How Many Shots To Take In Practice?

I talk about the training for basketball every single day. I train many players and it's important to have discussions that are relevant to improvement. The topic of shooting and the number of shots comes up daily. Before I have a chance to answer I have heard several times that, "so and so professional says you have to shoot five hundred shots a day to be good". I had a college coach in Bruce Webster who said you had to "shoot two hundred shots per day to be a shooter in his offensive scheme".

Does anyone really need to count their shots? No, I don't think so. The counting of the shots becomes more of a workout than the shots. That's a problem. The reality of shooting drills is as follows;

1. Master a technique that maximizes made shots.
2. Be able to shoot off the catch.
3. Be able to shoot off one dribble.
4. Be able to shoot off two dribbles.
4. Be able to shoot curling around a screen.
5. Be able to shoot fading into space.
6. Develop a tear drop shot over taller defenders.

Technique is the most important thing to shooting. That takes time and patience. Most people learn wrong, feel comfortable with that poor technique and never allows themselves a chance to become a great shooter. Truth is, anyone can become a great shooter. To learn how to do it the right way, you need to be coached. In practice, you don't need "x" number of shots in a workout. You just need to do drills that mimic game situations and shoot as long as your technique remains perfect. Once you see your technique fade, call it a day.