As I was shooting baskets with Kaden over the weekend I noticed that he had gotten
into the habit of taking a lot of running shots. What is a running shot you say? It can be best described by moving as fast as you can while dribbling and the putting up a shot while still in motion without even looking at the basket.
The running shot is common among young b-ballers because it takes a lot of coordination and thought just to remember to dribble, to know where you are on the court and to locate the basket. It’s very easy to just throw the shot up and hope it goes in. Unfortunately if you don’t take time to set your feet and actually look at the basket the ball most likely is NOT going to go through the hoop.
As I continue to work with Kaden I am finding that you have to find a way to simplify the game so that a seven your old understands what you are talking about. To solve the problem of the running shot I told Kaden to think about three things. Move fast, shoot slow, and look at the basket. In essence I was telling him to come to a jump stop and get set before he shoots. With a final reminder to always look at the basket.
Remember to keep working with your kids so they don’t develop bad habits like the running shot. Keep your explanations simple and give lot’s of praise when they do it right!
by Stacey Atkinson