Basketball Drills - 2-Man Shooting Drills

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Here are several partner shooting drills. Have each player get a partner and use all of your baskets. With all of these drills, make sure your shooters are squared up, using good shooting technique, elbow in, follow through, no drifting sideways.

Shooters should receive the ball in triple threat position. Make sure the passes are sharp and accurate. Players should sprint after the ball and to their shooting spots (game speed) - no loafing! Make the drills competitive and have each pair keep score. Losers do push-ups.

Partner Shooting Drill #1, Catch and Shoot.

Player #1 makes a chest pass to player #2. #1 follows the pass and closes-out on #2, but does not try to block the shot or simply fly by the shooter. #2 takes the shot (no dribbling)and follows it for the rebound.

Now player #2 passes back out to player #1 (who is at position A) and closes-out on #1, who is now the shooter. After both players have shot from position A, they move next to position B, and on around the circle and then back around again (E->D->C->B->A). If you are coaching younger players, have them move in closer so that correct shooting form is not compromised.

Partner Shooting Drill #2, Shot Fake and Shoot Jumper.

Follow the same procedure as in Drill #1, but this time have your shooter first receive the pass in triple threat position, make a shot fake or jab step, move around the defender using no more than one or two dribbles, and then shoot the jump shot. The shooter can move in either direction, using a pump fake and moving right, or a shot fake and crossover move to the left.

Partner Shooting Drill #3, Fake and Drive for the Lay-up.

Again, the same procedure is used. This time the receiver makes a shot fake and explodes through the defender (rubs off his shoulder) for the drive to the hoop and lay-up.

Partner Shooting Drill #4, Anything Goes!

Same procedure as above, but now the shooter has all of the above options and the defender plays live defense.

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Shooting Drill #5, Elbow Shooting.

Player #1 is the rebounder for player #2. #2 starts at the left elbow, fakes left and cuts to the right elbow. #1 passes to #2 so that the pass arrives at the right elbow the same time #2 does. #2 plants the inside foot, squares up and shoots.

Make sure that correct shooting form is being used and that the shooter does not drift sideways. #1 rebounds the shot and passes back to #2 for the shot, now at the left elbow. #2 continues moving back and forth from elbow to elbow for a total of ten shots. Then the players switch roles and #1 is the shooter for ten shots. You can repeat this for as many sets as you want, getting 20, 30, 40 or 50 shots for each player.

The elbow shooting drill can be modified. You can have the shooter catch the ball, make a shot fake, cross-over dribble to the middle of the paint (between the free throw line and the circle hash marks) for the short jumper. This is especially useful for post players, helping them to acquire that soft touch on the short jumper.

Shooting Drill #6, Partner Shooting.

This drill helps shooting, spotting up, and emphasizes that shooters should follow their shots. Each player gets a partner, preferably with another player who plays a similar position. Each pair has a ball. Use all of the baskets.

For perimeter players: One player starts on the right wing (player #1) and the other starts opposite on the left wing (player #2). Player #1 on the right wing shoots, follows the shot, rebounds and passes out to #2 on the left wing. Player #1 then spots up at another place on the perimeter.

Player #2 shoots, follows it, rebounds, and passes to #1, who is now spotted up in a different location. This rotation continues, with the players moving around to all the locations that they will normally shoot from in a game - corners, top of the key, etc. For a variation, do the same drill but instead of spot stationary shooting, have the shooter fake the shot, 1-dribble adjust, and shoot the jumper.

For post players: Use the same drill as above except the post players should be taking their shots inside, in the paint or short corners, and can work on their post moves. After rebounding, the rebounder dribbles the ball out and passes inside to his partner posting up.

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Shooting Drill #7, Bird Shooting Drill.

This is a difficult drill. Use two players... one a shooter and the other a rebounder. As a team drill, we use all of the baskets. We shoot from 5 spots on the perimeter - 3-point shots for outside players, while post players can move just inside the arc if desired.

Set the clock for 2 minutes. On "go", the shooter starts in the corner and must make two-in a-row before he/she can move to the next spot (the wing). The shooter must make two-in-a-row at each spot before moving to the next (see diagram). Rotation is from right corner => right wing => top => left wing => left corner => left wing => top => right wing => right corner.

If the shooter makes it all the way around and back, he/she then goes to the top and starts shooting 3-point shots from there, and however many he makes from there (total, not consecutive) is his score... so 2 or 3 is a really good score. Next, the rebounder becomes the shooter (and vice-versa) for the next two minutes.



This is difficult because there is pressure on the shooter because of the 2-minute time limit, and because of having to make two-in-a-row at each spot. You could shoot 50% and never leave the first spot!

With all of these drills, make sure your shooters are squared up, using good technique, elbow in, follow through, no drifting sideways. Shooters should receive the ball in "triple threat" position. Make sure the passes are sharp and accurate. Players should sprint after the ball and to their shooting spots (game speed)... no loafing! Make the drills competitive and have each pair keep score. Losers do push-ups.

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Related pages:

• Team Shooting Drills
  
• 3-Point Shooting Drills
  
• Shooting Fundamentals, Form and Technique
  
• Guard Breakdown Shooting Drills
  

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