Make yourself a shooter through practice and tracking. Slippage always occurs between practice and game results. Fatigue, pressure, minor injury, and other factors conspire to degrade results.
Many of you made twenty, fifty, or even a hundred consecutive free throws in practice. But how many consecutive have you made in a game or series of high school, college, or pro games?
What constraints and measurements do you use?
First, put up a "generic drill." Scoring from blocks and elbows are core skills.
Always practice and play with purpose. Here are two "elbow" shooting drills stressing movement into catch-and-shoot from the elbows. As the rebounder, focus to pass to your teammate's shot pocket.
1. Compete against your partner/teammate. At the least, you get bragging rights. Competition increases focus and adds a pressure dimension.
2. Track makes against the clock (time pressure). This also creates convenient 'switches' from shooter to passer.
3. Record makes over time. Keep track on graph paper or use a spreadsheet. Work to improve each week and each month. If you use a spreadsheet, teach yourself to create different charts/graphs and you increase skills in multiple domains.
4. Monitor field goal and free throw percentage. One of our 7th grade girls won the league free throw championship at the end of the season and finished third in a statewide contest.
5. Add degrees of difficulty. We practiced harassment free throws with partners in high school. You could say anything but not touch or directly interfere with the shooter. Imagine what high school boys might say to each other.
6. Establish your personal bests. Develop a mindset of continual growth.
Lagniappe:
— Steve Finamore (@CoachFinamore) June 29, 2019"If you think you can or you can't, you're right." - Henry Ford
Lagniappe 2: Ask better questions.
1. What are you reading today?
2. What are you studying today?
3. Are you spending your time or investing it?
Lagniappe 3: The Second Bite
In a bonus class, Massimo Bottura demonstrates "palate training" with three key ingredients...tomatoes, parmigiano reggiano, and balsamic vinegar. The first bite connects the palate with your brain and the second lends emotion. In basketball, three key ingredients are athleticism, skill, and knowledge (ASK). The first view gives us information but the second bite informs a deeper perception of the player.