Do you want to be a better catch-and-shoot player, like Kyle Korver? Start doing the nutmeg drill.
Kyle Korver is a 3-point specialist.
He was so good at catching and shooting the perimeter shot that teams brought him on just to do that.
In his 10-plus years in the NBA, Korver averaged 42.9 percent 3-point shooting.
As a comparison, Mike Miller, who was also a great 3-point shooter during the 2000s, averaged 40.7 percent.
Additionally, from 2013-2015, Korver showed how elite he was by averaging at least 47 percent per game while shooting at least 5 threes a game.
In one of those seasons (2014-15), his spectacular shooting led him to make his first NBA All-Star Game.
He also won the Sportsmanship of the Year award that season too, but that has nothing to do with his shooting ability. I just wanted to add it to show that he’s a good dude.
Anywhoo…
How Does Kyle Korver Shoot So Well?
So, how is Korver able to shoot the 3-pointer so well?
He’s able to do so because he has the ability to find and lock in on his target early in his shot.
So when he comes off of a screen and cuts to the wing, for instance, he’s able to quickly key in on the basket and shoot a visible shot as soon as the pass touches his hands.
How to Practice Shooting Like Kyle Korver
One of the best ways to develop Korver’s shooting ability is to do the nutmeg shooting drill.
The nutmeg shooting drill will teach you how to quickly search for and lock in on the basket as you catch the ball, like what Hawkeye does when he sees one of Ultron’s minions.
Here’s how to do it via Shot Mechanics:
Key Notes:
- Master the fundamentals of the shot before proceeding with this drill (you can learn how here)
- Get comfortable catching the ball and locking in on the basket as quickly as possible before adding in the shot
- Start close to the basket (in the key preferably) and slowly work your way out
- The most important aspect of this drill is training your eyes or vision (aka locking in on the basket)
Benefits of Nutmeg Shooting Drill
The main benefit of the nutmeg drill is that it trains you to shoot the basketball while your head is moving.
When you’re just shooting around normally, you rarely move your head. For the majority of the time, your eyes are already on the basket.
But this isn’t game-like.
In games, you are always moving and your eyes will leave the basket often. You have to watch for defenders and watch where your teammates and the ball are.
By training yourself to lock in on the target quickly, you’ll be more comfortable getting shots off in game-like (or fast-paced) environments because your vision will be focused.
Another benefit of this drill is that once you master it, you can use it for the rest of your playing days.
The reason why is that it’s a fundamental skill that doesn’t require much athleticism. It’s just an ability that needs to be acquired (like when you’re trying to level up in Diablo).
For example, at 35 years old, Korver was still getting scorch hot on offense.
There was this one instance where he scored 19 points in the fourth quarter to help his team cut down a big lead and get the win.
In this game, he just shot as quickly as he could to put points up on the box score as quickly as possible.
And it worked out in his favor because he was able to lock onto the rim in minimal time, which increased the chances of the shots going in.
Watch his handy work here:
Final Thoughts
Shooting, in basketball, is a fundamental skill that can’t be lost.
That’s why if you want to improve your shooting skills, you have to start adding the nutmeg drill to your regimen.
It’ll help you see the basket earlier and this will make shooting in games a lot easier.
