10 Basketball Shooting Drills to Sharpen Your Shot
On this page16
- 01The best basketball shooting drills at a glance
- 02Form Shooting
- 03Mikan Drill
- 04Spot-Up Shooting
- 05Catch-and-Shoot
- 06Off-the-Screen Shooting
- 07Dribble Pull-Up Series
- 08Beat-the-Pro (Make-Miss Scoring)
- 09Around-the-World
- 10Free-Throw Routine Under Fatigue
- 113-2-1 Game-Winner Drill
- 12How We Ranked These Drills
- 13How to Structure a Shooting Workout
- 14Why Distance Isn’t the Same at Every Spot
- 15Solo vs. Assisted Reps
- 16Turning Drills Into a Better Shot
Ranked by how much transferable, game-usable shooting each drill builds per rep, not by difficulty. Foundation drills that fix mechanics rank first because every later rep depends on them; game-speed and pressure drills rank higher only once the base is in place, since they waste time on a broken stroke.
The best basketball shooting drills at a glance
| Rank | Drill | Main skill |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Form Shooting | Repeatable mechanics |
| 2 | Mikan Drill | Touch and finishing footwork |
| 3 | Spot-Up Shooting | Range consistency |
| 4 | Catch-and-Shoot | Game-speed preparation |
| 5 | Off-the-Screen Shooting | Shooting on the move |
| 6 | Dribble Pull-Up Series | Off-the-bounce scoring |
| 7 | Beat-the-Pro | Pressure shooting |
| 8 | Around-the-World | Multi-angle consistency |
| 9 | Free Throws Under Fatigue | Late-game routine |
| 10 | 3-2-1 Game-Winner | Clock-pressure shots |
- The foundation
Form Shooting
Every drill below assumes a repeatable stroke, and this is the one that builds it. Stand one to three feet from the rim, ball on your shooting hand with the off hand as a light guide, and shoot straight up with a full follow-through and soft backspin. Make 10 in a row before stepping back a foot.
It ranks first because it strips out the two variables that hide bad mechanics — distance and defense — so your brain only has to solve the release. Nearly every college and pro player still opens a workout here. Cue: hold the follow-through until the ball hits the net, fingers pointing at the rim. Review our breakdown of basketball shooting form to know exactly what "good" looks like before you drill it at speed.
Distance: 1–3 ft from rim · Target: 10 makes in a row · Cue: freeze the follow-through · Best for: grooving clean mechanics
- Touch and footwork
Mikan Drill
Named after Hall of Famer George Mikan, this continuous layup drill lives directly under the rim. Alternate right-hand and left-hand finishes off the correct foot, catch every make, and go right back up. Aim for 25 makes without a miss, both hands.
It sits just behind form shooting because it builds the two things a stationary shooting drill can't: soft touch off the glass and timing between your feet and release. It also warms your hands faster than anything else, which is why coaches open practice with it. Jump off your inside foot, keep the ball high, and use the backboard. It pairs directly with how to do a layup.
Position: directly under the rim · Target: 25 makes, no miss · Cue: inside foot, ball high · Builds: touch, ambidexterity, footwork
- Map your range
Spot-Up Shooting
Pick five spots around the arc — both corners, both wings, and the top of the key — and make a set number from each before rotating. Five makes per spot is a clean target for most players.
It outranks the game-speed drills that follow because it does something they don't: it charts exactly where you are and aren't reliable, one spot at a time. Track corners and wings separately, because the NBA line is 23 feet 9 inches at the top but only 22 feet in the corners — the corner three is a genuinely shorter shot, and your percentages will show it. Feet set and squared before the catch, every shot the same tempo.
Spots: 2 corners, 2 wings, top · Target: 5 makes each · Note: corner 3 = 22 ft, top = 23 ft 9 in · Builds: range map
- Game-shot rehearsal
Catch-and-Shoot
Most game jumpers come off a pass, not off the dribble, so this drill trains the shot you'll actually take most. Use a partner, a wall, or a return machine to feed you, then shoot immediately with your feet already loaded. Target 50 game-speed makes across five spots.
It ranks above the pull-up and specialty drills below because catch-and-shoot is the single most common shot in a real offense, so reps here carry the highest transfer per minute. Show your hands early, hop into the catch so you land ready, and release in one motion. Turn these reps into scoring with jump shot technique and three-point shooting.
Feed: partner, wall, or machine · Target: 50 makes across 5 spots · Cue: hop into the catch · Builds: timing, footwork
- Shooting on the move
Off-the-Screen Shooting
Elite shooters get free by sprinting off screens, so rehearse it. Set a chair or cone as the "screen," sprint into it, then curl or fade, catch, and rise. Aim for 8 of 10 makes per action — curl, fade, and straight cut.
It edges the specialty and pull-up drills below because it forces you to shoot with momentum and slightly off balance, which is exactly how you get open against a real defense. Sprint the last three steps, chin the ball on the catch, and get your feet down fast. This is the drill that separates spot shooters from players a defense actually has to chase.
Setup: chair or cone as screen · Actions: curl, fade, straight cut · Target: 8/10 each · Builds: shooting with momentum
- Score off the bounce
Dribble Pull-Up Series
Not every shot is a catch-and-shoot, so you need to score off the dribble too. Attack from the wing, take one or two hard dribbles, and rise into a balanced pull-up. Hit 10 makes each from left, right, and middle drives.
It ranks here because a pull-up is harder to repeat than a set catch-and-shoot — you're gathering off live momentum — so the reps matter, but they come after your catch-and-shoot base is solid. Gather low, hop or one-two into your shot, and go straight up rather than drifting. Sharpen the setup with our crossover dribble work so you can create the sliver of space a pull-up needs.
Attack: left, right, middle · Target: 10 makes each · Cue: go straight up, no drift · Builds: shot off the dribble
- Pressure and consequence
Beat-the-Pro (Make-Miss Scoring)
Turn a solo workout into a competition. Give yourself 1 point for a make and the imaginary "pro" 2 or 3 points for a miss, then race to 21 from spots around the arc. Beat the pro from all five spots to finish.
It ranks above the pure repetition drills below because the scoring adds a consequence, which keeps your focus high late in a workout when concentration usually fades and lazy reps creep in. A miss is expensive, so every shot gets your full attention — the closest a solo session gets to game stakes.
Scoring: make +1, miss +2 or +3 to pro · Race to: 21 · Value: focus late in the workout · Format: solo
- Consistency from every angle
Around-the-World
A classic for a reason: shoot from a series of marked spots, moving to the next only after a make. Miss, and you either stay or go back one. Complete the loop corner to corner without restarting.
It sits below Beat-the-Pro because it lacks that game-like scoring pressure, but it does one thing better — it forces consistency from every angle, since you can't skip your weak spots to finish. Reset your feet fully at each new spot before shooting. It turns a workout into a beatable, repeatable goal you can time week to week.
Format: advance on a make · Goal: complete the loop · Cue: reset feet at each spot · Builds: angle-to-angle consistency
- Win close games
Free-Throw Routine Under Fatigue
Free throws decide close games and get practiced worst, usually fresh and unfocused. Fix that by shooting them tired: run a sprint or finish a hard drill, then step to the line and shoot pairs. Set 8 of 10 as the target to end your workout, or add sprints if you miss it.
It ranks near the end deliberately — you should reach it fatigued, because that's when free throws actually matter in a game. Use the identical routine every time: same dribbles, same breath, same follow-through. Fatigue plus repetition is what makes the line automatic. Lock in the mechanics with our free-throw technique guide.
When: after a sprint or hard drill · Target: 8/10 to finish · Cue: identical routine every time · Builds: pressure free throws
- The dream shot
3-2-1 Game-Winner Drill
Finish with drama. Put three seconds on a mental clock, catch a pass or take one dribble, and shoot a contested "buzzer-beater." Track your make percentage over 20 attempts and try to beat it next session.
It ranks last not because it's least useful but because it's the capstone — it only pays off once the mechanics, footwork, and pressure reps above it are in place. Full speed, full follow-through, real emotion. It rehearses the exact shot every player dreams about and trains you to stay calm when the moment is biggest.
Clock: 3 seconds, contested · Volume: 20 attempts, log the % · Cue: full speed and emotion · Builds: composure under pressure
Reader interaction
Build your ranking
Drag the names into the order you think is right — or use the arrows — then submit to see how your list compares with everyone else's.
- Form Shooting
- Mikan Drill
- Spot-Up Shooting
- Catch-and-Shoot
- Off-the-Screen Shooting
- Dribble Pull-Up Series
- Beat-the-Pro (Make-Miss Scoring)
- Around-the-World
- Free-Throw Routine Under Fatigue
- 3-2-1 Game-Winner Drill
Audience ranking
How everyone ranked them
Built from reader rankings using position-based points.
The ten drills above are ordered from foundation to game situation, each with a rep target and a coaching cue. Great shooters aren’t born with a perfect stroke; they groove it through thousands of intentional reps. If you’re still building your base, pair these drills with our guide to how to shoot a basketball so the mechanics you’re drilling are correct before you drill them at speed.
How We Ranked These Drills
The order isn’t about difficulty — a 3-2-1 buzzer-beater is harder than form shooting, yet form shooting ranks first. It’s about transfer per rep, weighted by prerequisites. Drills that fix mechanics rank highest because every later rep sits on top of them; a game-speed catch-and-shoot rep is wasted if the underlying stroke is broken.
From there, the ladder climbs through range-mapping, then game-speed shots (catch-and-shoot, off-screen, pull-up), and finishes with pressure and consequence (Beat-the-Pro, fatigued free throws, the game-winner). That mirrors how a good workout is actually built: warm up close and controlled, then finish under fatigue and stakes so your focus peaks when a real game would demand it.
How to Structure a Shooting Workout
Order matters as much as volume. Warm up close and finish under pressure so your body and concentration peak at the right time. A simple weekly template:
| Phase | Drills | Volume |
|---|---|---|
| Warm-up | Form shooting, Mikan | 10 + 25 makes |
| Base | Spot-up, Around-the-World | 50 makes |
| Game speed | Catch-and-shoot, off-screen, pull-up | 75 makes |
| Pressure | Beat-the-Pro, free throws, 3-2-1 | to a target |
Count makes, not attempts, and log your spot-up and free-throw percentages so you can see progress over weeks rather than guess at it.
Why Distance Isn’t the Same at Every Spot
Two shots that both count for three are not the same shot. The NBA arc is 23 feet 9 inches at the top of the key but only 22 feet in each corner, because the arc runs into the baseline before it can finish its full radius. That’s why the spot-up drill logs corners and wings separately: your corner percentage will usually run higher, and treating all threes as one number hides where you actually need work.
Solo vs. Assisted Reps
You can run most of this list alone. A rebounding machine like a Dr. Dish or Shoot-A-Way, or even a partner and a return net, mainly does two things: it raises your rep count and it lets you rehearse catch-and-shoot passes at true game speed. If you train solo, position yourself near a wall or use a return net so your minutes go into shooting, not chasing. Either way, the drills and their make targets don’t change.
Turning Drills Into a Better Shot
The players who improve fastest aren’t the ones who shoot the most; they’re the ones who shoot the most on purpose. Pick four or five of these drills, hit a real make target on each, and end every workout at the free-throw line while your legs are tired. When your handle is holding your scoring back, rotate in a session of basketball dribbling drills so you can get to your spots cleanly. Do that four days a week, track the numbers, and your percentages will climb.
Frequently asked questions
In what order should I run these shooting drills in one workout?+
Work from the top of the list toward the bottom: warm up close with form shooting and the Mikan drill, build range with spot-up and Around-the-World, then move to game speed with catch-and-shoot, off-screen, and pull-ups. Save the pressure drills — Beat-the-Pro, fatigued free throws, and 3-2-1 — for the end, so your focus and legs are tested the way a real game tests them.
How many shots should a full shooting workout include?+
A focused session runs 250 to 500 quality shots, not thousands of sloppy ones. Break it into stations of 25 to 50 makes so you chase percentages instead of raw attempts. Most skill coaches count makes rather than shots taken, because counting makes forces concentration on every rep. Thirty focused minutes with a rebounder or return net beats an hour of chasing your own misses around the gym.
Can I do these drills alone without a partner or machine?+
Yes. Form shooting, the Mikan drill, spot-up, Around-the-World, Beat-the-Pro, and the free-throw routine all work solo. A partner or a rebounding machine mainly raises your rep count and lets you practice catch-and-shoot passes at game speed. If you train alone, shoot near a wall or use a return net so you spend your time shooting rather than chasing rebounds across the floor.
How often should I run shooting drills to actually improve?+
Shoot four to six days a week, even when some sessions are short. Skill is built through frequent, distributed repetition, so 20 focused minutes daily beats a single two-hour session once a week. Alternate heavy form days with game-speed catch-and-shoot days to avoid overloading your shoulder and wrist. Log your spot-up and free-throw percentages so you can track the trend across weeks instead of guessing.
Why count makes instead of shots taken?+
Counting makes ties your reps to a result, which forces concentration on every shot rather than rushing to hit an attempt number. Ten makes in a row from a spot proves control; ten attempts proves nothing. Make-based targets also let you compare sessions honestly — hitting 50 makes in 60 attempts one week and 50 in 55 the next is measurable progress. Chasing raw attempts rewards volume over quality, which is how bad habits get grooved.
My shot suddenly feels off mid-workout. What should I do?+
Stop adding volume and step back to the front of the list. Return to form shooting one to three feet from the rim and rebuild the release before you shoot another jumper — piling on reps with a broken stroke only grooves the flaw deeper. Check your base, balance, and follow-through, then work back out to range. If the problem persists, diagnose it with [how to shoot a basketball better](/how-to-shoot-a-basketball-better/) rather than shooting through it.
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