Basketball Training Secrets: 7 Proven Drills to Improve Your Shooting Accuracy

I still remember the first time I stepped onto the court for tryouts back in high school. The squeak of sneakers on polished wood, the distinct smell of the gym, and that nervous energy humming through the air—it all comes back to me whenever I pick up a basketball. But what I remember most vividly is the frustration of watching shot after shot clang off the rim during those initial practices. My form was inconsistent, my timing was off, and frankly, I had no systematic approach to improving. It felt like being dropped into a survival game without any tools or directions, much like my experience with the original Grounded before its sequel fixed those issues.

That feeling of being lost without proper guidance reminds me exactly of what the Grounded 2 developers improved upon. They added what I'd call "basketball drill signposting"—those gentle suggestions and mission markers that tell you exactly what to do next. When I finally committed to structured training, I discovered that shooting improvement works the same way. You need clear markers and progressive challenges, not random practice. That's why I want to share what I've learned through years of playing and coaching. These aren't just random tips—they're the basketball training secrets: 7 proven drills to improve your shooting accuracy that transformed my game from inconsistent to reliable.

The first breakthrough came when I started treating shooting practice like Grounded 2's refined survival gameplay—systematic, purposeful, and building progressively on previous skills. I began with form shooting, spending what felt like endless hours just five feet from the basket. My coach made me shoot 100 shots daily from that spot alone, focusing purely on mechanics. Elbow under the ball, eyes on the target, follow-through like you're reaching into the cookie jar—these cues became my mission markers. Within three weeks, my close-range shooting percentage jumped from about 40% to nearly 85%. That foundation became crucial for everything that followed, much like how Grounded 2's stronger narrative framework made the survival elements more meaningful than the first game's sometimes disjointed experience.

What Grounded 2 understood about player guidance is that people need to see their progress and understand the next objective. I applied this to my shooting routine by incorporating the "around the world" drill, moving systematically to seven spots around the key. From each position, I wouldn't move on until I'd made seven consecutive shots. Some days I'd spend 45 minutes just on the wings, stubbornly refusing to advance until the ball swished through the net those seven times without interruption. The immediate feedback—hearing that perfect swish sound—acted as my achievement marker. This methodical approach took my mid-range game from mediocre to what my college teammates called "automatic" from 15 feet out.

The third drill involved game-speed movement, because let's be honest—nobody in actual games stands stationary waiting for passes. I created what I called the "catch-and-shoot marathon" where a friend would pass me the ball as I curled off screens. We'd do this for 20 minutes straight, aiming for 200 attempts. The first week, I barely hit 35% of these shots while moving. But by maintaining what Grounded 2 designers would call "gentle suggestions on what to do next"—in this case, focusing on squaring my shoulders before worrying about my release—I gradually improved to consistently hitting around 65-70% in practice conditions. This translated directly to games, where my shooting percentage off screens improved from 28% to 42% over a single season.

Free throws became my fourth secret weapon, though I approached them differently than most. Instead of just shooting mindlessly, I developed a precise routine involving three dribbles, a deep breath, and visualizing the arc before every attempt. I'd shoot 100 daily, tracking my percentage in a notebook. The data didn't lie—I went from 72% as a freshman to 91% by senior year. This meticulous tracking gave me the same satisfaction I felt when Grounded 2's improved systems provided clear progression pathways rather than the frustration I remembered from the first game.

For three-pointers, I adopted the "shotgun" method—taking 300 attempts from beyond the arc every practice day, but with a twist. I'd divide them into sets of 25 shots from five different spots, resting exactly 90 seconds between sets to simulate game conditions. The first month nearly broke me—my shoulders ached constantly, and my percentage actually dropped from 31% to 28%. But like Grounded 2's refined crafting system that made resource gathering feel purposeful rather than tedious, this structured suffering eventually paid dividends. By season's end, I was hitting 38% from three-point range, adding a completely new dimension to my game.

The sixth drill focused on fatigue shooting, because fresh legs don't exist in the fourth quarter. I'd finish every practice with what we called "suicide shots"—sprinting baseline to free throw line and back, then immediately catching and shooting. Then baseline to half-court and back, shoot again. Baseline to far baseline and back, one final shot. The exhaustion made proper form feel impossible initially, but gradually my muscle memory took over. My late-game shooting percentage improved dramatically, from just 25% in fatigued states to maintaining nearly 45% even when tired.

Finally, I incorporated what basketball nerds call "shot replication"—watching film of my favorite shooters like Ray Allen and Klay Thompson, then immediately imitating their mechanics for 50 shots. This wasn't just mimicry; it was understanding the biomechanics behind elite shooting. Combined with the other six methods, this complete approach took my overall field goal percentage from 39% to 49% over two years—the difference between riding the bench and starting every game.

Looking back, the parallel between video game design and basketball training seems obvious now. Both require clear signposts, progressive challenges, and systems that build upon previous accomplishments. Grounded 2's developers understood that players need direction to avoid frustration, and basketball players are no different. Those seven drills became my mission markers, transforming my shooting from a weakness into my greatest strength. The journey from frustrated beginner to confident shooter didn't happen overnight—it took thousands of shots, countless hours, and a systematic approach. But every time I step to the free throw line with the game on the line, I'm grateful for those basketball training secrets: 7 proven drills to improve your shooting accuracy that gave me the roadmap to success.