“Everything negative…pressure, challenges; it’s all an opportunity for me to rise.” – Kobe Bryant
We all know that what often separates great players is their ability to make make tough, contested shots, or come through with big plays of a game down the stretch in key moments. Today, in our latest “Modern Game Truth” series installment with The Pro Lane, we dive into the topic of Shooting Under Pressure. We explore how drills can be manipulated by incorporating elements such as time constraints, scoring systems, and defensive scenarios, with the goal of better equipping players to identify and execute shooting solutions when faced with pressure situations on the court. To recreate these environments, we examine drills designed around contests “On the Catch,” contests “Off the Dribble,”and Short Clock scenarios.
About the Project
A quick recap, in our collaborative “Modern Game Truths” series with Drew Dunlop and Jake Grossman of the Pro Lane, the objective is to stimulate thought and foster ideas on practical training methods that bridge the gap between the controlled training environment and the dynamic game environment, highlighting the skills, movements, and decisions that occur most frequently in a game and help stitch skills and systems together.
This year-long series will explore ways to prepare athletes for the unpredictable and chaotic nature of basketball, moving beyond training in “perfect” circumstances and creating environments that reflect the challenges presented in the game itself.
“On the Catch” Contest
When it comes to elite shooters, very seldom are they going to be afforded time and space on their catches to knock down an open J. More often than not, their catches occur under duress, with only a small window to catch, gather, and shoot. Within these narrow windows, they must effectively coordinate their body, the catch, and their shooting mechanics to execute a proper attempt. In this segment of drills, players are put in environments where they can work through attacking open space, decelerating into the catch, getting hands early on the ball, perceiving the defense, and controlling their body in space.
Zooming In: In “1v1 Horizontal Closeouts – No Dribble” stunts from a passer or a weakside rotation are simulated. By changing the angle of the closeout shooters are forced to become more adaptable in perceiving defense, getting hands early to the ball and vertical in space.
“Off the Dribble” Contest
In this second set of drills, instead of working off of catches, the ball is put in the player’s hands to start, with varying degrees of pressure applied by a defender to encourage finding shooting solutions off the dribble. Tasked with all the same challenges as before, players must now coordinate their dribble to attack open space, accelerate/decelerate to free themselves, and then pick up the dribble to shoot.
Zooming In: Working out of a concept, and shown in this week’s video during the drill, “1v1 PNR Pull 3’s,” the shooter searches to find a shooting solution off a ball screen, with the screener assigned to create an “Over” situation. In this drill the ballhandler is constrained to a side of the floor, can only shoot 3’s, and had 7 seconds to do so.
Own the Moment
In the last drill set, we focus on late clock time constraints, simulating scenarios such as late shot clock or game-winning possessions. These situations are often less than ideal but are nonetheless common occurrences in the course of a game. So, how can a player coordinate and organize the best solution possible within these small, 2-4 second windows? It’s important to note that this segment may not result in the cleanest-looking plays, but it provides valuable repetitions that force players to integrate everything discussed prior to achieve the best possible outcome within the limited time available.
Zooming In: For example, in the drill “1v1 Perimeter Swings – Bad Passes,” the shooter is presented with a scenario where they receive a bad kick-out pass against a closeout with only 2 seconds left on the clock. Are they able to get hands on the ball early enough to catch and shoot against the closeout? Reading the closeout, can they free themselves with a foot or ball fake? Or can they get quickly to open space quickly enough with the dribble to gather and shoot before time expires? All of these and more are repped and shown in the video.
As postseasons near and scouting reports zero-in on teams’ best players, these “under pressure” drills provide ways for coaches to put players in likely scenarios they’ll see in the flow, within their offensive concepts, and at the end of tight games.
For much more on this week’s newest “Modern Game Truth” installment, plus drills to prime the athletic capacities necessary to shoot under pressure, visit the link below on SGTV…
