Basketball Set Shot Drills

The game of basketball is constantly evolving as players develop new skills and more athleticism. But the one area of the game that will never go away is the set shot. While most players rely on jump shots, the set shot is the constant and the true form of all shooting and players should work to master it as soon in their career as possible.

  1. Free Throws

    • The one area of basketball where the set shot is a constant feature and always will be is the free throw line. Every player takes a set shot when shooting a free throw. This is why players should start practicing their free throws before any other set shot practice. The thing about shooting free throws is that, in a game, a player will be tired from playing and this can tend to affect their form. That's why for this drill, players are shooting and running. The player should start by running two suicide sprints in a row. Then, taking only a brief moment to compose himself, the player shoots two free throws. If he makes the first he may take another. If he misses the first he must immediately run a sprint from baseline to baseline and back. If the player makes both free throws, he must only sprint from sideline to sideline and back before shooting 2 more free throws. The goal is to shoot 50 free throws and calculate the percentage of makes. Keep track and do this drill every day after practice.

    Distance shooting

    • Basketball players are often not only judged by how well they can shoot the ball, but also, from how far away they can shoot the ball well. This is where distance shooting drills, specifically for set shots, are used. To practice shooting from distance it's important to do a drill to learn what a player's shooting range is. A player should begin shooting roughly 5 to 7 feet away from the basket. The player should shoot and make two shots from this distance. After completing that task, the player should take two steps backwards. Then, without changing the set shots form (meaning not overcompensating by changing any movements or jumping) the player must make two more shots in a row. This continues until the player reaches an area where he is no longer able to keep his form and consistently make two shots in a row.

    Form shooting

    • The set shot's key element of success (putting the ball in the basket) is having correct form. This form requires the entire body to work in unison. Jim Calhoun, University of Connecticut head men's basketball coach, is famous for saying that, "a good shot, starts in your toes and ends up in your finger tips." To practice this idea, players should stand a few feet in front of the basket. The player should keep his non-shooting hand behind his back and slowly go through his shot routine while keeping the ball in his shooting hand, on his finger tips. The player should bend his knees, come to a full extension and release the ball over his head and follow through by flicking his wrist. The player should do this routine repeatedly until he is able to make 10 shots in a row.