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The first skill every basketball beginner should learn

April 5, 2021
Most people would suggest that dribbling is the first skill a player should learn. Why? It's the easiest thing to teach and learn. It’s because you can’t move around with the basketball without dribbling the ball. It is the easiest way to put yourself in a position to score. This allows you to maneuver past defenders, initiate the offense, and create for your teammates if you know how to dribble or handle the ball. The good thing about improving your dribbling is that you can do it individually. You will see significant improvements in your ball handling skills even in a short amount of time in practice. 

All of these things are very true but should it be the first thing a player should learn?

At A1 Basketball Fitness, we believe the first most important skill beginners should learn is shooting. Like dribbling, you can practice shooting alone. However, if there are fundamental errors to your shot, such as a bad form, it would be best to have someone who can help adjust your shot. Otherwise, you'll either spends hours shooting with bad form or need thousands upon thousands of shots to become a good shooter.

Shot Fundamentals
Knowing the fundamentals of proper shooting will make everything easier. Shooting is the most difficult skill to learn due to all the components and techniques that are involved. Every skill in basketball is required to learn, but the amount of time that should go into shooting surpasses everything.

For every 1 day working on dribbling, you'll need 2 days working on shooting. Teaching beginners dribbling drills becomes a distraction later down the line. Players lose interest in wanting to shoot correctly. Everything becomes score and make a great move on your defender. Teaching young players how to shoot properly from the beginning before ever dribbling allows the game to be taught better.

Floor Spacing
Number one key to a successful offense in this game is floor spacing. Being a shooter will always keep the defense honest. Having the ability to shoot the ball will always be an asset to any team at any level. Most young players are not comfortable spacing the floor because they’re being taught that the value of a player is the one with the ball in their hands. The ball in your hands is understood to mean you have to automatically dribble.

Shooting is the most important skill in basketball. The fundamental skills of passing, dribbling, defense, and rebounding may enable you to get a high percentage shot, but you must still be able to make the shot. A large part of shooting is mental attitude. In addition to shooting skill, you must have confidence in yourself to shoot well. The integration of the mental and mechanical aspects of shooting fosters shooting success.

Development of an accurate shot forces your defender to play you tight and become vulnerable to a fake, allowing you to pass and drive as well as shoot. If you lack an accurate shot, a defender can play back in anticipation of a drive or a pass and be less susceptible to your fake. When you do not have the ball, your defender can play farther off you and be in better position to give defensive help to a teammate guarding another player. To be successful, a team must have players who can make the outside shot.

Born This Way?
Great shooters are often called pure shooters because they have a smooth, free-flowing shot or a soft touch. Some players think a pure shooter is naturally gifted - born that way. This is a misconception. Great shooters are made, not born.

Pure shooters, such as Steve Nash and Ray Allen, will drive hard around an opponent and then effortlessly pull up for a soft jump shot. They appear to have been born shooters. Their thoughts are not on the mechanics of the shot, but rather on the position and movement of teammates and defenders. Pure Shooters consider faking the shot, delivering a pass, driving for the basket, or reversing direction to pull the ball out and reset the offense. For Steve Nash, Ray Allen and other great shooters, the skill is automatic. But it's automatic because the countless hours spent on perfecting their shot. Like other talented people, pure shooters perform their skills to maximum level without conscious thought. Each was a beginner at one time, however, and each developed into a pure shooter through dedicated practice.

Time to Get to Work
Shooting is a skill you can practice by yourself. Once you understand correct mechanics, all you need is a ball, a basket, and an eagerness to improve. But it is also helpful to practice shooting under game conditions, including the pressure situations that occur late in a game. Practice with a partner providing the defensive pressure of an opponent. Remember that through practice you will develop shooting skill and confidence.

You also can benefit from having a trained observer such as a coach, teacher, or a skilled player watch you shoot and provide corrective feedback. However, most of your shooting practice will occur when a coach or teacher is not present, so learn to analyze your shot's reaction on the rim to reinforce successful execution or reveal shooting errors and its possible causes.

Next Steps
If you'd like to have your shot evaluated and get the guidance every baller needs to improve your shot, contact A1 Basketball today.

~ Coach A1 - Allen Pritchett

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