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Archives by Tag 'Shooting'

Competitive Shooting Drills: Scoring in the Paint

By adam.warner - Last updated: Wednesday, April 3, 2013

According to Duke associate head coach Chris Collins, it’s critical that basketball players can score in the paint with proficiency — and that goes for guards just as much as centers and forwards.

To work on your offensive efficiency down low, add this highly effective “Scoring in the Paint” drill to your practice plan. Coach Collins first walks through the drill for you before having his players run through it at full speed.

Scoring in the Paint – Overview

All basketball players need to be able to score in the paint. This is a huge skill to be able to do this, especially for guards. While it’s easy to make an uncontested layup, it’s far more difficult to make layups from different angles with defensive pressure or floaters in the lane over helping defenders. These are the kinds of shots that players need to work on consistently.

Drill Set-up: Start out with groups of three players and two balls at each basket. The first player up starts in the paint. Everything in this drill will be in the paint. The lane player should start by shooting any kind of different shot, like a running hook, spin shot, floater, shot with the left hand, a reverse layup, etc. Use your imagination. After one player shoots, the next player is under the basket to get to rebound. From here, a third player will go immediately into his shot. The flow continues like this. As a group, look to make 20 finishes.

Drill in Action

By implementing this drill consistently, players get a feel for where the basket is. You also learn how to make layups and other shots form a variety of different angles. In short, it’s a very realistic, practical drill.

Finally, look to make a competition out of it. This will help with getting your players to work at game speed/game intensity. Remember, it’s not about quantity, it’s about quality.

The previous clips can be seen on Championship Productions’ DVD “Duke Basketball: Competitive Shooting Drills.” To check our latest videos focusing on shooting drills, click here.

3 Individual Drills for Shooting on the Move

By adam.warner - Last updated: Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Follow along with Johns Hopkins offensive coordinator Bobby Benson as he reveals three effective individual lacrosse drills focusing on shooting on the run. Coach Benson will first walk through each drill before having his team run through live simulations at game speed.

On the Move

This drill is a great way to practice shooting on the run while getting in some conditioning. Start with a pile of balls up top and have just one player go at a time. To begin, have the player dodge down one alley and shoot and then dodge down the other alley and shoot. If you’re on a football field, stay inside the football hash marks when sprinting and shooting the ball. If you don’t or have trouble getting your hips to the goal, you can always put cones down to run within.

The player should start each rep by splitting to the right before shooting the ball. After the shot, he/she should come back to the top and get the next ball. From here, the player will go down the left side alley, shoot it, come back, and then go to the right side. Go for 60 or 90 seconds for each player and look to implement this at least a few times a week in practice.

Shooting with Two Players

Now let’s add two people to the drill to really increase the speed. This time, we will have one player go down the left side as the opposite player goes down the right side. Players go alternate back and forth for the duration of the drill. Meanwhile, it really forces players to pick up their speed of play and to get off hard shots on goal. Remember: This drill does you no good if you don’t practice it at full speed!

Up the Hash

Finally, here’s another great individual drill that simulates coming around the goal from behind. It also simulates those situations when a base defender comes sliding up the field in any kind of adjacent slide package.

A coach will stand with a pile of balls up at the top of the box. One at a time, players will sprint toward the coach from behind the goal (start at GLE on one side of the net). As the sprint toward the coach, they will catch a pass, turn the corner, and then finish the ball going towards the front of the cage. Coaches: Remind your players to catch it first, then turn the corner and get off an accurate shot. Also, it’s critical to practice this on both the right and left sides.

The previous clips can be seen on Championship Productions’ DVD “35 Championship Shooting Drills for Lacrosse” with Bobby Benson. To check out more shooting-oriented videos, head over to our lacrosse library.

Filed in Lacrosse Newsletter • Tags: Bobby Benson, Drills, Inside the Crease, Johns Hopkins Lacrosse, Shooting, Shooting Drills

5 Quick-Fire Shooting Drills to Maximize Reps in Practice

By adam.warner - Last updated: Wednesday, December 12, 2012

In this week’s player development feature, pick up five efficient shooting drills designed to pay major dividends for your basketball team. Follow along with De La Salle (CA) head coach Frank Allocco as he walks through each drill before players go through live simulations. These drills focus on using proper fundamentals, getting maximum reps in a short period of time, and instilling confidence in each one of your players.

Form Shooting

Consider This: It’s difficult for elite teams to put a player on the floor that can’t shoot. Every player must be a scorer and learn how to shoot the basketball. If you want to get quicker, shoot the ball better. If you can shoot, defenders must be able to extend out on you and now you have the edge.

How it Works: This is a drill that Coach Allocco does with his team every day. For form shooting, start with one-handed shots about five feet from the hoop. Stress perfection. Players should get their feet parallel and get air between the ball and their palm. Get yourself in a good stance and position and have your shoulders, knees, and toes lined up.

Tips and Variations: Take about four or five shots. The goal is to develop great form and technique. Extend that elbow and finish nice and high. Then move back a step and continue all the way to the three-point line. Form shooting stresses the importance of bending your knees when shooting. Remember that power comes from the legs and the extension of the elbow. This is also a great range finder.

Box Shooting

Teams can get just about every possible type of shot out of this drill. First, let’s work on the inside pivot. Get two lines under the hoop. The first player up will come up the lane, make a good pivot, start to lower his/her shoulder, turn the left foot in, catch the ball, and pull the leg right up into the shot around the free throw line. The pulling of the leg helps with momentum. You can also break up your team on opposite ends and do this competitively and keep score. The players take it a lot more seriously when there’s a consequence.

Lift Fakes and Dribble-Ins/Outs

Lift Fakes: Keep the same set-up as our previous drill. Now after catching the ball, players will make a lift fake before shooting the ball.

Dribble-Ins: Now, players will catch the ball, lift fake, turn their body sideways, make one dribble, and shoot.

Dribble-Outs: Finally, on dribble-outs, the passer must run an inside course or else players will collide. Shooters will get the ball, make an inside pivot, lift fake, step out, then turn and get momentum into the shot. Remember, pass and follow inside.

The previous clips can be seen on Championship Productions’ DVD “Frank Allocco: Developing the Complete High School Player.” To check out more videos focusing on team shooting, click here.

Filed in Basketball Newsletter • Tags: BasketballCoach Newsletter, De La Salle Basketball, Frank Allocco, Issue #51, Player Development, Shooting, Shooting Drills

3 Rapid-Fire Shooting Drills that Mimic Game Situations

By adam.warner - Last updated: Tuesday, April 3, 2012

During his tenure as head men’s lacrosse coach at Robert Morris, Bear Davis developed his squad into one of the top scoring programs in the nation. By implementing game-like shooting drills into his regular practice plan, Davis ensured his players were comfortable within the offense, working on practical situations, and involved in competitive drills.

In this week’s team development feature, Davis leads you through whiteboard discussion and on-field simulations featuring three of his most effective drills. Each drill is suitable for players at nearly every level and easy to implement at your own practice with just a few adjustments. Look to deliver results with your own squad in practice and in game situations this season.

Time and Room

Begin by forming two lines out in front of the cage. Get your shooters in a line with each player possessing a ball. As players come up, they will feed to the opposite line across the cage. This player will then receive the pass and immediately fire on net. Be sure to point out a spot on cage that you want players to shoot on. Meanwhile, the next guy in line is ready to go because his teammate has a ball. Look to get tons of reps with this drill. This Time & Room drill is also similar to last week’s feature drill featuring John Nostrant and the Haverford School.

Fish Hook Shooting

Start with a midfielder dodging down the alley. Next, get your attackmen to clear through and have the defenders step up. From here, the attackers will look to make a little fish hook move on the inside as the midfielder dodges down the alley. The midfielder will then dump it off to the attacker and the attacker will finish in tight.

Look to run this drill on both sides of the field and get a lot of reps in. Also, look to make over-the-shoulder feeds as well. Be sure that the attacker clears through for the dodger — this is key. The player inside here gets his hands free, catches, and looks to finish strong.

Change of Direction Shooting

The key with change of direction shooting is for players to free up their hands (using your feet). It’s common for players to not always know what this means. Therefore to help with this concept, look to set out cones in front of the goal and get a coach in the middle (of the paint). Establish two lines of players starting from up top (on both sides of the field). One at a time, players start with a sprint to the middle (to free up some space), and then proceed toward the cage with a dodge. They will eventually get down to the cone nearest to the GLE, move back up to the top cone, get around this top cone, and finish off the shot.

Finally, make sure that players use their eyes to always read the slide attacker. We can do this by getting a coach set up in the middle to hold out a number and the players must shout these out. Through this, we will know that the players are dodging with their eyes up and are capable of reading when a player is sliding to try and take the ball away from them.

The previous clips can be seen on Championship Productions’ DVD “25 Game-Speed Shooting Drills for Lacrosse” featuring Kenneth “Bear” Davis. Check out more shooting videos by heading over to our lacrosse library.

Filed in Lacrosse • Tags: Drills, Inside the Crease, Kenneth (Bear) Davis, Robert Morris Lacrosse, Shooting

3 Efficient Shooting Drills for Lacrosse Practice

By adam.warner - Last updated: Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Look to add these highly efficient shooting drills to your lacrosse practices this year. The drills come from John Nostrant, the head boys’ lacrosse coach at the Haverford School in Haverford, Pennsylvania. Perfect for warm-ups, game days, or after conditioning, these three shooting drills get your players a lot of reps in a short time and aim to improve overall shooting accuracy.

3-Man Shooting

This shooting drill uses three lines of players. It all starts with a pass from the right line to the middle guy and then a shot on cage by the middle guy from about 15 yards out. Next, a pass immediately goes from the left player to the right player for a hard shot. Remember, there should be no defense or goalie’s in this drill, just offensive players working on their shooting. Players should always switch lines.

The goal here is to get a volume of shots, get players warmed up, improve on stick work, and to not wear on their legs. 3-Man Shooting is a good pre-game drill and perfect following a lot of conditioning work. Note: The team will burn through a massive amount of balls in about five minutes. There’s constant movement involved, ample passing, and a lot of reps.

2-Shot with Dodge

Next, have all the lacrosse balls start in the top middle area. The players on the wings will get two shots back-to-back. The first is a set shot, like you’d get in an extra-man situation, set play, or fast break. The second shot is a “hitch and go” featuring a big shot fake and run to the middle.

This is a terrific warm-up drill, but also ideal for teaching technique, dodging, stick skills, and overall throwing and catching. Make sure that you get players to make a big pump fake and then sprint to the middle before unloading a shot.

Also, provide two feeders up top just constantly feeding players with passes. This should be their only job. It really helps players get in a lot of reps. Force the players to mix up shots, whether it be a low shot, high pipe shot, bouncer, etc.

Tip: Since there’s no defense here, players have the tendency to take their time and make a big wind-up. Constantly remind them to get their shots off quickly like in a game situation.

2-Shot with Backdoor Cut

Finally, using the same set-up as before, get players to first make a set shot. Then for the second shot, have players step out, make a backdoor cut, lead with the stick, catch the ball, make one fake, and then shoot it. Remember, don’t run behind the goal. Stay in front of it. Meanwhile, lead players with your stick on the backdoor cut. Like before, players get back-to-back shots in the same sequence here.

The previous clips can be seen on Championship Productions’ DVD ”Efficient Shooting Drills for Lacrosse Practice” with John Nostrant. Check out more shooting videos by visiting our lacrosse library.

Does your squad implement any of these drills or similar variations as part of their practice routine? Which other shooting drills do you recommend for getting your players a ton of reps?

Filed in Lacrosse • Tags: Drills, Haverford Boys Lacrosse, Inside the Crease, John Nostrant, Shooting

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