When shooting off the dribble, the goal is to be as efficient as possible. Confident shooters rely on strong mechanical foundations. All the work their bodies do to make successful shots is second nature and embedded within their muscle memory.
Keep your eyes trained at the basket as you move your body into shot-ready position. Remember your ball-handling foundations. Be aggressive when you pound the ball into your shot pocket. If you’re dribbling with your nondominant hand, never reach for the ball with your shooting hand to bring the ball into your shot pocket—that’s inefficient. Instead, bring the ball across your body with your nondominant hand into your shot pocket. Let your mechanics take over from there!
Every shooter experiences bouts of disappointment in their career. The key is to not let a streak of misses damage your confidence as a player and to remember that you’re only as good as the amount of training you put in to fine-tune your mechanics.
Sunday, April 28, 2019
Thursday, April 25, 2019
BASKETBALL HANDLING TRAINING WITH CURRY
• Add ball-handling into your training. Set a timer for 30 seconds for each move: one-ball pound, crossover, between the legs, and behind the back. Don’t worry about counting reps, just focus on your form for those 30 seconds.
• If possible, spend some time practicing your ball-handling in front of a mirror. Notice your stance, ball position, and dribble height. Remember to keep your eyes up, and don’t look down at the ball.
Your daily training should look like this:
• Warm-up and stretching
• One-ball pound right: 30 seconds
• One-ball pound left: 30 seconds
• Crossover: 30 seconds
• Between the legs (alternating): 30 seconds
• Behind the back: 30 seconds
• 1-2 step (straight up and down): 5 shots
• Toward the basket: 5 shots
• Away from the basket: 5 shots
• Lateral left: 5 shots
• Lateral right: 5 shots
• If possible, spend some time practicing your ball-handling in front of a mirror. Notice your stance, ball position, and dribble height. Remember to keep your eyes up, and don’t look down at the ball.
Your daily training should look like this:
• Warm-up and stretching
• One-ball pound right: 30 seconds
• One-ball pound left: 30 seconds
• Crossover: 30 seconds
• Between the legs (alternating): 30 seconds
• Behind the back: 30 seconds
• 1-2 step (straight up and down): 5 shots
• Toward the basket: 5 shots
• Away from the basket: 5 shots
• Lateral left: 5 shots
• Lateral right: 5 shots
WATCH STEPHEN CURRY"S BALL HANDLING SKILLS
• Watch some of Stephen’s highlights, paying attention to his simple yet effective dribble combinations. What basic moves do you notice?
• Who are some of your favorite NBA ball-handlers? Watch some of their game highlights and observe how they effectively handle the ball. What dribble combinations do they use? Try breaking down their dribble combinations into the individual moves that they most commonly use and stack together. • As you practice your ball-handling, film yourself dribbling and note parts of your form where you can improve. Upload a video of yourself doing each of the basic moves (pound right, pound left, crossover, between the legs, behind the back).
• Who are some of your favorite NBA ball-handlers? Watch some of their game highlights and observe how they effectively handle the ball. What dribble combinations do they use? Try breaking down their dribble combinations into the individual moves that they most commonly use and stack together. • As you practice your ball-handling, film yourself dribbling and note parts of your form where you can improve. Upload a video of yourself doing each of the basic moves (pound right, pound left, crossover, between the legs, behind the back).
BASKETBALL-HANDLING: FOUNDATIONS
Mastering the art of ball-handling is essential to becoming a great shooter. Luckily, all you need to fine-tune your ball-handling is a solid surface and a basketball. Practice one-ball pounds with each hand, and the three basic moves: crossover, between the legs, and behind the back. Once you build a solid foundation with them, start creating combination dribbles that you can utilize during games. Most of Stephen’s ball-handling is simply a collection of combinations of those few simple moves.
The key to ball-handling is a balance. Start in a centered athletic position: keep your nose behind your toes and your hips loaded, being careful not to lean forward. To maintain balance, keep your body static and in an athletic position, and move the ball around your body—don’t move your body around the ball. When handling the ball, dribble aggressively and to the side of your foot, maintaining a bounce height that reaches between your knee and hip. Dribbling at that sweet spot keeps the ball near your shot pocket, helping you become a more efficient shooter. Keep in mind that the more power you put behind each dribble, the more control you’ll have over the ball. The idea behind aggressive dribbling is to minimize the ball’s airtime so you can prevent defenders from deflecting or stealing it.If you’re struggling with ball-handling, you can make positive adjustments to your foundation by asking yourself, “Can I take a shot from my current position?” If you can’t, then you need to concentrate on correcting your stance, dribbling, or foundation. Remember, don’t be loose when ball-handling, and always take a position that lets you maneuver the ball into your shot pocket at a moment’s notice.
Tuesday, April 23, 2019
SHOOTING OFF THE CATCH TRAINING: PHASE
Add four-way form shooting to your practice. Continue the 100 form shooting shots from Phase 1 in your practice every day. Form shooting and four-way form shooting are the two foundational elements of the training program, and you’ll repeat them every single practice.
• During Phase 2, continue the 100 form shooting shots from Phase 1 in your practice every day. Track your practice and improvement in the Shot Tracker.
• Add some catching practice. Get a friend to pass you the ball and practice moving to the ball so you can catch it shot-ready. Remember not to reach for the ball.
• Also, add four-way form shooting to your practice. Starting at the free-throw line, move into space, catch, and shoot. Take five shots in each of the five directions on the Shot Tracker, and use the Shot Tracker to track your makes and improvement.
• So, your training should look like this:
• Warm-up and stretching
• Form shooting progression: 100 total shots
• Four-way form shooting: 25 total shots
• 1-2 step (straight up and down): 5 shots
• Toward the basket: 5 shots
• Away from the basket: 5 shots
• Lateral left: 5 shots
• Lateral right: 5 shots
BASKETBALL SHOOTING OFF THE CATCH
To put yourself in a shot-ready position when catching a pass, keep both hands open with all 10 fingers spread. This position lets your teammates know you’re ready to take the ball. Rather than extending your arms to catch an imperfect pass, move your whole body to the ball so you can catch it inside the frame of your body. Once you have the ball in your shot pocket, immediately square your toes with the rim, then bring the ball into a straight line from your hip to your eyebrow through your release. Keep in mind that even Stephen misses some shots. With a willingness to learn from your mistakes and move beyond them, you can overcome your misses.
• Find a game clip online and watch it 10 times, paying attention to a different player each time. What is each player focused on? What are they trying to do as individuals? Where are they looking? What don’t they see? How do the players interact and fit together?
• Find a game clip online and watch it 10 times, paying attention to a different player each time. What is each player focused on? What are they trying to do as individuals? Where are they looking? What don’t they see? How do the players interact and fit together?
Monday, April 22, 2019
BASKETBALL FORM SHOOTING PRACTICE
• Start just a few feet from the basket, and shoot until you hit five perfect makes. Record how many shots it takes for you to get to five. Then take a step back, to the middle of the lane, and shoot until you hit five more perfect makes. Repeat twice more, moving backward after making five in a row.
• Once you’ve hit five perfect makes from each of the four spots in front of the basket, start adding the other spots on the above diagram to your form shooting practice. • First, shoot five form shots from each of the 20 spots, and record your makes. Once you can comfortably shoot 100 total form shots in a training session.
• Then, push yourself to take as many shots as it takes to hit five perfect makes from each of the 20 spots. This may take a few weeks or even months. But stick with it!
• Use the Shot Tracker to record your makes and track your improvement over time. Push yourself to improve every time you’re on the court.
• Remember, when form shooting, if you’re not perfect directly in front of the basket, it’s going to be impossible to be perfect as you move away from the basket. Each time you miss, pause and notice whether you missed short, long, or to one side. What can you do to correct your misses?
BASKET BALL SHOOTING MECHANICS TRAINING
TRAINING PREP
• Without a ball, practice your form in front of a mirror. Focus on your foot positioning and lower body alignment, loading your hips, bringing your shooting hand up through your eyebrow in a clean line, and releasing with your elbow above your eye and a gooseneck finish.
• Spend 15 minutes walking around the basketball court, keeping your eyes on the rim. Familiarize yourself with the rim hooks and how many hooks are facing you from different angles or distances. Without a ball, practice running to a random spot on the floor, stopping, and finding the rim hooks with your eyes as quickly as possible.
• Practice your hand alignment on the ball. Put the index finger of your shooting hand on basketball’s air valve, like Stephen does, and let the ball rest in your hand to feel the center of the ball. Standing just a few feet from the basket, take 10 shots by finding the air valve first. Then take 10 more just by finding the center of the ball with your hand, not searching for the air valve.
FORM SHOOTING PRACTICE
The only person you should compete against is yourself. Resist the urge to compare yourself to others, and instead, focus your mind and body on improving upon your previous training session. Set reasonable goals for yourself before each workout, and be sure to track your accuracy so you can watch your stats improve. Stephen wants to start his workout with perfect make to build up confidence. He suggests focusing on reps close to the basket, which will build your range and confidence and help you identify problems with your shot. Begin each practice by shooting easy baskets from the paint, concentrating on your mechanics. Every time you miss the basket, diagnose what went wrong with your mechanics, adjust accordingly, then try again. For Stephen, shots that come up long or short tend to be a matter of finding his rhythm through more reps, and regaining his feel for the ball. However, missing left or right usually indicates a problem with his core mechanics, requiring a more detailed analysis and adjustment of his shot to correct it. As practice goes on, gradually increase your distance from the basket, taking different and more difficult shots until you’re shooting from the three-point line. Stephen encourages you to keep building up your endurance until you’re able to make 100 perfect shots over the course of a single practice session. Persist through fatigue, and do your best to prevent it from altering your shooting mechanics.
• Without a ball, practice your form in front of a mirror. Focus on your foot positioning and lower body alignment, loading your hips, bringing your shooting hand up through your eyebrow in a clean line, and releasing with your elbow above your eye and a gooseneck finish.
• Spend 15 minutes walking around the basketball court, keeping your eyes on the rim. Familiarize yourself with the rim hooks and how many hooks are facing you from different angles or distances. Without a ball, practice running to a random spot on the floor, stopping, and finding the rim hooks with your eyes as quickly as possible.
• Practice your hand alignment on the ball. Put the index finger of your shooting hand on basketball’s air valve, like Stephen does, and let the ball rest in your hand to feel the center of the ball. Standing just a few feet from the basket, take 10 shots by finding the air valve first. Then take 10 more just by finding the center of the ball with your hand, not searching for the air valve.
FORM SHOOTING PRACTICE
The only person you should compete against is yourself. Resist the urge to compare yourself to others, and instead, focus your mind and body on improving upon your previous training session. Set reasonable goals for yourself before each workout, and be sure to track your accuracy so you can watch your stats improve. Stephen wants to start his workout with perfect make to build up confidence. He suggests focusing on reps close to the basket, which will build your range and confidence and help you identify problems with your shot. Begin each practice by shooting easy baskets from the paint, concentrating on your mechanics. Every time you miss the basket, diagnose what went wrong with your mechanics, adjust accordingly, then try again. For Stephen, shots that come up long or short tend to be a matter of finding his rhythm through more reps, and regaining his feel for the ball. However, missing left or right usually indicates a problem with his core mechanics, requiring a more detailed analysis and adjustment of his shot to correct it. As practice goes on, gradually increase your distance from the basket, taking different and more difficult shots until you’re shooting from the three-point line. Stephen encourages you to keep building up your endurance until you’re able to make 100 perfect shots over the course of a single practice session. Persist through fatigue, and do your best to prevent it from altering your shooting mechanics.
BASKETBALL SHOOTING: STANCE, ALIGNMENT LESSON
Great shooters rely on solid mechanics. Every part of their bodies works together to become the foundation of their shots. For Stephen, every good shot begins in the lower body. Begin by
pointing your toes in the same direction, first squaring them with the rim and then working through practice to find the most natural stance for your body. Your legs, not your arms, give you power and consistency, so load your lower body by pushing the arches of your feet into the floor. Keeping your knees behind your toes, concentrate on letting power and energy flow from your feet up through your hips and glutes. Square your toes, knees, and shoulders, and remember to flex your legs on every shot. Hand positioning is key to becoming a consistent shooter: it affects the feel, proper spin, connection, and control through your release. To find proper hand position, place the index finger of your dominant hand on the air valve of the ball. Take a few form shots to get used to the centered feel of this position. Always hold the ball with your finger pads, being sure to leave some breathing&nbs room between the ball and your palm. As you line up your shot, aim your eyes at the two or three rim hooks that are facing you, and think about dropping the ball just over the front of the rim. Don’t release too low! A higher release point makes it harder for a defender to interfere with your shot. As you release the ball, keep your elbow and wrist in line with the basket, extending your arm fully so that at the point of release your elbow ends above your eye. A real game’s complex moving parts might make it difficult to recall these steps, but remember that improvement comes with sustained practice. Stephen spent an entire summer restructuring the mechanical foundation of his shot in high school, and he hasn’t stopped perfecting it since!
pointing your toes in the same direction, first squaring them with the rim and then working through practice to find the most natural stance for your body. Your legs, not your arms, give you power and consistency, so load your lower body by pushing the arches of your feet into the floor. Keeping your knees behind your toes, concentrate on letting power and energy flow from your feet up through your hips and glutes. Square your toes, knees, and shoulders, and remember to flex your legs on every shot. Hand positioning is key to becoming a consistent shooter: it affects the feel, proper spin, connection, and control through your release. To find proper hand position, place the index finger of your dominant hand on the air valve of the ball. Take a few form shots to get used to the centered feel of this position. Always hold the ball with your finger pads, being sure to leave some breathing&nbs room between the ball and your palm. As you line up your shot, aim your eyes at the two or three rim hooks that are facing you, and think about dropping the ball just over the front of the rim. Don’t release too low! A higher release point makes it harder for a defender to interfere with your shot. As you release the ball, keep your elbow and wrist in line with the basket, extending your arm fully so that at the point of release your elbow ends above your eye. A real game’s complex moving parts might make it difficult to recall these steps, but remember that improvement comes with sustained practice. Stephen spent an entire summer restructuring the mechanical foundation of his shot in high school, and he hasn’t stopped perfecting it since!
ABOUT STEPHEN CURRY
NBA player Dell Curry, imbued him with a love for basketball and inspired Stephen to pursue the
game professionally. After a meteoric college career with the Davidson Wildcats, Stephen went
to the Golden State Warriors as the seventh overall pick in the 2009 draft. Stephen exceeded
expectations for a player of his size, shattering numerous NBA records during his first five years in
the league. He scored more three-point field goals during the 2012–13 season than any individual
player in league history and broke this record again during the 2014–15 season, working to become
one of the most accurate and consistent shooters in the league. He won his first NBA championship
in 2015, his second in 2017, and earned back-to-back Most Valuable Player awards in the 2014–15
and 2015–16 seasons, the latter by unanimous vote—a first in NBA history.
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