Want to improve your shooting form? You should practice like one of the best, Klay Thompson.
It’s not an overstatement to say that Klay Thompson is one of the most talented shooters.
But if you need evidence, here are some of his accolades:
He won the 2016 3-point shooting contest and is on his way to being in the top 15 of All-Time 3-point leaders (he’s currently 18th).
He’s also dropped multiple 40-plus point games.
Klay’s best performance, however, happened on Dec. 5, 2016, when he scored 60 points on phenomenal shooting stats.
The Golden State Warriors played the Indiana Pacers this day. Thompson played 29 minutes and managed to go 21 for 33. His field goal percentage was 63.6 percent when the final buzzer went off.
Additionally, he made 57 percent of the three-pointers he took (8-14) and 91 percent of his free throws (10-11).
“But 60 points isn’t that impressive. A lot of people have scored 60 multiple times,” you may be thinking.
Well, did they do it with just 11 dribbles? Because that’s what Klay did.
He only bounced the ball 11 times. The majority of his shots were results of off-ball movement, such as him cutting and using backdoor screens.
And most of the time, he only dribbled to square up.
After the game, Klay tweeted:
“S/O to my squad for setting me up 2night! I don’t think I had to take more then 5 dribbles the whole game lol”
How Klay Thompson Practices His Shooting
What does Klay Thompson do to perfect his shot?
Practice (which led to him mastering his shooting fundamentals). That’s all. It’s honing the boring stuff that makes you great.
In this throwback #NBAMediaDay clip, Klay Thompson describes how important patience is to his goals. pic.twitter.com/mAibm3NxlD
— NBA History (@NBAHistory) September 26, 2022
How You Can Practice Shooting Like Klay Thompson
So, how can you develop a shooting form like Klay’s?
Watch the following video to find out:
Key Notes:
- The shot needs to be one fluid motion
- Figure out your “squaring up” stance
- The ball shouldn’t be on the palm. Should be on the fingertips and base of the fingers
- Practice as often as possible
- Start in close, then gradually step out
Additionally, building stamina is important for quality shooting as well.
By having a larger oxygen tank, you will be able to run and cut more without having your energy affect your shot.
To learn how to build stamina, check out this article I wrote on how to develop stamina and cardio like the Toronto Raptors’ Fred VanVleet, and why it’s important.
Why You Should Practice Shooting like Klay Thompson
Practicing your shot this way will help you lock down the fundamentals; it will help you develop quality muscle memory.
And with good form hammered into you, fatigue and tight defense won’t affect your shot as much.
You will shoot with the same form no matter what situation you are in.
Final Thoughts
Klay Thompson’s shot is textbook, as many have described it.
But the only reason he was able to develop it is through hard work on a consistent basis.
So, if you want to shoot like Klay, you have to practice your shooting fundamentals regularly as well.
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P.S. If you’re struggling to improve in basketball, you may be training wrong.
This is why you need to check out my Old Man Game Activity Guides. They are convenient training systems that will help you work on your fundamentals and conditioning.
Click here to learn more about them.