2 Moves to Help you Create Your Own Shot
Creating your own shot is something that not a lot of players can do but the best players can do it whenever. I know that most guys can throw stuff up while being guarded but I’m talking about doing moves that allow you to have a chance to make the shot and make it part of your game. Here are 2 moves that can be practiced that will allow to get more shots off and make you a more well rounded offensive player.
1. Shooting off the dribble: As a younger player I was able to drive past my defender often and get him in foul trouble. It was good until pretty soon I would drive and there would be other people standing there waiting for me. When the defender would lay off of me I was able to shoot the ball and put him in a tough position. I realized that I needed to work on something that would allow me to get a shot off without going all the way to the basket but also not just stand there and shoot it. I learned that if my defender was guarding me closely I could act as if I was going to drive right past him and then as I took one hard dribble or two hard dribbles I could pull up and catch the defense by surprise. It was a great addition to my offensive game and one that i still use today. To shoot off the dribble practice going right into a shot as the ball comes up off the bounce. Practice with both hands and start close to the basket to learn this. It will not feel natural originally but will get better as you get more and more comfortable. You will see Kobe do this move constantly as players guard him with such pressure and they are afraid that he’ll go around them. As he makes a hard move the defense makes a hard move to stop him and just then Kobe will pull up off the bounce and the defense can’t recover in time. 2 points.
2. Step Back Jump Shot: The step back is almost the same as shooting off the dribble but can be easier to get your feet set and creat space between yourself and the defense. A step back shot is created when driving a certain direction and immediately stepping back and shooting the ball just like it sounds. The spacing is created by a hard push back with the front leg and allows you to get your legs underneath you more easily than you would expect. Practice this move by starting at the top of the key and without shooting learn the footwork. Just get the footwork in place and even if it takes 50 times to feel comfortable go with it until it feels normal. If you worry too much about the shot you won’t be able to do the move fundamentally correct. Larry Bird was the king of the step back jump shot. One of the parts that has to be practiced is to make sure that you dribble when you do the step back or you’ll more than likely be called for traveling.
We are working on getting you some sample clips of these drills and shots so you can see them and we’ll have them soon.
