Born Again Shooter

How to Overcome the 7 Cardinal Sins That Sabotage Your Shot

by Coach Robert

There comes a moment in every hooper’s life when they must confront a hard truth: they have to be born again as a shooter. Not in the mystical sense, but in the developmental, transformative sense — a complete reset of how they understand shooting the basketball. Because while shooting is the “doorway to your potential,” most players unknowingly carry habits, ideas, and beliefs that actually sabotage their ability to learn how to shoot correctly.

Below are the 7 cardinal sins that quietly kill the learning process — and how breaking free from them can resurrect your shot entirely.

1. Misunderstood Power — Searching for Strength in the Wrong Place

Most players assume power comes from the arms — the same way a beginner thinks a punch comes from the fist instead of the hips. This is the first and greatest sin. Shooting power comes from the legs, transferred through the timing of the body, not through a muscular upper-body push. When the upper body tries to create power, mechanics fall apart and consistency becomes impossible. True strength starts below the waist.

2. Result Over Process — Worshiping Makes Instead of Mechanics

Players who chase results rarely improve. When your entire focus is “Did it go in?”, your mind is too busy to absorb the process. Developing a shot requires stillness — a calm focus on the mechanics, sequence, form, angles, and timing. The ball going in is a byproduct of correct mechanics, not a measure of them. The novice must slow down, observe, and submit to the process.

3. Cup Too Full — Holding Onto Shooting Myths and Fallacies

You cannot pour truth into a cup already overflowing with false beliefs. Many players come dragging years of cultural shooting myths:

• “Flick the wrist harder.”

• “Sling the arm.”

• “Everyone has their own form.”

• “Just get more reps.”

To grow, they must empty the cup — letting go of old teachings, old techniques, and even the well-intentioned advice of coaches who were never trained to teach shooting scientifically. A new shot begins with a new mind.

4. Lacking Context — Not Understanding How the Shot Actually Works

You cannot master what you do not understand. Players often don’t know:

• the geometry of the basket

• the science behind entry angles

• how the lower body creates energy

• how the upper body shapes the arc

• how the two must sequence in harmony

Without context, shooting becomes guesswork — a random, inconsistent act. With context, every movement has purpose; every adjustment has meaning. Shooting becomes a disciplined science, not a gamble.

5. Caught in Mass Hysteria — Believing “Everyone Shoots Different”

One of the most destructive cultural myths is the idea that shooting is a matter of style — that since every player looks different, every form must be “right for them.” This is mass hysteria disguised as wisdom. Everyone does not shoot different. Humans share the same physics, the same anatomy, the same biomechanics. There is one correct way to align the body with the laws of the game. Variation is not permission for chaos.

6. Faith in Drills — The Idol of Repetition

Here is the harsh truth:

More reps do not fix poor mechanics. They cement them.

Players who believe drills will save their shot are worshiping a false god. Repetition only strengthens what already exists. If the mechanics are flawed, repetition fast-forwards the damage. Transformation requires correction first, then repetition second. A drill is a tool — not a savior.

7. Unwilling to Be Children Again — The Refusal to Start Over

In Matthew 18:3–5, Jesus teaches that greatness belongs to those who become like children — willing, humble, and new. Many players fail simply because they refuse to “start over.” Their pride blocks their progress. They do not want to look like a beginner again. They don’t want to feel clumsy or vulnerable.

But to become a born again shooter, one must surrender the ego and pick up the humility of a child. Only then can the mechanics be rebuilt from the foundation.

Final Word: A New Beginning

Shooting is not a talent; it is a transformation. And like all transformations, it requires letting go — of myths, of pride, of bad habits, and of old teachings. The born again shooter is the one who embraces truth, submits to process, and rebuilds form from the ground up.

If you are willing to empty your cup, detach from results, abandon cultural hysteria, and learn like a child again, you can resurrect your shot — and unlock the game in a way you’ve never experienced before.

Every great shooter was born twice.

Shalom.