Game version
Shooting gallery: two teams of two take turns at the hoop from marked spots, and each team adds up only its own makes.
Form Shooting
Build a repeatable shooting stroke from close range before adding distance.
By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026
Set up
Stand 3 feet from the hoop, shooting hand under the ball, off hand on the side.
Core: Free-throw line. Beat your own best of makes out of 10.
- Ages
- 7 and up
- Time
- 10 min
- Players
- Just you
- Space
- Gym or court
- Bring
- Basketball, hoop
- Level · skill
- Beginner · Shooting
The steps
How it works
- Stand 3 feet from the hoop, shooting hand under the ball, off hand on the side.
- Elbow under the ball, eyes on the front of the rim.
- Extend fully and hold your follow-through (wrist "in the cookie jar") until the ball lands.
- Make 10 in a row, then step back one big step and repeat.
Coaching point
Elbow in, wrist snap, hold the finish.
Make it fun
Play it, don't drill it
Challenge
Pick a spot: Less (close), Core (free-throw line), More (a step back). Beat your own best of makes out of 10.
Story
You are an astronaut and the hoop is the docking port, so every make is a perfect landing.
My best
Beat your own count
Beat your own best of makes out of 10. Only your own number counts: today against last time.
Practice makes progress
Print it now, or save it free
Free for families and teams
Save this drill to your child or team, free
Sign up and the free basketball week for this age opens in your child's planner, kept to healthy limits. A coach can send this drill to the whole team as homework, and parents see every session logged.
14 days free for a family, no card · Running a team is always free
Does your child's coach know about this?
An email from you to the coach, with the words ready. Nothing is tracked and nobody is rewarded.