How much of the basketball drills involve correcting bad habits?
Braman: I don’t want to say that’s all it is, but it’s 99.9 percent. If you have perfect form – and most of the people involved in basketball have no idea what it is – you’re going to shoot the ball at such a high level it’s frightening. PSTV: What’s a good age for kids to start focusing on their basketball shooting? Braman: I think you can do it at a young age, 8 or 9. I had a 9-year-old I taught, and after three months of reconstructing his shot he made 43 foul shots in a row on an eight-and-a-half-foot basket. But he was pretty focused and he loved it. The problem is, when kids are really young, the game should be fun. Kids shouldn’t feel like they’re working and that it’s torturous when they’re playing basketball. Ten or 11 is a really good time to lock in what’s correct. PSTV: What are some of the essentials of basketball shooting? Braman: I can’t give it all to you, but I can give you two main ones out of the five parts of the shot. Number one: When you lift your ball up to shoot
