Building Your Shot from the Floor Up

Marvin Harvey
Jul 31
3 min read

By Marvin Harvey, The Original Shot Doctor

🌅 The Calm Before the Storm

One summer morning during a 6 AM training session, I was working with Chucky Atkins and Jeremiah Rivers (Doc Rivers’ son). We were focused on free throws, and I noticed Jeremiah had a little wrist-snap before the release—an unnecessary movement that disrupted his fluidity.

Chucky stepped in and gave him a lesson that stuck with me. He used two powerful analogies:

🎯 A bow and arrow
🔫 A rifle

In both, he emphasized the same principle: Poise before power. With a bow, you hold your breath and steady the diaphragm before releasing. With a rifle, you gently squeeze the trigger, not jerk it, to maintain aim and accuracy.

“The moment before release,” Chucky explained, “is what separates control from chaos. You don’t rush power—you deliver it with discipline.”

This philosophy applies perfectly to shooting the basketball.

📐 Shooting Form = Reaction, Not Thought

If you’ve properly programmed your shooting form without the ball—as outlined in previous chapters—adding the ball becomes a matter of rhythm and flow. The key is to let the release become reaction. That reaction is born from repetition and attention to detail.

But here's where it gets precise...

A Rhythm Shift: From Mirror to Movement

When practicing in the mirror, your rhythm likely followed a spaced 1-2-3 count. But now, with the ball, the rhythm changes:

The gap between counts 2 and 3 disappears.

Why?

Because once the ball reaches the set-point, everything flows in one smooth motion. That’s where the phrase “the shot should be one movement” finally applies.

But don’t skip the set-point. Even if the ball rests there for less than a second, that moment is where eye-hand coordination is locked in—and it’s essential for accuracy.

🎯 The “W” on the Rim: Your First Target

Once you've programmed your form, begin aiming for the “W”—the metal hook on the rim that holds the net, shaped like an upside-down "W."

Focus your release through this point. Track the ball all the way to the rim with your shooting hand and arm. The non-shooting hand? It stays in the two-position—it plays no part in the release.

👉 If your shots are going too far, that’s often a lack of backspin—not power. The solution? More finger-pad control, not more force.

🎯 Building Touch: Straight-Line Shooting from the Side

Start your shooting touch from close range:

Stand one step from the side of the backboard.
Use the 3 R’s:
- Ready → Stance & set-point
- Rhythm → Smooth, connected motion
- Release → Drive fingers through the ball in a straight line
Aim to hit the same spot on the backboard every time.
Keep the arm straight, driving from your set-point.

📌 Why this drill works:

The narrow width of the backboard forces your arm, wrist, and fingers to stay in perfect alignment.
Being close allows you to see the details of your release—specifically, what your finger-pads are doing to the ball.

Repetition: Form, Then Consistency

Start with 10 to 25 shots on each side of the backboard. This helps:

Train your straight-line mechanics
Program your fingertip feel
Develop shooting touch and accuracy

The tighter the form, the more consistent the result. The closer the drill, the better the programming.

📉 Spin Tells the Truth

Backspin = Ball dies on the floor, bouncing in place
Side-spin = Ball hits the floor and shoots off to the side

Let the floor be your feedback tool. It tells you what your fingers are doing.

✍️ Final Thought: Form Is a Foundation

From poise to release, every motion in your shot has a purpose. You don't rush power—you channel it.

Begin from the floor up. Train the form before you add the ball. And once the ball is added, make every shot a reflection of precision, patience, and practiced skill.