Shooting coach/trainer in Nova
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Anonymous
| Any recommendations on a coach/trainer to fix 11 year old shooting form? |
Anonymous
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My son likes Next Level in Merrifield, especially the flexibility to go when he can fit training around practices. Your son can start with small group training or individual and I think they offer one free trial lesson.
https://www.nxtlevelbball.com/ |
Anonymous
| Evolution |
Anonymous
| A basketball, a hoop, and a couple hours a day. |
Anonymous
That’s a great way to ingrain terrible shooting form and have a kid end up with slow, inaccurate, glitchy shooting. And knee problems. OP, a coach who knows how to teach shooting mechanics can help. Many don’t. The biggest thing my kid did to learn basic shooting form was to shoot thousands of shots one handed 3’ from the basket. Then 4’, then 5’, out to FT line. But the kid should swish more than 95%, especially for close shots. If they miss two in a row (and this is with all shooting practice) they need to take a big step in. Some other basic tips: 1. Ball should go up and out. Never back toward the shooter. Lots of people break that rule, including good shooters. But bringing the ball back is slower and harder to do accurately. Up and out is quick and easier to be accurate. Easy is better. 2. Feet are parallel toward the basket. Always. Knees bend on shots but don’t collapse in. Lots of good shooters break this rules, but kids who follow these rules become good shooters quicker and easier. There’s no reason not to do the easy thing. 3. The reason shooters hold their form after a shot is not to look cool. If you hold your form and look at your first two fingertips after your shot, they should end up at the top corners of the red box on the backboard. If your kid ingrains seeing that after every shot, they will almost never miss side to side unless the ball slips out of their hand. 4. Minimize movement. This includes being ready to shoot before you get the ball. Hands up, knees bent. Straight up and out after catching. No fiddling with the ball, spinning it to find the grooves, and no cocking it back. Get the pass in ready position, then up and out. 5. Power comes from the legs. Young kids learn terrible form trying to chuck up threes using arm strength. Good shooters can make threes one handed because all the power comes from the legs. 6. Don’t let your kid practice fadeaways, shooting falling toward the baseline or any of the other PhD level tricks NBA players do to overcome NBA defense. Your kid won’t be playing against NBA players. 7. Being in ready position when the ball comes will improve a kids shooting percentage immediately. It took my kid a while to learn this — his trainer came to his freshman games and yelled this at him all game. It helped immensely. 8. It’s easier to make shots when the ball arcs 45-47 degrees. Also, that’s harder to block than a flatter shot. HS kids who do this stuff can get an accurate shot off with elevation in 0.7 seconds or better. That’s tough to defend at the HS level. |
Anonymous
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^^ Thanks for the advice!! When my son started with AAU (age 10), I hired a trainer to teach him proper shooting mechanics. It was the best money I spent for about 6-8 hour-long sessions. Trainer said many of his other clients were middle and high school students that never learned to shoot properly and it took a lot more effort to rid themselves of bad, ingrained styles.
Also, trainer said coaches may eliminate players during tryouts based on bad shooting form. |
Anonymous
Great past 2 posts, Ty all! OP here and this what I did to learn how to shoot properly but my DD does not take instructions from me well which is why I asked for recommendations. To the above poster, who is the trainer you used for your son and is he in the northern va area, Thanks. |
Anonymous
I lost track of him when the gym he trained in converted its basketball courts to pickleball.  Another great trainer we used moved away.
My son has not been using a trainer regularly but I am probably starting him again with some one on one training at Next Level Basketball gym in Merrifield. More expensive than independent trainers on Coach-Up but I don't want my son training at outside courts or in public rec centers because too hard to share courts with others and expensive to book a dedicated court. And, I may look into training options at Elevate gym in Lorton where some of my son's friends train. |
Anonymous
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As per the previous poster's comment, we used to go to Pro Fit (now Next Level Basketball) in Merrifield. A good facility and good trainers.
Currently we try and book sessions through Nick Hopson (https://www.believebasketballtraining.com/booking/). On Mondays/Wednesdays/Saturdays he has a full court to himself in Annandale. He has absolutely helped my daughter with her shooting and dribbling. |
Anonymous
My son used to do group training with Nick at Pro-Fit in Merrifield... I highly recommend him! |
Anonymous
| Any good private trainers at the CYA Fieldhouse Chantilly? |