do it.
Anyone can become a world-class shooter.
Focus on:
Slowly build your range.
Keep a strong follow-through
Use your feet, legs, and hips in sync with your arms. (One-motion shot.)