Shooting - Drew Hanlen

Drew Hanlen
Basketball Manitoba (YouTube)
Team Shooting & Toughness Drills, Part 2

Nobody knows how to shoot anymore.

He did a balance study of the top 10 shooters in the NBA, the number one variable whether they made or missed shots was their landing - they shot 65% if they jumped and landed at the same angle, only 39% if the angle changed.

There are 5 keys to shooting:

1. Balance - get a good balanced base and land on balance. Most good NBA shooters are at about 11 o'clock. The more the ball is in the middle of your face, the more you should be at 12 o'clock. The more the ball is on your right eye, the more you should angle towards 11 o'clock. The dominant eye has to see between your arms and under the ball.
2. Shooting hand - should be spread wide in the middle of the ball at the point of release.
3. Balance hand - on the side of the ball (a one-hand shot, ball spin is super important).
4. Click it - elbow to eyebrow with your wrist snapped, your wrist and elbow snap at almost the same time. The number two variable is wrist speed.
5. Land on balance at the same angle (it could be forward).

Great shooters make at least 250 shots a day. During the season you can tweak a shot but not change it, which takes 3 months. If it feels comfortable, it's probably wrong. When teaching shooting, boil it down to one thing at a time. Some shooting drills to help out:

• Three-finger - if you don't get enough spin on the ball or get a good snap, tuck under your pinky and ring finger, shoot from in front of the rim (with guide hand), focus on the wrist snap.
• Knee-hug - your balance is off, hold a ball between your legs, catch a pass, jump and shoot, land with a wide, balanced base each time.
• Pull-ups - shoot a full-speed one-dribble pull-up going right, check your feet on landing, repeat going left.
• One-hand form - in front of the rim, shooting arm almost fully extended, exaggerate the little snap and click, bouncy toes. (See YouTube - 15 shooting drills)
• Bank-swish - heels on the charge circle in front of the basket, bank the ball softly above the backboard square, swish it in, work on touch.
• Shot-fake (lift pocket) - bring the ball up to the lift pocket, back down, the second time you shoot. No one in the NBA has ever shot 40% from 3 if they brought the ball above heir head, have to have a low lift pocket because you need the power. The shooting elbow should be inside 90 degrees to get a good snap. Great shooters have the ball just above their shooting eye.
• Mirror - shoot while looking at a mirror in front.
• Stuff shooting - hold the ball in the left (non-dominant) hand, quickly move it over and shoot, continue, repeat with the ball in the right hand. Can pretend to shoot, or shoot to yourself. (Also see Proper balance.)
• Pound stuff - one dribble with the left hand and shoot, continue, then dribble with the right hand. (See Proper balance, 15 shooting drills.)
• If the guide-hand thumb is part of the shot, hold a quarter (between the thumb and index finger), or use only your palm on the ball (shadow shooting). (See 15 shooting drills.)
• For a circle-shot (the ball sweeps to the middle then out to the shot line as you bring it up), coach or a partner can hold an arm out straight towards your chest.

Elbow in or out is a comfort thing, it's where your elbow and hand finish, under the ball at the point of release.

A hop or 1-2 makes no difference. Many NBA players use a 1-2 going to their right for a catch, and a hop pivot going left. Use a quick 1-2 off the dribble, or a hop to create separation. Carmelo Anthony does a 1-2 crossover pull-up, the ball and crossover step hit at the same time, it's faster than any hop.

Other YouTube videos:

5-minute shooting warm-up

• form shooting, start close to the basket
• stuff shooting (ball in left hand with right foot back, then ball in right hand, left foot back)
• rhythm shooting, down and up
• pound stuff (left hand, then right)
• game shots off the dribble
  • hesi - left-hand dribble, let the ball hang, step left-right, stuff, shoot (repeat RH)
  • pound, cross, stuff, shoot
  • pound, between, stuff, shoot
  • pound, behind, stuff, shoot
  • side-step
• off a catch (square up)
  • 1-2 pivot (inside pivot foot)
  • hop (off inside foot)
  • reverse pivot (outside pivot foot).

Should you hop or 1-2?

• hop or 1-2, no difference in results
• also have a stride stop, reverse pivot, reverse hop, side step, curl footwork (1-2, stride)
• in transition, you can stride into it, hop, one foot down already and step into it (anchor foot), or 1-2
• curling for a shot - quick 1-2, one & hop away for more separation, or quick hop in front
• moving backwards - 1-2 reverse pivot, one step and hop reverse, reverse side step.

Shooting Footwork

• sprinting away from the basket, catch and reverse hop instead of curling around (1-2) or a reverse pivot
• using a wide pin-down - hop, quick 1-2, bump and split catch, reverse pivot square-up

• when Ray Allen was curling over his right shoulder, he would go "one, hop", Hanlen and Brad Beale also do that
• some players prefer a quick 1-2 (right-left)

See Keys to shooting, Shooting - Rick Torbett, GVRTC form (guide-hand thumb), Form (elbow-in drill), Frankston step-up (ball-quick), Dave Love.