What can I do to help my son (child) improve his (their) shooting?

Parent Question:  “What can I do to help my son (child) improve his (their) shooting?”

Expert Responses

We received three expert responses from Youth Coach Advisory Group members
Stephanie Hempen, Danielle Fagan, and Lula Bauer.

That’s a great question — and it’s one of the best things any player can work on outside of regular team training. Shooting and technical improvement mostly comes from extra touches and repetition, and even 15–30 minutes a couple of times a week can make a big difference.

1. Keep it short and focused.

Small, consistent sessions work better than long ones. Two or three short session a week (15–30 minutes) is plenty. You don’t need a big goal — a wall, fence, or small target works fine.

2. Focus on a few key habits.

• Plant foot: next to the ball, pointing toward the target.
• Body over the ball: keeps shots low and controlled.
• Locked ankle & follow-through: build power and accuracy.
• Pick one focus each session instead of trying to fix everything at once.
• Ball static/moving: Start with a static placement of the ball and as confidence and strength builds now get the ball moving whether off the dribble or just a touch etc.
• Both Feet: One foot will always be stronger, but you want comfort with the non-dominant foot too.3. Track progress.
  Make it fun — see if he can beat his score hitting a target area, on frame, upper 90 etc. each week (e.g., “8 hits out of 20 last time, can you get 10 this week?”). This keeps motivation high without needing a coach around.

  The goal is to build confidence and comfort striking the ball — not perfection.

3. Track progress.
Make it fun — see if he can beat his score hitting a target area, on frame, upper 90 etc. each week (e.g., “8 hits out of 20 last time, can you get 10 this week?”). This keeps motivation high without needing a coach around.

The goal is to build confidence and comfort striking the ball — not perfection.

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