3 Keys To Shooting Better Off The Pass

• By Tyler Linderman

Some of the best shooters in the game today are amazing at shooting the ball off the pass.

Being able to quickly receive a pass when you are already in an ideal shooting position allows you to quickly get a good shot off before the defender can challenge the shot. Follow these 3 keys and allow your teammates to set you up for great looks at the basket, whether you’re coming off screens or on a fast break.

Square Your Feet, Hips & Shoulders To The Basket

 Every good shot is taken with your body being square to the basket. Having your hips and shoulders facing the basket allows for greater accuracy and a higher percentage of made shots. While this is fairly easy to do during shooting practice, it takes concentration to square up before shooting in a live-game situation.

 In practice, pay close attention to your feet, as the rest of your body will follow their path. When pivoting into shooting position, step first with the foot closest to the basket and then rotate your body, swinging the outside foot into a square-to-the basket position.

When moving off-ball, you should be squared, with your feet, hips and shoulders all pointing directly at the basket, by the time you receive the pass.

Be sure to run drills coming off the pick from both sides of the court and pay close attention to your footwork so that it becomes second nature once you get in the game.

Have Your Hands Ready To Shoot

Every good shooter always has his or her hands ready to shoot the ball.

These scorers want the ball and expect the ball when coming off a screen or coming down the wing on a fast break.

When you always have your hands in a ready-to-shoot position you let your teammates know that you are looking for the shot and can quickly go into your shooting motion once you receive the ball. As you progress through the ranks of youth basketball to high school and college, it becomes more and more important to be able to quickly get off your shot.

Your opponents become quicker and taller, so as a shooter, you must also refine your game in order to keep being successful. Always have your hands ready to shoot so your teammates will keep feeding you the ball.

Keep Your Body Tight

Everyone wants to take the ‘Kobe Shot’. You know the one I am talking about, where he is on the baseline at the 3 point line with his back to the basket and he turns, fading away from the basket, and knocks down the shot. These are called low percentage shots, because there is very little chance of you actually making them.

 The more your body is turning or moving, especially away from the basket, the less likely your shot is to go in. When shooting off the pass, always keep your body tight. Running off screens and shooting the ball makes it easy to fall away from the basket or to the side as you shoot. Instead, keep your body square to the basket and your body tight and balanced during the shot.

Here we see player development coach Luka Baskin explain the one more pass shooting drill.

Source: SHOOT LIKE A PRO #NoShotNoGlory

Anytime you shoot the ball, you want to go straight up and straight back down, as if you were jumping in a phone booth. Don’t fall into bad habits by trying to take off balance, fadeaway shots. Be sure to keep your shooting motion the same and tight, regardless of how you receive the pass.

Practice these 3 keys above and you will find your teammates looking for you more often. Be sure to apply these techniques in practice, paying close attention to your footwork, your hands and your core so that when game time comes, you’ll always be in a good shooting position without thinking twice!