What makes a GREAT shooter?

All great shooters have three specific attributes that are crucial to understanding the secret to becoming an accurate shooter of the basketball…

  1. Consistency

• If we start to think about the most accurate shooters to play the game of basketball,names like Ray Allen,

  

  Reggie Miller, Pete Maravich, Diana Taurasi, JJ Redick, and Steph Curry would come to mind. When we take the time to break down each players jump shot we might be surprised to find that each shooter uses slightly different form or technique. However, the important point to be made is that each shooter shoots the SAME shot EVERY TIME. To become a great shooter means to learn how to consistently form habits that allow you to shoot the ball the same way EACH and EVERY TIME.

2. Repetition

• Malcom Gladwell came up with a theory which he discusses in his book Outliers that says (in far fewer words)… To become an expert in your field requires that you spend at least 10,000 hours practicing your craft. His research suggests that a distinguishing factors that separates GOOD from GREAT exists in the number of hours one commits to practice. Regardless of how talented you may believe the great shooters are, the reality is that each one of them has put in thousands of hours of repetition to achieve their success as great shooters.

3. Technique

• Without exception you will find that the best shooters meticulously critique and analyze their shooting technique. The process of breaking down your jump shot into its component parts is an exercise that all good shooters must do on a regular basis. The practice of “self-analyzation” is what allows good shooters to remain consistent in their technique as they go through long seasons and progress through their careers. Exercises like, watching film, hiring a shooting coach, and creating a “shooting checklist” are common among the great shooters. Great shooters are tirelessly committed to improving and maintaining their technique.

 

How can I become a GREAT shooter?

 

Working to become a great shooter is no easy task, but it is a skill that ANYONE can learn and work at. Improving yourself as a shooter does not require you to have a certain level of athleticism or talent; all you need to improve as a shooter is a desire to get better and a basic understanding of proper technique.

Let me say this clearly:

“Great Shooters are created through hard work and dedication”

 

Arete Hoops has created two separate sections that will guide you along the process to become a great shooter. 

 

Beginner 

In this section you will find…

• A list of the fundamentals of a solid jump shot
• Basic drills that will help you create habits that reinforce good technique
• Instruction on how to build a solid shooting foundation

Advanced

In this section you will find…

• A discussion on how to shoot off the dribble and off screens
• Learn how to shake your defender and get yourself wide open for a jump shot