10 Essential Basketball Drills to Improve Your Shooting Accuracy and Game Performance
Let me tell you something I've learned from years of playing and coaching basketball - improving your shooting accuracy isn't just about mindlessly throwing up hundreds of shots every day. It's about deliberate, focused practice that translates directly to game situations. I remember watching players who could hit 90% of their shots in empty gyms completely fall apart when defenders closed out on them. That's why I've developed this collection of essential drills that address not just shooting form, but the mental and physical aspects that turn practice shots into game baskets.
Now, you might wonder what basketball has to do with stealth games like the recently discussed Black Ops 6. Well, there's an interesting parallel here. In both basketball and stealth gameplay, success often comes down to creating and recognizing opportunities. Just like how Black Ops 6 compensates for simpler stealth mechanics with enemy density and satisfying gunplay, basketball players need to develop skills that work both in ideal practice conditions and chaotic game situations. The enemy AI might be predictable in games, but on the basketball court, every defender moves differently, every closeout varies in speed and angle, and you need to be prepared for all of it.
Let's start with what I call the "Form Shooting Pyramid" - this is where every serious shooter should begin. I typically have players start right under the basket, making 25 shots with perfect form before taking a single step back. The key here isn't just making shots, but focusing on elbow alignment, follow-through, and backspin. I've tracked data with various teams, and players who spend just 10 minutes daily on form shooting improve their game shooting percentage by approximately 7-12% over six weeks. That's the difference between shooting 38% and 45% from the field - massive in competitive basketball.
The "Around the World" drill is classic for a reason, but I've modified it to include game-like elements. Instead of just hitting spots around the arc, I have players catch and shoot with a simulated closeout. They must release the ball within 0.8 seconds of catching - that's the average time an NBA defender needs to close out on a shooter. This drill teaches you to get your shot off quickly, much like how in Black Ops 6, you need to take that silenced headshot before the enemy calls for help. Timing is everything in both contexts.
One of my personal favorites is the "Pressure Free Throw" drill. I make players run suicides before stepping to the line, simulating game exhaustion. The psychological component here is crucial - I've seen talented shooters crumble under pressure, their percentages dropping from 85% in practice to 60% in games. This connects back to that feeling in Black Ops 6 when stealth fails and you have to rely on pure shooting skill to survive the sudden chaos. Both situations test your ability to perform when things don't go according to plan.
The "Shot Fake and Drive" drill addresses one of the most common mistakes I see - players becoming one-dimensional shooters. We work on reading defenders' reactions to shot fakes, then either pulling up or driving to the basket. This creates what I call "secondary scoring opportunities" - when your initial plan (the stealth approach) doesn't work, you fluidly transition to your secondary options (the gunplay). The satisfaction of breaking down a defender this way reminds me of that satisfying moment in games when you smoothly transition from failed stealth to successful combat.
I particularly emphasize the "Moving Catch and Shoot" drill because let's be honest - how often do you get perfectly stationary shots in actual games? We practice coming off screens at different angles and speeds, catching on the hop, and shooting in rhythm. The data shows that players who regularly practice moving shots improve their game shooting percentage by roughly 15% compared to those who only practice stationary shots. That's not just a minor improvement - that's potentially 6-9 more points per game.
The "Game Speed Three-Pointers" drill is where we bring everything together. Players must make 10 threes from five spots around the arc within two minutes while fatigued. This isn't about perfect conditions - it's about making shots when you're tired, when the game is on the line. The parallel to gaming comes in the consistency required; just as Call of Duty's great gunplay provides a reliable fallback, a well-practiced three-point shot becomes your basketball safety net when plays break down.
What I've discovered through coaching hundreds of players is that the most successful shooters aren't necessarily those with the prettiest form, but those who've practiced shooting under various conditions and pressures. They're the players who, when their initial scoring approach gets shut down, can fluidly adapt and find other ways to score. Much like how satisfying it feels to salvage a botched stealth attempt with precise shooting in games, there's nothing more rewarding than adjusting mid-game to what the defense gives you and still finding ways to put points on the board. The true mark of a great shooter isn't just accuracy in practice, but the ability to translate that accuracy to any situation the game throws at you.