Technique-Based Youth Basketball Shooting Drills

In basketball, kids usually want to shoot and are impatient about learning proper technique. But youth basketball shooting drills need to start with footwork before moving on to shooting form.

Here are some Kansas Basketball Academy youth shooting drills that encourage muscle memory and discipline. With each drill, use a game speed progression that accommodates your players' skill levels.

Swish Station

For this drill, it's important for coach to emphasize footwork and form, not making the shot. Remember, it's about how the players shoot, not how many shots they make.

Equipment: 6 to 12 flat cones

Place four cones in the paint and cones at the corners of the free throw line. Players move from cone to cone and shoot at each station. Coach sets the number of shots players take at each station.

• Players start in the paint shooting without guide hand
• Once players reach spot before free throw line, they jump and shoot using one hand
• When players reach the elbow spots, they can use their guide hand when shooting

One, Two Shoot

Coach should emphasize form and footwork: feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent and hands in shot-ready position.

Equipment: cones or chairs

Place chairs or cones at the elbows and in the middle of the free throw line. Players start a few feet behind the free throw line and work on taking a pass and stepping into a shot.

• Players start at the middle chair and step one, two into the pass and shot
• Player shoots at each spot for 30 seconds, or whatever coach decides
• Right-hand shooters work on stepping with left foot, then right foot and shoot
• Left-hand shooters work on stepping with right foot, then left foot and shoot