3 Basketball Drills to Improve Your Shooting Accuracy in 30 Days

Walking onto the court last month, I felt that familiar mix of excitement and pressure. My team was facing the defending champions—a squad known for shutting down shooters like me. I’d spent weeks drilling, refining my release, and mentally preparing, but nothing truly simulates game intensity until you’re there, under the lights. We ended up winning, and the confidence boost was real. But as one seasoned player reminded us afterward, “It’s just the eliminations. It’s a long way to go. Of course it’s good for our confidence to beat the defending champions, the number one seeded team, beat the number two seeded team but it doesn’t mean anything.” That statement stuck with me. Winning a few games doesn’t define a season, just like hitting a couple of shots in practice doesn’t make you a consistent shooter. Real improvement—the kind that holds up under pressure—requires deliberate, structured work. Over the years, I’ve experimented with countless drills, but three in particular have dramatically improved my shooting accuracy, and I believe they can do the same for you in as little as 30 days.

Let’s start with the form shooting drill, because honestly, if your foundation is shaky, nothing else matters. I can’t tell you how many players I’ve seen launch threes with inconsistent elbow placement or off-balance footwork. It might work sometimes, but it won’t hold up when you’re tired or guarded tightly. This drill is simple but brutally effective. You stand close to the basket—I’m talking three to five feet away—and focus purely on mechanics: elbow under the ball, eyes on the target, smooth follow-through. Shoot 50 makes from five spots around the key: both baselines, both wings, and straight on. It sounds easy, but the repetition ingrains muscle memory. When I committed to this daily for two weeks, my close-range shooting accuracy in games jumped from around 65% to nearly 85%. The key is to not rush it. Take your time. Feel each shot. I even film myself occasionally to check for flaws. It’s tedious, I know, but it builds the kind of consistency that becomes second nature.

Once your form feels solid, it’s time to introduce movement and game-like scenarios with the “around the world” shooting drill. Static shooting is one thing, but basketball is dynamic. You’re constantly cutting, catching, and firing under defensive pressure. This drill mimics that. You start at one baseline corner, take a shot, then move sequentially to different spots—wing, top of the key, opposite wing, opposite corner—and back. I usually require five makes at each spot before moving on, which adds a mental challenge. Miss one, and you stay put. The first time I tried it, it took me almost 25 minutes to complete one full cycle. My legs were burning, and my focus wavered. But that’s the point. By day 20 of doing this drill three times a week, I’d cut that time down to under 15 minutes, and my shooting percentage from mid-range in scrimmages improved by roughly 12%. I prefer using a partner to pass me the ball, as it simulates receiving a pass in rhythm, but you can also rebound for yourself if you’re solo. Either way, the conditioning and shot preparation you gain are invaluable.

Finally, we have the pressure shooting drill, which I consider the ultimate test of mental fortitude. You can be a great shooter in practice, but if you crumble when it counts, what’s the point? This drill is designed to simulate end-of-game situations. Set a goal—say, 10 made shots from a specific spot—but here’s the twist: if you miss two in a row, you restart. I usually do this from my favorite spots on the court, like the wing beyond the three-point line. The first few times, frustration set in quickly. I’d get to eight makes, miss two, and have to go back to zero. It’s mentally exhausting, but it teaches composure. I’ve found that my ability to hit clutch shots in actual games improved dramatically after incorporating this drill. In fact, over a 30-day period focusing on these three drills, my overall field goal percentage in competitive play rose from 42% to around 51%. Now, that might not sound like a huge leap, but in basketball, those extra points add up fast.

Looking back, that post-game reminder about it “just being eliminations” resonates deeply. Short-term successes are encouraging, but lasting improvement comes from the daily grind—the kind these drills demand. They’ve not only sharpened my technique but also built a resilience that carries over into games. If you commit to them consistently, tracking your progress and pushing through the frustrating days, you’ll likely see a noticeable boost in your shooting accuracy within a month. Remember, it’s not about perfection from day one. It’s about building habits that stand up when the pressure is on. Give these drills a shot—literally—and watch your confidence grow with each swish.