Written by Octavio Parral | @octavio_parral
Shooting the basketball is an essential component of the
game. It requires skill, timing, and work ethic in order for it to be efficient and
effective. Today, shooting has become a lethal weapon on the court. With teams like
the Rockets and
players like Steph Curry,
the game has shown that to be successful in basketball, a player must be able
to shoot the ball.
“I want to be the
best shooter to ever play college basketball.” – Bryce Watts
 |
| Bryce Watts During a Shooting Drill - Photo Cred: Dorina Pope |
Bryce Watts, from Nashville, understands the importance of
shooting. The strength of his game is shooting the basketball. “I have a good
rotation [on my shot] and footwork,” says Bryce. He explains that he can shoot
anywhere on the court with those two skills. As a sophomore in high school,
Bryce was named top 10 in the state of Tennessee for 3-pointers made and 3-point
field goal percentage.
These accomplishments are the result of Bryce’s work ethic. Coach Jeremy Pope, of Next Level Skills, runs training sessions with Bryce. Here are
3 drills that have improved Bryce’s shot.
1) Shooting Off the Screen
The focus of this drill is catching the ball
off the screen with correct footwork. Bryce comes
from the left side of the court with his left foot first and then his right. As
he sets up, he rises up with his shot and leaves a follow-through release. He does the
same on the opposite side but with his right foot first.
2) Off the Dribble Shooting
This drill works with ball handling
into a player’s shot. First, Bryce starts the drill with ball handling through 3 cones.
Notice how he stays low in his position as he
dribbles through his legs around each cone. After the third cone, Bryce sets
his feet by using a hop step jump. He rises up with his shot by leaving his
follow-through release.
3) Advanced Off the Dribble Shooting
This drill is an advanced version of the previous
drill and focuses more on ball handling. Bryce dribbles in front of 4 cones.
At each cone, the ball is dribbled 2 times in the front, 2 through the legs,
and 2 behind the back. He then sets up for his two shots: a set shot after dribbling and a shot coming off the screen. Notice how Bryce continues to stay
low in his ball handling.
“The workouts have helped me put up a bunch of game shots.”-Bryce
These drills are some of the many drills that Bryce works
on. Next Level Skills has added necessary training that is improving his
shooting. “The workouts have helped me put up a bunch of game shots,” says Bryce
on his improvements. His workouts consist of 500 plus game-shots everyday, which leads to him shooting a very high percentage during games--high enough to be honored in the state of Tennessee.
He continues to work with Coach Pope on techniques and small details that improve footwork, release, and speed. His goal is to play for Samford University and win the NCAA tournament. Check some of Bryce's game highlights here.
He continues to work with Coach Pope on techniques and small details that improve footwork, release, and speed. His goal is to play for Samford University and win the NCAA tournament. Check some of Bryce's game highlights here.
If you want to hear more from Bryce contact Next LevelSkills Basketball Academy.
-Next Level Skills
