October 01, 2023   |   Tagged Coaching

How to Keep Your Shooting Hot All Winter

This basketball season, here are a few key tips to keep your shooting hot all season long.

• Pure Shooting TIP - Shoot to score with SOFT HANDS Every time you shoot the basketball focus on making your hands big on the ball. The ball needs to fly softly in a high arc to the basket. Your hands make this happen. If you make the tips of your index and middle fingers of your shooting hand fit in the seams on the ball, you have a better chance of giving the ball excellent backspin. Make the ball soft as you backspin it to the hoop. Think SWISH!
  
  
• Bonus tip: The wonderful thing about basketball is that it is not war and it is not a life or death game. You don’t die if you lose. You get to learn how to deal with loss, with disappointment, with discouragement. You get to learn how to recover from mistakes. DON’T TAKE THE GAME SO SERIOUSLY…LOVE LIFE!
  
• Pure Shooting TIP - Shoot to score with STRONG LEGS You make the ball soft to the rim with your hands. You get the ball to the goal with your legs. Focus on pressing all ten toes into the floor, bend your knees so you cannot see your feet, push down as you load your body for the shot, and pop your ankles as you release the ball to the hoop. If the ball is SHORT to the basket, BLAME your legs. It is your legs’ fault! Tell them to get busy and do their job. When you get tired, tell your legs to work hard for you so you can shoot to score.
  
• Bonus tip: Words are powerful, words make or break you, and words build or destroy. Besides hard work, the best gift to your team is encouragement. If you talk softly you will play softly. Talk as you play. When you shoot the ball say, “SWISH.” When you play “D” communicate to your teammates what you need them to do to help you stop your man. For example, “Forcing left, forcing left, help me; fronting the post; help on the back side; shot.” If you can say it you can do it. If you can’t say it, it’s likely you can't do it. GREAT TEAMS TALK.
  
• Bonus tip 2: Go to bed on time and get up 15 minutes earlier than you have to, so you are ready for the day. You need at least 8 hours of sleep each night. If you cheat your body, you cheat your game.

About NBC Basketball
Since 1971, NBC Basketball has training athletes to become better players and better leaders. Shooting is a disciplined skill that requires intentional work to improve. NBC Basketball offers pure shooting camps with step-by-step instructions and how-tos on ways to improve shooting and have the best shooting mechanics for accuracy and high-percentage shooting. For more information visit www.nbccamps.com