You can make your shot “all day” in practice. It’s easy to be automatic when no one is guarding you. But try swishing it when a tough defender is in your face.

You get out of practice what you put into it. It’s a trite philosophy, but it’s completely true. A basketball player’s game will never be fully developed if he or she doesn’t practice with proper footwork, form and game speed intensity.

Improve your shooting accuracy and field goal percentage with this Inside/Out Drill from Kansas Basketball Academy. (Once you master this, try 20 Basketball Drills to Improve Shooting.)

Inside/Out Drill

To perform this drill, players go through two separate sets, each with a different focus to develop all the attributes of a clutch shooter.

Set 1: Form Shooting

• Start in the paint, five to seven feet away from basket.
• Take each shot with one arm; if you miss a shot you have to start over.
• Make sure your feet are shoulder-width apart and you’re in proper alignment; do not drop your elbow, avoid palming the ball and follow through with your finger tips. (See Score More Points With Ray Allen’s Textbook Shooting Form.)
• Make 10 swishes without touching the rim.
• Make two free throws.
• Increase the number of swishes to fifteen.
• Make five free throws in a row.

Set 2: Shooting Spots

• You shoot from three different positions on the court—the baseline, the wing (free throw line extended) and the elbow (corner of free throw line)
• Start at the baseline.
• Have a partner flip the ball to you and step in like you’re receiving a pass.
• Make five swishes in a row.
• Move to the next spot and repeat.
• You must make all your shots from one spot to advance to the next; if you miss a shot, you must start over from the beginning.