Shooting technique

1Why this matters

Every pass in netball has one purpose: to get the ball to a shooter inside the circle. Only two players, the goal shooter (GS) and the goal attack (GA), may score, and only from inside the attacking shooting circle. The ring has no backboard to help, so a sound, repeatable technique makes the difference between a close game won and lost.

2The shot, step by step

1. Face the post, feet about shoulder-width apart, weight balanced.
2. Ball above your head, resting on the fingertips of your shooting hand; the other hand steadies it at the side.
3. Eyes on the ring. Aim to drop the ball just over the front of the ring, into its centre.
4. Bend your knees, keeping your back straight and the ball still.
5. Straighten your knees and your shooting arm together, flicking the wrist so the ball spins backwards.
6. Follow through: fingers point at the ring as the ball drops in.

A high, arcing flight gives the ball the best chance of dropping cleanly through a ring with no backboard. A flat shot hits the front of the ring and bounces out.

3Shooting rules

• The shooter must be inside the attacking shooting circle.
• The footwork and three-second rules still apply.
• A defender must stand at least 0.9 m from the shooter's landing foot, but may raise her arms or jump to put the shooter off.
• If a shot misses the ring completely, the shooter may not be the first player to touch the ball again. If it hits the ring, anyone may take the rebound.

4Where to shoot from

Figure 1. The shooting circle and five practice spots. Diagram: Ganzaa.

Shots from close to the post score far more often than shots from the edge of the circle. Shooters therefore work to receive the ball close in, and a shooter at the edge should often pass to the other shooter if she is closer and free. After every shot, both shooters move towards the post to fight for a rebound.

Worked example

Keza, the goal shooter, catches the ball 1 m from the post. Her defender stands 0.9 m from Keza's landing foot, arms stretched high.

Decision. Keza should shoot, with a higher arc than usual to clear the hands. The defender is at a legal distance, so there is no penalty to wait for, and a 1 m shot is the best chance her team will get.

5The session (about 40 minutes)

Warm-up (7 minutes). Jog and side-step with a ball, passing in pairs. Wrist and finger circles, shoulder circles, and gentle squats to prepare the legs for the knee bend.

Skill drills (22 minutes).

• Close-range technique. From spot 1 in Figure 1, one hand only, the other behind your back: make 10 shots. Then use both hands.
• Around the post. Shoot from spots 1 to 5 in turn; move on only when you score. Then repeat from 3 m.
• Shooting under pressure. A partner stands 0.9 m from your landing foot with arms raised. Five shots each, then swap.
• Rebound pairs. Both shooters in the circle; the teacher shoots and deliberately misses sometimes. The first shooter to secure the rebound shoots again from close in.

Game (7 minutes): shooting ladder. In fours, take turns from spot 1; each score moves you one spot further back or round. The first to score from all five wins.

Cool-down (4 minutes). Walk; stretch the wrists, forearms, shoulders and thighs, 20 seconds each.

6Safety

• Never swing or hang on the goal post; check that it is steady before the lesson.
• Keep clear of the area under the ring while someone else is shooting.
• In rebound drills, go for the ball, not the player, and land with bent knees.

Practice

Solution. The goal shooter and the goal attack, from inside the attacking shooting circle.

Solution. Shoot with a higher arc: bend the knees more and push the ball up, so it drops steeply into the ring.

Solution. No. Because the ball did not touch the ring, another player must touch it first.

Solution. Pass to the GS, whose shot from 1 m is far more likely to score.