If the focus for today’s practice is to ensure your players follow through when shooting, then this cool down game is a perfect way to end and reinforce the skill!
“Elevaaaaaaator up to goose neck” – this is the phrase that my elementary school coach was famous for saying when teaching us how to follow through with our shot. Start low with knees bent, ball in hand, and as we go up, our body was the elevator pushing the ball up high. As we shot the ball we had to raise it with our dominant hand. After the release our hand should look like a goose neck with our arm up high and wrist flicked downward.
The video below demonstrates a great game involving repetitions. There are two phases to this cool down game.
- This first phase is for players to understand the basics of the game. Have 6 players per basket with three on each side and one basketball per side. Players are supposed to stand in a line and each one is to mimic the shot while the person in the front of the line is to shoot the ball when the coach says “go”. The shot can be taken from any hash mark along the sides of the key, use the one most appropriate for the level of your players. After the player shoots they are to rebound the ball to the next player in line and run the back. Allow players to do this until they are comfortable.
- The second phase is a competitive version of the first. Each line is considered a team. The first team to 5 baskets (or any desired number) wins. Players aren’t required to mimic the shot, but it is encouraged to prepare them for when it is their time to shoot. Every time a player on the team makes a basket have the team yell the score so the coach is aware. Once a team has made 5 baskets the whole team is to sit down.
This cool down drill ensures that the practice ends on a positive note! Watch the video below for further demonstration.
| DESCRIPTION | 1. Have groups of three line up on either side of the key at the appropriate hash mark to shoot from based on their level. The first player in line shoots the ball ensuring to follow through with their arm. The players behind will mimic the shot while they wait their turn to move to the front. That player will get the rebound and pass to the next player in line.
2. The next phase is more competitive. Create a challenge for the competing teams (i.e., they need to score 5 baskets in order to win). As each basket goes in, the players need to yell the score. Once a team reaches the predetermined amount they must all sit down in a line.
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| SKILL FOCUS | Shooting – Follow through |
| AGE (STAGE) | 6+ (FUNdamental) |
| PLAYERS | 6 + |
| EQUIPMENT | 2+ basketballs |
| VARIATION: | For the second phase, instead of having the teams reach a certain number of baskets, make it so that they have to make 5(or any number) baskets, but in order to win there must be a difference of 3(or any number) baskets between their score and the other team’s score. |
