Becoming an elite shooter in basketball requires mental toughness. You have to be able to make multiple shots in a row and not let the pressure get to you. There is nothing that can fully replicate game situation pressure, but basketball shooting drills like this can simulate some of this pressure and improve a shooter’s mental toughness.
Not only is this catch and shoot basketball drill great for working on the mental side of shooting, but it is also great for being able to get up a lot of game shots in a short period of time. This will really help to develop great muscle memory and better consistency when shooting in a game. It is important that the shooter really stays locked in as they get tired. They need to practice shooting the basketball the right way when they are tired. This is great for end of game situations.
Basketball Drill Overview
Drill Name: 3 in a Row Basketball Shooting Drill
Equipment Needed: 2 basketballs and 2 partners.
Similar Basketball Drills and Resources
- 2 Minute Magic Basketball Shooting Drill
- 3-2-3 Basketball Shooting Drill
- 50 Makes Basketball Shooting Drill
Goals of the Drill
- Work on being able to make multiple shots in a row and stay mentally tough through fatigue.
Drill Instructions
- Shoot the basketball the right way every time, don’t allow fatigue to negatively impact your shot.
- Stay mentally tough and be able to make multiple shots in a row.
Basketball Drill Instructions
- The shooter will pick a spot anywhere outside the 3 point line; it is completely up to them.
- Once a player picks their spot, though, they cannot move on to another spot until they have made 3 shots in a row.
- Once they have made 3 in a row, they can pick their next spot.
- The basketball drill lasts for 5 minutes (you can adjust the time for age levels), and the goal is to see how many different spots a player can make 3 shots in a row from.
2 Responses
I would like to point out that these are not “game shots” as it says in the description. Game shots are variable and require a read of where you are on the floor on the catch, not to mention defense, right? The reps in a drill like this look great, feel like good work, and certainly will improve your makes in a drill like this. But they enable the player to lock into automatic rather than recall the “motor program” (as Brian McCormick calls it) from long-term memory, which is what you are doing in a game. The also description says, “There is nothing that can fully replicate game situation pressure” but there are plenty of drills that do it better than this, just by adding variability, randomness, and/or defense. Curious to hear others’ thoughts about this.
You are right in that game shots can come from a variety of ways and areas on the floor. This is a catch and shoot “game shot” and it is titled that because it is being shot at game speed and the way that a shooter should be shooting an open catch and shoot shot in an actual game. As far as game pressure goes, there may be other drills that do a “better job” in some peoples opinion. This is just one variation of the many pressure shooting drills that we offer on our website. No matter what you offer in shooting drill though, you are never going to be able to fully simulate what it feels like to shoot a big shot at the end of a close game. Thanks for your input though and feedback!