Some of the Best Drills to Improve Shooting

An aspiring screenwriter based in New York City, New York, Sawyer Petrick graduated from The New School's film program in 2018 and has since contributed to the development of scripts for a web series and feature film. Outside of his professional endeavors, Sawyer Petrick enjoys reading and playing basketball.

While there are many different ways to improve your game, the goal in basketball is pretty simple: shoot the ball through the hoop. Players should regularly practice passing, rebounding, and setting screens, but shooting the ball should be prioritized. Shooting from different areas of the court in an unstructured session helps, but there are also several shooting drills that can improve a player's timing, release, and accuracy in pressure situations. One of these exercises is the 99 shooting drill.

Another player should be positioned below the rim as a rebounder to start this drill. The player shooting the ball should be in constant motion around the arc while pulling up to take shots from different locations. The player receives three points for every make and loses three points for consecutive misses. The goal is to reach 99 points as quick as possible.

The 5-5-5 drill is also effective at improving shooting form and footwork. With a chair set up inside the arc to function as a defender, the player should take five shots moving to the right with left-right footwork, followed by five shots to the left with right-left footwork. This should be followed by five shots alternating between both left and right footwork. This drill helps improve footwork and shooting rhythm.