How To Master The Mid-Range Shot

By Micah Lancaster, Ganon Baker Basketball

At Ganon Baker Basketball Services, we receive thousands of emails every year asking for drills, tips, techniques and advice. One question surfaces quite often: how can a player work on their mid-range game if they don't have a three-point line or a foul line to define where "mid-range" is?

The easiest answer is, "Get some paint or chalk and draw in the lines." But for a moment let's forget about the three-point line and foul line altogether. When it comes to practicing your mid-range game, you don't even need a basketball hoop.

Develop Good Habits

Basketball is a game of habits. The players with the best habits are always the best shooters, ball handlers, and playmakers. The players with the worst habits, such as poor footwork, will never reach their potential.

Therefore, it should be of no surprise that the quality of a player's mid-range game is not so much determined by the quality of their shot or touch, but by the quality of their footwork.

Work on Your Dance Steps

You don't even need a basketball hoop to practice your footwork. All you need to do is practice the correct dance steps.

For a right-handed player, it takes one dribble and three steps to get to the right elbow for a quick pull-up jumper. Step with the right, dribble, left, right, shoot.

Going to the weak side, a player only needs one dribble and two steps. Dribble, step with the right, step with the left, shoot. These are called dance steps, and they are a great way for players to focus on the quality of their mid-range footwork.

The key word here is quality. To get something out of this kind of practice, you must get low. Drop your hips, bend your knees to 90 degrees, and keep your back straight. When you're taking your first step, you must not stand up. Stay in your stance and take long, low steps. Finally, once you have mastered the correct form, you must practice this footwork at game speed. If you're going hard enough, you will get a workout!

Practice Makes Perfect

So players, if you have a basketball court with no lines drawn, you are out of excuses. At least you can practice your mid-range footwork when you are taking your shots. And if you don't have a basketball hoop, grab your basketball, work on your dance steps, and shoot the ball in the air to yourself.

Focus on your form, get quality repetitions, and visualize the ball going through the net. You'll be surprised at how much better your mid-range game will be the next time you hit the court.