When training basketball players, many people focus on improving their team play skills and do not focus enough on their individual shooting drills.

However, there are so many ways to improve your shooting that you will never get bored or run out of new and exciting drills to try. Keep reading to find out seven of the most common ways you can use them to improve your individual shooting skills.

1. Basic Form Shooting

This shooting drill improves your shooting form, accuracy, balance, and control.

It also helps you learn a consistent set-up position that considers your shooting hand, legs, and body angle and follow through with every shot. The key here is repetition—practicing consistently is the best way to get better at shooting.

2. 3-Point Shots

Before starting your individual shooting drills basketball, set a specific amount of time during which you must make a set number of 3-point shots. The timer keeps track of how many baskets you’ve made and when your time is up, so stay on pace.

To mix things up between practice and games, use two locations: one set far away from its usual spot, so you have to aim differently with each shot.

3. Off-Balance Shots

Most of your shots on a basketball court are taken while moving and being defended by someone else. This means that you will rush your shots more often than not, and you won’t have much time to settle before defenders surround you.

These shots take practice and can be replicated in individual shooting drills because they require high coordination, balance, focus, and finesse. Always remember that the best shooting drill for basketball is game play.

4. Taking Care of the Ball

It’s one thing to be good with your shot, but if you turn it over too much, it doesn’t matter what kind of shooter you are. Hoisting up many shots means very little if they don’t go in.

One easy way to improve your retention is by working on individual dribbling drills. Besides perfecting your crossover and fakes, focus on ball security and footwork to ensure quickness off screens.

5. On Ball Defense

Next on our list of basketball shooting drills is on-ball defensive practice. You will face an offensive player with a basketball in a game-speed situation. They will want to take a single dribble toward you and then use a pivot move.

Most commonly, you’ll hear coaches tell players they should try and use either a jab step or a euro step during their pivot. Be sure that during their pivot move, you always stay on your toes for quickness and be ready to contest.

6. Comeback Moves

Comebacks and get-bys are great ways to get by your defender because they work off of hesitation. When done correctly, they can catch your defender off-guard and quickly free yourself up for an open shot.

The comeback move is self-explanatory—when someone is guarding you from behind, come back around them for a wide-open shot at goal. The best way to do it is with a crossover dribble. While moving towards your target, take one hand off the ball and bring it across your body while making eye contact with your defender.

This should cause them to lean one way or another, which leaves you with space to cut through their legs for an easy layup or jump shot.

7. Creating Space

If you shoot right-handed, create space on your left side. The most popular method is to bring your non-shooting arm across your body. You can fake defenders by bringing that arm up in a shooting motion and then dropping it back down quickly.

But you can also incorporate more of your body into creating space: start with two knees bent and have one leg extended behind you; that creates an easy pocket for defenders to guard, but if you use fast footwork, you can get them off balance and hit a jump shot or layup.

Conclusion:

When learning how to shoot in basketball, knowing where to start is challenging, let alone knowing what you should work on first. Fortunately, many individual drills can help you improve as an individual shooter and develop your skills more quickly than shooting around in a group setting or during practice with your team.