"Dad, it's hard to reach the rim when I shoot. I don't think I'm going to score any points all season."

That's what my 3rd grade son, Gunner, said to me before one of his games. (Note: This lesson also applies to older players.)

For context with Gunner's situation, he's playing up on a 4th/5th grade team so he can be with his buddy, and they shoot on traditional 10-foot rims instead of my preference 9 feet.

The problem is: As one of the smallest guys on the court, it was nearly impossible for him to reach the rim on his shots without using terrible form.

And even though I've worked with thousands of players over the years at team practices and shooting camps, I hesitated when I first thought about how to advise him.

On the one hand, I wanted to make sure his form stayed pure to maximize his long-term development.

But on the other hand, I didn't want to discourage him too much when every one of his shots came up short.

Luckily, I remembered an excellent tip from Coach Brian McCormick who shared a little-known trick to generate more shot power:

He suggested a great way to help players generate shot force is to give them a medicine ball and have them toss with two hands as far as they can... kind of like a 2-hand chest pass.

Why is this so effective?

Because in order to throw the ball as far as possible, you have to sync up everything-between your legs AND your upper body.

And another TREMENDOUS bonus with this exercise is that it teaches by itself!

Here's what I mean by that...

Normally you might tell your athlete to "Squat lower." "Bend at your hips." "Sit your butt back." "Push through your toes." "Get stable." "Get balanced." "Explode."

And it could take a while for those things to click (if at all).

But when you put them in a situation where they have to do those things in order to succeed...

Then they'll learn what to do on their own simply by doing-and you don't have to practically say anything.

When we practiced this technique with Gunner using a 4-pound medicine ball, you could see the exact same things happening.

He was able to figure out everything that he had to do in order to toss the ball further, and from his first throw to his tenth throw, he almost doubled his distance!

And wouldn't you know it:

In the very next game, he scored 6 points and even hit a shot from the free-throw line... despite not making a shot in the 3 games before that.

When a huge smile broke out on his face and he triumphantly raised his hands like Rocky did after climbing those steps, well that was the best gift I could have asked for!

And now I hear him practicing with those medicine balls on his own accord a few times a week.

So if you want to help your players generate more power when shooting, I highly recommend you give this exercise a try.

I also love doing it as a warm-up, because the contrast makes it feel much easier to shoot the basketball afterwards.

The best part?

It can work at any and all levels-from young beginners like my son to older, more experienced players (The first time I ever used this was actually with an "elite" high school player).

For the second group, I just recommend that you use heavier medicine balls to get the same effect.

Have you ever tried this before with your players?

Feel free to shoot me a reply and let me know.

Comments Most Likes First   Oldest First   Newest First

Leave a Comment Name : Email (not published) : Sixteen plus one is equal to?  (Prevents Spam) Answer :  Load New Question Comments : Leave this Blank :