When the ball is passed to you, do you immediately shoot it without hesitation? Or is there a moment of doubt? A moment where you pause as though someone has grabbed hold of you and won’t let you shoot.
Many basketball players struggle with hesitating before shots. It’s not that they’re bad shooters; it’s just that fear has taken over.
In this article, I’m going to explain the main reasons I’ve seen athletes hesitate before shots, and provide you with a few simple tips you can apply to your game.
Why Do I Hesitate Before Shots?
The reason basketball players hesitate before shots is due to perfectionism, fear, and self-doubt.
I worked with a college basketball player who played center. In high school, he played shooting guard, so he was no stranger to shooting.
However, in the early part of the season, he found himself unable to shoot. Playing a new position, he wasn’t as confident, and he also felt more fear about embarrassing himself in front of everyone watching.
This fear of embarrassment caused him to hesitate before shots.
Another basketball player I worked with was determined to find the best look every time down the court. Even if that meant his teammates would shoot. In fact, that’s the way he felt most of the time.
He was so concerned with his team getting the best look each time down the court that he hesitated whenever he got the ball.
Unfortunately, even when he had an open shot, it turned out to be a bad look after he hesitated, because it gave the defender time to close in.
A third example is of another college basketball player I worked with who was scared of hurting her field goal percentage.
She doubted her shooting ability and worried about her field goal percentage. So, coming off a good game, since her percentage had improved, she hesitated in the following game out of fear of losing what she’d gained.
These three examples highlight how fear, doubt, and the need to be perfect limit free play and result in hesitation.
3 Tips to Stop Hesitating Before Shots
What can you do, then, if you’re currently hesitating? How do you get yourself back to where you can catch and shoot? Because no matter how good you are, hesitation will always result in you underperforming.
The three examples from above are real examples from athletes I’ve worked with. I helped all three play more decisively and confidently, instead of having hesitation to control their game.
The tips below are part of what I shared with them, and I believe they will help you as well if you’re in a similar situation.
Tip #1: See the Act of Shooting as Success
Our personal definition of success determines our focus and controls our play.
As a basketball player, there’s no changing the fact that points, turnovers, steals, blocks, and all sorts of stats matter.
But they should not be your personal definition of success if you’re currently hesitating before shots.
Instead, see the act of shooting as success.
One basketball player I worked with stopped counting points and began counting shots taken. That helped him be more aggressive.
One key reason this works is that it eliminates the fear of missing. Since we’re not focusing so much on making shots, instead, it’s just about taking shots, there isn’t as much fear surrounding missing.
Before the game and throughout the game, remind yourself that the act of shooting is what matters, not making or missing the shot.
Tip #2: Respond Well to Misses
If I tell myself the act of shooting is success, but I then criticize myself after I miss the shot, what belief am I actually solidifying?
That making the shot is what matters, and I cannot miss.
That leads to more hesitation.
While we work to not hesitate before shots, we must be careful how we respond to misses. By responding well, you make it more likely you’ll decisively take the next shot, instead of hesitating.
To respond better to missed shots, focus on your self-talk.
We criticize ourselves through our self-talk, so we can equally encourage ourselves and help ourselves move on by utilizing positive self-talk.
After a missed shot, tell yourself things like:
- It’s okay, I’ll get the next one.
- Forget about it and keep shooting.
- Nice job taking that shot.
- Keep attacking and being aggressive.
Those types of statements encourage continued shooting. More importantly, they encourage continued decisive action instead of hesitation.
Tip #3: Work to Stay Present
Hesitation stems from fear, doubt, and perfectionism. Fear, doubt, and perfectionism hate it when you’re present.
When we think about past bad shots or worry about what will happen if we miss, we are fueling fear, anxiety, and doubt.
When we are present, we get out of our own way and allow ourselves to just play.
Try to be where your feet are and allow yourself to react to what’s happening. Hesitation occurs because we are thinking too much. By working to stay present, you reduce overthinking and allow your instincts to take over.
Think about the times when you are the most decisive on the court. Are you worrying about anything and everything that could happen, or focused on what’s happening in front of you?
We play our best, and most decisively, when we are present. That is a key part of not hesitating before you shoot.
Final Thoughts
Hesitating before shots is frustrating and will always lead to you underperforming in games.
To stop hesitating, focus on the three tips from above:
- See the Act of Shooting as Success
- Respond Well to Misses
- Work to Stay Present
Working through hesitation and many other mental blocks that limit your performance on the court is exactly what I’ve helped hundreds of basketball players do through my one-on-one mental performance coaching program.
Click here to learn more about mental coaching to see if it’s a good fit for you and your game.
Thank you for reading, and I wish you the best of success in all that you do.
