Take a look at this submission from Mark. A great example of a [tag]drill[/tag] for [tag]basketball shooting skills[/tag] that can work with all age groups.
“Perfect Form” & “Bonus” Shooting Drill
The following simple [tag]basketball[/tag] activity has made a tremendous difference in our [tag]free throw[/tag] [tag]shooting[/tag] success since it was incorporated.
We generally take 4 short water breaks per practice. After each water break the players are to practice their “Perfect Form” close to the basket. On every made shot, the player takes one step further from the hoop. On a missed shot, the player takes one step closer to the hoop. The furthest the player can step back is the free throw line. After every successful free throw, they remain at the free throw line. After a missed free throw, the player steps closer to the basket. NO talking is allowed during this activity – concentration on “Perfect Form” is the focus. Anyone caught talking results in extra conditioning activities either on the spot or after the activity.
After 2 minutes of “Perfect Form” shooting we then shoot a “Bonus”. Each player shoots 2 free throws (no warm up shots allowed) then they immediately line up along the sideline so we can count how many free throws were made. 75% made free throws is required or the players run their number of misses. For example; 12 players would shoot 24 free throws (2 each). 18 made free throws are required to avoid running sidelines. If the team made 15 free throws, they would run 9 sidelines. Coaches can adjust their free throw shooting percentage accordingly. 75% is a realistic goal to attain.
This activity takes about 3-4 minutes to complete. In all my years of [tag]coaching[/tag], this activity has done more for our free throw shooting success than simply shooting free throws during practice.