Last week we talked about how Steph Curry is one of the best shooters in the NBA (possibly of all time). Well for some of us growing up Curry wasn’t in the league yet – instead we had to settle for a guy by the name of Ray Allen.
Ray is one of our favorite players of all time, and is deserving of a fixed spot on the Mount Rushmore of shooters (let us know your own Mount Rushmore of shooters in the comments below!).
In the video below, Ray Allen talks about the fundamentals of the jump shot, going into detail about how to setup the shot, feet placement, body positioning, and lift. He doesn’t talk much about hand and arm placement, because at the end of the day it is the base of your shot (feet, legs, and balance) that has a a greater impact on your shot result.
Allen also explains a shooting game that he works on in practice to help with his timing and release, but also to simulate moving into, catching, and shooting the ball.
In the video Allen explains the scoring for the game (+1 for a make, -2 for a miss). We just want to note that while this is fine for him as an NBA player, when you try this drill with your team don’t keep score at first. Have each shooter take their shots for 1-minute and then switch with their partner. This puts an emphasis on the process (what the shot looks like), rather than the product (whether the shot goes in).
| DESCRIPTION | Have players move back and forth from two different spots (sliding or running) between each shot.
1 Player: The player shoots, get their own rebound, runs to the next spot, spins the ball to themselves, and shoots again. Repeat for time or number of shots.
2+ Players: One partner shoots (moving between two different spots) while their partner rebounds.
Start by shooting for time (1-minute), and with more advanced players you can add in scoring for competition.
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| SKILL FOCUS | Shooting, Off-Ball Movement, Passing, Receiving |
| AGE (STAGE) | 8+ (Learn-to-Train Stage) |
| PLAYERS | 1+ |
| EQUIPMENT | 1 basketball |
| VARIATION: CHANGE THE SPOTS | Change the two spots players shoot from. Try shots that are closer/further to the basket, add in a dribble (into a pull-up jump shot), or use a fake defender to contest the shot. |
