4 Tips And Tricks To Extend Your Range Basketball
To be able to extend your range in basketball, you will be need to able to have great energy transfer from your legs, accuracy, confidence, and a ability to shoot a smooth one motion shot. In this article I will be breaking down some tricks and tips to help you extend your range and make defenses play out on you.
1. Confidence And Trust
You have to realize that in order to be able to shoot long range shots effectively, you actually have to feel comfortable taking those shots in a game.
It might seem pretty obvious, but if you have a strict coach, or a coach that does not like there players taking those shots, then it is going to take a lot of courage to hoist that shot up in a game like situation.
Ways To Gain That Confidence And Trust.
Talk With Your Coach
Letting your coach know that this is a type of shot you feel comfortable with and can make in games is vital if you want to make more of these shots. If every time you shoot this shot, you risk losing playing time, your going to be nervous and unsure on your shooting. And if your going to shoot from this range you have to follow through all the way, and be absolutely sure of yourself. It might be easy and fun in practice but a game situation is a hole different animal.
An easy way to talk with your couch is by gaining his trust in practice. If this is something you want to do in games then taking more of these shots in practice will show your coach you are capable of making these shots. Which in turn leads to more trust and confidence.
2. One Motion Shooting
One Motion Shooting- is a shot where you use your legs as your main source for power and everything is in optimal energy transfer. A one motion shot is a shot most great NBA shooters use and especially shooters looking to shoot from deep.
A reason a guy like Ray Allen didn't have great shooting range was because he was a two motion shooter. And as a two motion shooter its going to be hard if not impossible to get great range on your shot. It can be done, but it requires significantly more effort and strength. For More Information on a two motion shot check the link below
https://www.detailedhooper.com/post/how-to-shoot-a-two-motion-shot-for-basketball
Myths surrounding shooting range- There is this common belief that in order to shoot farther from the basket. You need to get much stronger and hit the weights much more often, and while this is true for a typical jump shot or two motion shot, this is not true for a one motion smooth jump shot.
Think about all the best NBA players with range in the NBA, Trae Young, Steph Curry, and Damien Lillard, all players who are not significantly strong for NBA standards yet they have some of the best range and deep shooting ability in the World.
Pro Tip: Another cool thing about shooting a one motion shot from deep, is that shooting this way from deep can actually makes missing long or short much easier to deal with.
A reason for this is because, you have better control over your power. One of the tough things about a one motion shot is you actually have too much power coming from your legs. That is why typically most players shoot a two motion shot in the mid range or close to the basket. But shooting from deep you will not have to worry about that problem of having too much power, since your farther away from the basket.
3. Accuracy
This is by far one of toughest things to master for someone in shooting, and especially from deep. Frankly from this range you just have less room for error, and the littlest miscue can result in some pretty embarrassing shots from that range.
How To Increase Accuracy In My Shot From Deep
The Turn- The Turn is when you align your shooting hip and shoulder directly at the hoop. The myth that your feet need to be squared to the hoop to be a good shooter, well, is just that, a myth. If you look at all the great shooters, especially from deep range, they all have this turn in there feet. A reason this is great for accuracy, is because having your shooting hip and shoulder aligned to the rim allows for you to shoot the ball straight and not have to adjust in the middle of your shot.
pro tip: It is important to note that depending on where your shooting elbow is located can effect where your turn should be. For example if you shoot with your elbow tucked then aligning your hips and shoulder to the basket will be more effective. But if your elbow is out or you chicken wing your shot, then a more dramatic turn might be in order for you to be more accurate. But like anything in basketball you have to see what works for you.
4. Practice and Repetition.
I know obvious right but it really is true especially if you want to shoot from 25 or even 30 plus feet away from the basket. This is a skill in it self, and there are some useful fun drills you can use to help your shooting ability from deep range.
Ladder Drill
Rules:
-Start at the front of the basket
-every make take one step back
-every miss take one step forward
-keep going back till you feel like you cannot shoot it that far anymore
-try to see how many you can get in a row
This is a great drill for long range shooting because it allows you to get the muscle memory down, for the required strength you will need at this range. I also advocate drills where you mix things up because it emulates games more, than just sitting in one spot and shooting that a bunch of times. Now I am not saying basic drills like that are bad but, in game like situations your not going to have the luxury of getting in rhythm like that from one particular spot most of the time.
2. Partner Shooting
This drill is very simple, if you have a partner or teammate and want to work on your range then having them rebound for you as you shoot long range is a excellent way to get reps in and improve your long range shooting ability. Some tips for this drill is to alternate each shot, and to shoot no more than 3 at a time. A reason I recommend this is so you can get tired, and practice different shots all around the court. Which is great for practicing like an in game type of situation. Also make sure to mix in dribble moves as well.
3. Long Range Knockout.
Knock out, as silly as it sounds can be a great way to increase your range if you structure it around improving your shooting range. This can be done with a team or even by yourself if you really want to. Instead of having knockout by the free throw line, extending it out to the 3 point line and beyond is great to work on range and in game situations. This is because it can make you tired, and forces you to have some pressure when shooting these shots. Which is all going to happen in a game scenario.
4. Free Throws From Long Range
What I mean by this is staying in one particular spot, and slowly shooting your shot from deep range. I recommend this to really get down your shooting form and focus on your technique and muscle memory. When I say free throw shooting, i only mean staying in one spot, I do not mean not jumping or going through a free throw routine. What you should see from this drill are any deficiencies or things you need to work on, in order to improve your fundamentals and ability to shoot from this range.
I hope this article helped you learn some tips and ways you can improve your long range shooting ability. Let me know how far you can shoot. Or if you take NBA threes or beyond in games.
As always thank you and keep hooping my friends.
