Does Weight Training Affect Basketball Shooting Performance: True or False?

Strength is one of the key physical qualities in basketball performance, and maintaining adequate strength levels developed during the off‑season requires specific weight‑room sessions even throughout the competitive season. A common concern among coaches and players is that weight training might negatively affect on‑court performance, reducing technical quality. This fear is especially tied to the fine motor actions involved in shooting — a fundamental skill that often determines the outcome of a game.

A study conducted at the University of Kansas and published in Frontiers in Sports and Active Living investigated the effects of performing weight training before basketball practice. The researchers concluded that, in most cases, the impact on shooting performance is minimal or nonexistent.

The main questions posed by Dimitrije Cabarkapa — Associate Director of the Jayhawk Athletic Performance Laboratory at KU and lead author of the study — were: “Should basketball players lift weights before or after practice, and can this influence shooting mechanics and accuracy?”

To answer these questions, the research team recruited 10 basketball players with more than four years of playing experience and over two years of structured weight‑training experience. Inclusion criteria required players to shoot at least 50% on free throws and two‑point field goals, and over 30% from three‑point range.

All participants completed the experimental protocols across four separate sessions.
The first session was dedicated to familiarization, inclusion‑criteria testing, and — for eligible subjects — one‑repetition‑maximum assessments for the weight‑training sessions (visit1).

Using a random‑number generator, each participant was then assigned to one of three conditions:

• a control group, performing a standardized dynamic warm‑up followed immediately by the shooting session
• a upper‑body weight‑training group, completing the shooting session after lifting
• a lower‑body weight‑training group, also shooting after their lifting session

Across the study, participants rotated through all three conditions during the remaining three testing days (visit2, visit3, visit4). Each session was separated by 3–7 days to minimize the influence of fatigue.

FIGURE 1 – Graphical representation of the testing procedures. (BSD: basketball shooting drills) – from the original work published on October 25, 2023 – DOI 10.3389/fspor.2023.1272478

 

To properly examine shooting mechanics and accuracy without the influence of fatigue, all shooting drills were specifically designed to be performed in a stationary format. After completing three two‑point or three‑point shots, the participant walked to the next designated spot. Each set of 15 shots within a single session was separated by a 2‑minute rest interval. A rebounder was present throughout the entire session, and no additional players were allowed on the court.

Participants performing the shooting sessions completed five blocks of 45 shots, for a total of 225 shots on each of the three testing days (visit2, visit3, visit4). Each 45‑shot block consisted of 15 free throws, 15 two‑point shots, and 15 three‑point shots.

FIGURE 2 – Graphical representation of the free‑throw (A), two‑point (B), and three‑point (C) shooting drills performed in the study by Dimitrije Cabarkapa at the University of Kansas – from the original work published on October 25, 2023 – DOI 10.3389/fspor.2023.1272478

 

To perform an accurate assessment of shooting mechanics and accuracy without the presence of fatigue, all shooting drills were specifically designed to be executed in a stationary format. After completing three two‑point or three‑point shots, the participant walked to the next shooting location. Each set of 15 shots within a single session was separated by a 2‑minute rest interval. A rebounder was present throughout the entire session, and no additional players were allowed on the court.

For free throws, the standard free‑throw line was used (Fig. 2A). For two‑point shots, players shot from five different court locations arranged in a star‑shaped pattern (Fig. 2B). For three‑point shots, the same pattern used for two‑point attempts was adopted (Fig. 2C). Each shooting spot was marked with white tape and a rubber cone to ensure that participants consistently shot from the same distance. Each 45‑shot block began exactly 30 minutes after the completion of the previous shooting session and/or the weight‑training session.

Shooting accuracy was recorded as the number of made shots, while a high‑definition, high‑speed camera was used to analyze kinematic variables during the preparatory and release phases of the shooting motion, including knee angle, elbow flexion, and release height.

FIGURE 3 – Graphical representation of the biomechanical parameters examined during the preparatory and release phases of the shooting motion. Knee angle (A); ankle angle (B); hip angle (C); shoulder angle (D); elbow angle (E); elbow height (F); release angle (G); release height (H); heel height (I) – from the original work published on October 25, 2023 – DOI 10.3389/fspor.2023.1272478

 

The results showed that performing weight‑training sessions had only a minimal impact on shooting accuracy. The only condition in which shooting accuracy decreased was after completing the upper‑body weight‑training protocol, where two‑point and three‑point shooting accuracy dropped by 11.8% and 9.9%, respectively, compared to the control condition. However, this decrease in accuracy disappeared 30 minutes after the exercise session. Moreover, changes in shooting mechanics were negligible, with less than 1% of total variance observed in each kinematic variable.

Dimitrije Cabarkapa stated that “one of the key findings is that some of the upper‑ and lower‑body basketball‑specific weight‑training regimens commonly implemented during the competitive season have minimal or no impact on the biomechanical parameters examined in this study, both during the preparatory and release phases of the shooting motion. What did change was shooting accuracy immediately after the upper‑body training session, but this performance drop disappeared after the second shooting block at the 30‑minute mark and remained absent for the rest of the evaluation period.”

He further added: “Based on our results, performing weight‑training exercises before basketball practice has a minimal effect on shooting accuracy. The myth that you shouldn’t lift weights before practice because it will harm your game does not seem to be supported.”