This article was written by University of Southern California Assistant Coach Chris Capko. 

As a player, you should be watching the game of basketball. Whether it is your level, conference, a level up, or a level down, you should be paying attention to how the game is being played. Each level or league generally has its own style and brand of basketball. Some leagues are more physical, while some are more fast-paced. Some leagues you need to be big in and some you can get away with being a little smaller.

One thing that has become more apparent at any level to win in today’s basketball is the ability to shoot. No matter the position, you become more valuable in today’s game if you can help spread the floor by shooting the basketball. Even if you aren't deficient as a shooter and it is one of your strength's, you can always be developing and improving.

Regardless of whether it is the offseason or in season, you need to make time regularly for improving your shot. Here are some ways that you can take your shooting to the next level.

5 Shooting Concepts

The best shooters in the game have mastered the details of shooting by first spending the time learning the correct shooting techniques, and then putting countless hours into turning them into muscle memory. Here are five concepts that I use with my players at USC to help take their shooting to the next level.

The "L" Drill: Regardless of the shooter, every day starts out with “L" Drill shooting. All we do in this drill is accentuate what I call the “L” in someone’s shot. This is a one-handed shooting drill in which we want to emphasize both follow through and arc. I may have our players make anywhere from 100-150 shots right around the basket. This is repeated EVERY DAY.

Guide Hand: The next thing I will generally do is bring the second hand or “guide” hand into the shot. Again, we will do this from a close distance to ensure that the technique is perfect. I make them hold their form up through the result of the shot. They will make anywhere from 50-100 makes at about 1 step further than “L” shooting.

Footwork: We will then begin to get our footwork into the shot. We still are going to stay inside the paint and make sure the top part of their shot is correct. I teach a 1,2 step into every player's shot. To me, this helps give the player a plan into each shot, as opposed to guessing.

Also, I believe it is an easy transition into a player’s triple threat moves. When doing this, you want to ensure that the player is jumping straight up and down and his/her momentum is taking them to the basket. Do not let your players start walking backward or fade. The principles that you teach for the top part of your shot should remain intact.

Consistent Repetition: Now, regardless of the level of the shooter, I will still go to about 15 feet and shoot at about 5-7 different spot on the floor. I like to give each player a goal at each spot. For instance, if a player is very good from 15 feet, the goal is not to miss two shots in a row.

If he/she misses two in a row, the drill starts over. They must make ten shots without missing two in a row. After the completion of 10 makes from one spot, I like to go right into consecutive shooting and see how many in a row they can complete.

Drills like this force your players to focus on the mechanics you had worked on before you got to 15 feet and the competitor in them generally comes out. If they miss two-in-a-row, you will usually see them get mad and really lock in to end the drill. If they make 10-in-a-row, you will see them want to make eleven now and so on. I will do the same out to the 3-point-line and off the dribble as well.

Contested Shots: With better shooters, I will make them make shots with a hand in their face, yet maintain the same discipline as if they were five feet away. This isn't teaching them to take bad shots in a game, but instead to be able to make shots when the clock is running down or if there is a slightly late closeout and just enough time to get a shot off over the defender's hand.

Conclusion

This shooting article can be applied to both coaches and players. Whether it is a coach looking to develop shooters on their team, or player looking to improve their own shot, the keys from this article apply to both. The biggest takeaway though needs to be staying disciplined with the keys offered and then knowing that developing into a high-level shooter is a process. If you are willing to buy into the process though, you will find yourself shooting a much higher percentage or discover that your team is consistently making shots at a higher rate.

Chris Capko
University of Southern California Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach

Chris Capko was named an assistant coach for the Trojans in 2016. He has also been an assistant coach at Georgia Southern University, Florida International University, and Stetson University. Along with coaching, Chris Capko also played at the Division 1 level for the University of Southern Florida.

This article was written by Basketball HQ co-founder Kyle Ohman.

One of the easiest (and unfortunately one of the most common) ways to avoid potential situations where you might experience failure is to come up with excuses. It is natural as humans to use excuses to help us justify why we won't be able to accomplish something. In life, excuses come in all forms. With basketball though, they are pretty much narrowed down to; too short, not quick enough, not strong enough, not fast enough, low basketball IQ, etc.

Players are constantly being evaluated from a young age and are critiqued based on what they are perceived to be able to do or not do. Players allow themselves to be put into boxes created by other people's criticisms, and even worse, they begin to place those same criticisms on themselves! Players become their own biggest doubter based on what other people are saying about them. A player's limits are now being created by their own mind, and instead of figuring out a way to overcome them, they are using them as an excuse for failure.

Too many players (and people in general) allow different perceived limitations to determine so much about them. So instead of working and overcoming perceived limitations like being a little bit shorter, not as highly recruited, not built like the next LeBron James, etc. They allow these perceived limitations to define them and determine what they are capable of.

The goal of this article is to get you out of this type of fixed mindset and negative approach to your game and life as a whole. If you can have confidence in yourself and are willing to back it up with your best effort and hard work every day, there is no telling what you are capable of.

Personal Experience

One of the reasons I am so passionate about this topic is because of my playing history. To make a long story short, I went from not receiving a single college scholarship offer (from any level), to walking on at a division 1 school, earning a scholarship, scoring over a thousand points in my college career, being one of the best shooters in the country, and playing professionally in Europe.

If I would've listened to the limitations that others placed on me, I would've never even given myself the opportunity to have a chance at all of those things. One thought in my mind of, "I didn't get any offers I guess I am not good enough to play" could've changed my entire life plan.

Not every player's story ends up like mine, but if you allow yourself to come up with excuses, you will never even get the chance to prove what you are capable of.

The second reason I am so passionate about this topic is because I have seen way too many players in my coaching and training career that have allowed themselves to be limited by excuses. They allowed themselves to believe that it couldn't be done for one reason or another, and because they bought into this idea, it became true.

I look at similarly skilled players all the time. One player has the mindset to do whatever it takes, and the other has the mindset of limiting themselves with excuses, and the difference between the two similarly skilled players is night and day. You must have the mentality of anything being possible if you want a chance to do something extraordinary.

When the Rubber Meets the Road

At this point in the article, I am hoping that I have done my job and have you fully believing that you can overcome any perceived limitation that you may have and that you are willing to run through a wall if need be. However, that is just the first part of the equation. Your mindset is a huge part of getting rid of excuses, and it is definitely the first step, but without also following it up with action, it doesn't do much good.

I have always heard the saying, "when the rubber meets the road" and I thought this is the perfect time to use it. I looked up the meaning of the phrase because I wanted to use the exact definition and I really liked what it said. Here is what I found, "When something is about to begin, get serious, or be put to the test." I thought that was perfect when talking about what needs to be done next.

Believing in yourself is great, but if you are not willing to put the work in and "begin, get serious, and put yourself to the test," it really is for nothing. It wasn't enough for me to believe that I was good enough to play in college. I had to work every day and prove to people that I was good enough.

As a player, you may find yourself in a similar situation with playing in high school, college, or professionally. It is up to you to prove what you are capable of. It doesn't matter what others are saying about what you are capable of; it is up to you to work and show what you can do.

You don't need to talk and complain about other people, just put in the work and there will be no doubt about what you are capable of.

Why Not You?

There are so many different stories of players that were doubted in college or overlooked coming into the NBA, but they believed in themselves, put in the work, and then proved that they belonged. From players like Steve Nash, who only received one scholarship offer and then went on to be a two time NBA MVP, or more recently, Stephen Curry who was told he was too small and slow to play, but is now a two time MVP and has multiple championship rings.

The list goes on and on, and the natural tendency is to see them as inspirational stories, but not believe that you could do the same thing. Don't fall into that trap! There is no reason why you as a player can't be one of those same stories. It may not happen right away, and you may end up having a story like Jonathan Simmons who took years to break into the NBA.

Not everyone's journey is the same, so don't give up on yours just because it looks different than everyone else's. So I want you to ask yourself this question, Why Not Me? Ask yourself that question every day and use it for motivation. Why can't you be one of the player's that has a story like Steve Nash, Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, Isaiah Thomas, or one of the other players that everyone said wouldn't make it? WHY NOT YOU?

Conclusion

After reading this article, you may be feeling invincible and that nothing can stop you from accomplishing your goals, and that is great! However, the reality is that you may fail and you may not make it, but wouldn't you rather give everything that you have and know that you gave your best? I know that I would!

I cannot guarantee that if you believe in yourself and work your absolute hardest that you will accomplish everything you want, no one can. I can guarantee though that if you do not do those things you will never even get the chance.