Shooting drills serve a number of purposes for all basketball coaches. Often limited by time and practice space, quality shooting drills help maximize the resources available to most coaches. The best shooting drills provide great repetitions, on-court conditioning, and keep “standing in line” to a minimum.

This week’s Plays of the Week features three shooting drills designed to get your team both quality repetitions and on-court conditioning.

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Circle Shooting by Coach Joel Hueser

Circle Shooting is a very popular shooting drill, and for good reason. The drill is fundamentally sound and very efficient. You do not need a lot of space and players tend to get a high volume of shots up in minimal time. Our primary objective besides good passing and shooting is that of footwork. We teach the inside pivot so this action is perfect for such conditioning.

*Circle Shooting is a very popular shooting drill, and for good reason. This drill flows best with at least 5 players and 2 basketballs.

• Player 1 circle cuts around the cone (aka Coach).
• We emphasize the inside pivot. In this diagram Player 1 plants his right foot and front pivots on the catch (heel-toe).
• Player 1 shoots (not a layup).
• *At this first spot we like for the shooter to shoot with his left-hand on the left side and right-hand on the right side.

• Immediately after passing, Player 2 circles cuts and repeats the action with a front left pivot.
• Meanwhile, Player 1 gets his own and takes the ball to the line he is going to.
• After a few minutes or certain number of makes, we will progress to the next spot.

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Drag Shooting by Coach Aseem Rastogi

This is a fast-paced transition shooting drill that will get your team a lot of reps shooting game shots, from game spots, at game speed. Add in a decision making element with the options after the initial action.

Dr. Dish Settings 
Locations: 8 and 12
Pass Strength: 5
Tempo: 8

Goal: 20 makes from either side

• The Dr. Dish passes a ball to the 1, who is in a line on the right side of the half court circle. The 1 should receive the ball as far from the hoop as possible.
• The 5 line is on the other side of the midline, slightly behind the 1 line. As the 1 dribbles down the court, the 5 sprints ahead and sets the drag screen at the slot.
• The 1 uses the screen, the 5 sprints to the rim, and the 4 replaces.
• Rotation: screener to replacer, replacer to ball handler, ball handler to screener.

• Frame 2 – Option: Hit the roller on a quick pass (simulating a slip) for a shot in the high post area.
• Frame 3 – Option: Hit the replacer for the shot.
• Frame 4 – Option: Replacer hits the roller for the shot either in the lane or in the short corner (timing matters here).

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Warrior Shooting by Joel Hueser

Warrior Shooting is a great drill simulating a variety of cuts: 1) Basket Cut 2) Using a Pin Down 3) Using a Flare Screen and 4) Back Cut.

• Shot #1 Worth 1 Point: Shooter starts at half court (or top of the key extended if space doesn’t allow), catches on the move and attacks the basket.
• Points of Emphasis: Catch on the run and attack the basket with a 45 degree angle cut.

• Shot #2 Worth 2 Points: Shooter continues his cut to simulate using a pin down screen and shoots near the free throw elbow.
• Points of Emphasis: Emphasize inside-pivot.

• Shot #3 Worth 2 Points: Shooter cuts to the short corner as if using a flare screen.
• Points of Emphasis: Balance, balance, balance!

• Shot #4 Worth 1 Points: This will be the same as shot #1 but on the opposite side. There are two ways to do this: 1)
  • Sprint to halfcourt or
  • Cut hard to ball level and simulate a back cut. We prefer this more times than not.
• Points of Emphasis
  • Shot #5 & #6 will also be the same as #2 & #3
  • After the 1st shooter is done, the passer becomes the shooter and the rebounder passes
  • Repeat this again, but start on the opposite side.

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Sept. 23, 2014 – Albuquerque, NM, U.S. – 092314.University of New Mexico women’s basketball players,.including Khadijah Shumpert, top, taking a shot, practice at the Davalos Basketball Center, Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2014, in Albuquerque, N.M. (Credit Image: � Marla Brose/Albuquerque Journal/ZUMA Wire)