Basketball shooting drills you can track by yourself

Drill 01

Form shooting close in

Reps

50 shots, one hand, from inside two metres

Target

Aim for 85 per cent or better. Below that, you are too far out.

Start under the ring, shoot with your shooting hand only and your guide hand off the ball. Five makes from a spot, then step around the arc of the key. Every shot swishes or it does not count in your head.

Tracking itThe callouts keep the count so you can watch your elbow instead of the scoreboard. Watch the percentage climb across sessions in your history.

Drill 02

Spot-up, five spots

Reps

10 shots at each of the five spots, 50 total

Target

Aim for 45 to 55 per cent from mid-range, 35 per cent plus from three.

Corner, wing, top of the key, wing, corner. Rebound your own ball, get back to the spot, set your feet and shoot. Do not drift closer as you tire.

Tracking itRun it as one session and check the shot list afterwards: the clips are in order, so you can see which spot is the leaky one.

Drill 03

Free throws in sets of 10

Reps

5 sets of 10, 50 total, with a sprint or 20 push-ups between sets

Target

Aim for 75 per cent overall and never below 6 of 10 in a set.

Same routine every single shot: same number of dribbles, same breath, same follow-through. The work between sets is what makes it match-like.

Tracking itThe spoken running count tells you where the set stands without stepping off the line. Best streak is the number to beat next time.

Drill 04

Around the world

Reps

7 spots, make 2 in a row at each before you move

Target

Aim to finish the loop inside 60 shots, then beat it.

Baseline, short corner, wing, elbow, top, elbow, wing and back. Two in a row moves you on, a miss means you stay. The pressure comes from not being allowed to leave.

Tracking itCallouts announce the streak, so you know a spot is done the moment it happens. Total shots for the session is your score.

Drill 05

Catch-and-shoot off a self-pass

Reps

40 shots, 10 from each of four spots

Target

Aim for 45 per cent, and for the ball leaving your hands inside a second of the catch.

Throw yourself a pass out to the spot with backspin, chase it, catch it with your feet already turned, and rise straight into the shot. No dribble, no reset.

Tracking itBecause you never look at the phone, the rhythm holds. Check the clips afterwards to see whether your feet were really set on the misses.

Drill 06

One-dribble pull-ups

Reps

30 shots: 10 right, 10 left, 10 alternating

Target

Aim for 40 per cent. It is meant to be harder than spot-ups.

One hard dribble from the wing into a pull-up at the elbow. Same shooting motion as a catch-and-shoot, just arriving off the bounce. Balanced landing, or the rep does not count.

Tracking itCompare the session percentage against your spot-up day. The gap between the two is the honest measure of your off-the-dribble shot.

Drill 07

Beat the pro

Reps

First to 11, from a spot of your choosing

Target

Win the game. Losing by four or more means move a step in.

A make scores you 1. A miss scores the imaginary pro 2 (or 3 if you want a proper fight). First to 11 wins. Play three games and take the series.

Tracking itThe count is called out shot by shot, so you can keep the score in your head without breaking rhythm. The summary gives you the exact make and miss order to settle it.

Drill 08

Closing streak challenge

Reps

Make 10 in a row from anywhere inside the arc, then stop

Target

Aim to finish inside 25 shots. Never finish a session on a miss.

Last thing in every workout, when your legs are gone. Pick your spot, hit 10 straight, go home. A miss puts you back to zero, which is the point.

Tracking itThe streak is called out loud as it builds, which is the only number that matters here. Best streak is saved with the session.