NetballExplained
Drill Intermediate

Shooting Ladder Drill

A progressive shooting drill that moves through positions around the circle, building consistency from multiple angles and distances.

Written by Claire McDonald · Last updated

Players
1–4
Duration
15 min
Difficulty
Intermediate
Equipment
Netball, goalpost
Skills
Shooting, rebounding

A structured shooting drill that builds consistency across the whole circle, not just from a single favourite spot.

Purpose

Develops shooting accuracy and technique consistency from multiple angles and distances within the goal circle, and builds the habit of following a miss with a rebound.

Setup

One shooter (or several taking turns) at a goalpost, with five marked positions around the edge of the circle — for example, directly in front, both 45-degree angles, and both baselines.

Shooting ladder drill setup The goal circle seen from above, with five numbered shooting spots near its edge: one on each baseline, one at each 45-degree angle, and one directly in front of the post. The shooter works round from spot 1 to spot 5, following any miss in for the rebound. Post 1 2 3 4 5
Setup. Five shooting spots near the edge of the circle: both baselines, both 45-degree angles and straight in front. Shoot from spot 1 until three go in (or a set number of attempts), then move to the next. After any miss, follow the shot in for the rebound (dashed) instead of resetting.

Instructions

  1. Shoot from position one until 3 shots are made (or a set number of attempts is reached).
  2. Move to position two and repeat.
  3. Continue around all five positions, forming the "ladder."
  4. On any miss, immediately follow the shot to attempt a rebound and put-back, rather than resetting.

Common mistakes

Rushing through positions to finish the drill faster undermines the whole point — prioritise made shots and clean technique over simply completing the ladder quickly.

Progressions

  • Easier: Reduce to three positions, or lower the required makes per spot.
  • Harder: Add a passive or live defender contesting each shot, or feed the shooter from a pass rather than starting each rep with the ball already in hand — see feeding the shooting circle.

Combine with the circle feeding under pressure drill once shooting from a self-started position feels consistent, to bring passing and shooting together under match-like conditions.

About this drill: this is one of our own practice designs, built around the techniques explained in our skills guides, which are based on World Netball's Foundation Coaching resources. Adapt it to your players' age, ability and space. For World Netball's own practices, see its free Foundation Coaching cards and manual.

Coaching points

  • Require a minimum number of made shots from each position before moving on, rather than a fixed number of attempts.
  • Track makes and attempts over several sessions to see genuine improvement, not just single-session noise.
  • Mix in shots taken after a catch and pivot, not only shots taken from a stationary start.