How to Shoot Like Steph Curry....Practice, Practice, Practice!!!
For everyone out there looking to improve their game, the article below from Coach Joe Harrington, one of the best, is excellent for shooting.
"Cup of Jo with Coach Joe" is an interview series with championship coach Joe Harrington coming to you this week from The Old Salem Cafe, where the oyster platter is well worth the drive, in Marshall, Virginia, the heart of the horse country.
Coach Joe coached Stephen Curry's father Dell when he was with the NBA's Toronto Raptors. Today he's going to share with us the secret to Dell Curry's success as a shooter. (Guess what: there was no secret. It was like doing anything well in life in that it took hard work, and lots of it!)
Coach Joe also coached at the University of Maryland, University of Colorado, Long Beach States, and Hofstra University. In high school and in college at the University of Maryland, he excelled on the hardwood, too, eventually being drafted by the Boston Celtics. After his playing career was cut short by injury, he went into coaching, where he has recruited and coached many All American players, while guiding championship teams. He has coached and recruited some of the finest players in history, at both the professional and collegiate level.
For Your Basic AWG, the topic of this week's show hits home: how to become a great shooter like Stephen Curry, his father Dell Curry, and Coach Joe himself. (If Your Basic AWG had been a great shooter, he would not be an AWG as the two are mutually exclusive.)
YOUR BASIC AWG: We all know how to make it to Carnegie Hall. Is it the same with shooting?
COACH JOE: Yes, it requires practice, practice, practice: just like Carnegie Hall. You just have to love to shoot.
YOUR BASIC AWG: How did you manage to get it all that practice growing up in Maine?
COACH JOE: I kept my outdoor court free of snow the whole winter.
YOUR BASIC AWG: Well, I'm guessing you didn't shoot with gloves on in the winter, even though LL Bean is headquartered in Freeport.
COACH JOE: My fingertips cracked it got so cold.
YOUR BASIC AWG: What did Dell Curry do to become such a great shooter?
COACH JOE: Dell Curry had his "Make 5 Drill."
YOUR BASIC AWG: Please tell us about it?
COACH JOE: He would make 5 shots from 5 different spots beyond the NBA 3-point line.
YOUR BASIC AWG: What was your role?
COACH JOE: I would pass him the ball. He certainly did not need coaching on how to shoot. I would just tell him to keep it in rhythm.
YOUR BASIC AWG: Sounds pretty challenging!
COACH JOE: Not for me, and pretty much not for Dell Curry as he was such a great shooter, like Steph Curry. He would only allow himself one miss per spot, though.
YOUR BASIC AWG: What happened if he hit that sixth miss?
COACH JOE: He would start all over again.
YOUR BASIC AWG: How many times would it take Dell Curry to complete the "Make 5 Drill"?
COACH JOE: He could generally have it done in less than three tries.
YOUR BASIC AWG: Do you think he taught that to his sons, Steph and Seth?
COACH JOE: No doubt, you can see it how great they shoot.
YOUR BASIC AWG: What do the great shooters like Steph Curry and Dell Curry think as they are hoisting it from 30 feet?
COACH JOE: That after it leaves their hand, it is going in.
YOUR BASIC AWG: No matter who was covering him?
COACH JOE: Defense does not bother the great ones like Dell Curry or Steph Curry.
YOUR BASIC AWG: Can you coach that or learn it?
COACH JOE: That mental toughness is not taught, it is earned.
YOUR BASIC AWG: Like shooting outside in the middle of winter in Maine until your fingers crack?
COACH JOE: That's right: its never about the toughness or range of the shot, its only about winning.
YOUR BASIC AWG: What made you such a great scorer?
COACH JOE: My shot fakes. I would always keep the defender off balance.
YOUR BASIC AWG: Lets go Old School: Who was the best shooter you covered?
COACH JOE: Attempted to cover would be more accurate.
YOUR BASIC AWG: Point made: who might that have been?
COACH JOE: The best shooter I ever attempted to cover was Rick Barry, now in the NBA Hall of Fame.
YOUR BASIC AWG: What made Rick Barry so tough to cover?
COACH JOE: Rick Barry used his body so well. Not only was he a great shooter, he knew where to catch the ball on the court.
YOUR BASIC AWG: What was the best way to cover one of the greats like Rick Barry?
COACH JOE (laughing and shaking his head): Some guy you just can't cover.
YOUR BASIC AWG: Did he have that quick release like Stephen Curry and his father.
COACH JOE: Yes, they had that quick shot and the mental toughness that no matter who was covering them: the ball was going in the hoop after it left their hand. Is it in your DNA when you are great shooter.
YOUR BASIC AWG: Is a great shooter a great shooter, no matter what the era in basketball?
COACH JOE: Oh, I think so. And you never mess with their shot when they are a great scorer.
YOUR BASIC AWG: What can you do to improve a shot?
COACH JOE: You can tweak a shot. Change the way you set. Have them release it differntly, maybe higher. You can also change the footwork.
YOUR BASIC AWG: What was the range of your money shot?
COACH JOE: About 20 foot.
YOUR BASIC AWG: No matter who was covering you?
COACH: JOE: Didn't matter.
YOUR BASIC AWG: What do you think of today's shooters?
COACH JOE: This could very well be the best group of 3-point shooters in history.
YOUR BASIC AWG: Who sticks out?
COACH JOE: Steph Curry and Kevin Durant have the longest range I have ever seen.
YOUR BASIC AWG: Really, so who would you pick first for your all time team?
COACH JOE: Stephen Curry, but then Bill Russell.
YOUR BASIC AWG: That certainly shows your age and who you rooted for growing up in Maine! You were drafted by the Celtics when Russel was on the squad, so it would have been great playing with him if you hadn't hurt your knee. But who wouldn't want Stephen Curry burying 3-pointers for their team, no matter the era. Some abhor the 3-point shot, what about you, Coach?
COACH JOE: The 3-point line has changed the game for the better. I think it is for the better as the fans like it. Its better for the fans as it is very exciting. If you have great 3-point shooters, you are never out of a game.
Wanna improve your J? For those looking to take their game to the next level, Coach Joe has camps for boys the week of July 11-15 at Harper Park Middle School, for girls the week of July 11-15 at Smarts Mill Middle School, and July 25-29 is a co-ed camp for all at Harmony Middle School. For any questions, please email [email protected] or call him at 240-417-4969.