5-Spot Catch & Shoot
Game-speed catch-and-shoot from five perimeter spots. Track makes out of 10 at each.
Setup
Five spots around the arc: both corners, both wings, and the top. A partner or coach rebounds and passes. Shooter starts in a corner. Two balls and two rebounders roughly doubles the reps.
How to run it
- 1Start in the corner
Feet set, hands ready, facing the passer. Catch and shoot in one motion — no dip, no extra gather step.
- 2Shoot ten, track the makes
Ten attempts from the spot, then call the number out loud — 7 of 10, 4 of 10, whatever it actually is.
- 3Rotate around the arc
Corner, wing, top, opposite wing, opposite corner. Sprint between spots rather than jogging.
- 4Pick one footwork and keep it
Hop or 1-2 into the catch — choose one and use it at all five spots. Mixing them means neither gets grooved.
- 5Record the total out of 50
Write it down. Next session you're chasing a number, not just shooting.
Coaching points
- Hands up and ready before the pass arrives. A shooter catching with hands at their waist has already lost the rhythm.
- Feet set on the catch, not after it — the footwork happens while the pass is in the air.
- Same release at every spot. Corners are a shorter shot and players get lazy there, then wonder why the top of the key is short.
- Sprint between spots so shots come with a slightly raised heart rate, like a game.
- Track the number every session. An untracked shooting drill quietly becomes a warm-up.
Common mistakes
- Drifting into the catch instead of arriving with the feet already set.
- Speeding up to finish the set, at the cost of the form the set exists to build.
- Recording the good sets and quietly forgetting the bad ones.
- Passing to the shooter's chest rather than their shooting pocket, forcing a gather that wouldn't happen in a game.
Make it harder or easier
- Easier: shoot from mid-range spots rather than the arc until the release holds up at distance.
- Harder: the passer closes out, so every shot is contested.
- Harder: require a set number of makes at each spot before rotating.
- Hardest: time cap — most makes across all five spots in three minutes.
Coaching focus: Shooting & Finishing
Shooting drills build a repeatable release through high-rep, low-distraction reps before adding movement, defense, and game speed. Track makes, not just attempts, and keep form the priority until it's automatic.
Frequently asked questions
Five spots around the arc: both corners, both wings, and the top. A partner or coach rebounds and passes. Shooter starts in a corner. Two balls and two rebounders roughly doubles the reps. 1. Start in the corner: Feet set, hands ready, facing the passer. Catch and shoot in one motion — no dip, no extra gather step. 2. Shoot ten, track the makes: Ten attempts from the spot, then call the number out loud — 7 of 10, 4 of 10, whatever it actually is. 3. Rotate around the arc: Corner, wing, top, opposite wing, opposite corner. Sprint between spots rather than jogging. 4. Pick one footwork and keep it: Hop or 1-2 into the catch — choose one and use it at all five spots. Mixing them means neither gets grooved. 5. Record the total out of 50: Write it down. Next session you're chasing a number, not just shooting.
5-Spot Catch & Shoot works well for players in Ages 13–15, Ages 16+, and can be scaled up or down in speed and complexity for other age groups.
Run 5-Spot Catch & Shoot for about 12 minutes as part of a broader practice or individual workout — enough reps to build the habit without losing quality.
Drifting into the catch instead of arriving with the feet already set. Speeding up to finish the set, at the cost of the form the set exists to build. Recording the good sets and quietly forgetting the bad ones. Passing to the shooter's chest rather than their shooting pocket, forcing a gather that wouldn't happen in a game.
You'll need: ball, hoop, partner.
Coaching 5-Spot Catch & Shoot?
Swap notes with coaches running this drill in the free community, or build 5-Spot Catch & Shoot into a timed practice plan, assign it to your roster, and track who's completed it in the app.
The community is free and always will be. No card needed for either.