Netball shooting has one feature that shapes everything about the technique: there is no backboard. The ring is 380mm across, attached to a bar projecting 150mm from the post, with nothing behind it.
A shot that would bank in during basketball simply misses. That’s why netball shooters use a high, soft arc rather than a flat, powerful one — and why practice is about repeatable mechanics rather than force.
This guide covers the technique, five drills you can run this week, and how to scale them for juniors.
The mechanics of a netball shot
The shot, phase by phase
| Phase | What happens | Coaching cue |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Set | Balanced stance, ball on fingertips of the shooting hand, other hand steadying | “Ball high, elbow under” |
| 2. Load | Knee bend generating the power for the shot | “Power from the legs, not the arm” |
| 3. Release | Extension upward, ball leaves the fingertips with backspin | “High arc, soft hands” |
| 4. Follow through | Arm stays extended, wrist flexed, eyes on the ring | “Hold it until it drops” |
| Research points to a release angle around 60° from horizontal with 1–1.5 revolutions of backspin. | ||
Power comes from the legs, not the arms. A shooter who pushes the ball with shoulders and triceps loses accuracy as those muscles fatigue — which is why shooting percentages often fall away in fourth quarters.
The sequence is: balanced stance, knee bend, extension upward through the body, release off the fingertips, hold the follow-through.
What the research says about the arc
Netball shooting has been studied less than basketball, so treat the numbers as guidance rather than gospel.
Elliott and Smith (1983) measured an average release angle of 59.8 degrees from the horizontal in netball shooting. Steele summarised the optimal shot as released at approximately 60 degrees with backspin of 1 to 1.5 revolutions relative to its direction of travel.
Backspin serves a specific purpose: it maintains the ball’s direction of flight and reduces ball speed on impact with the ring, which increases the chance of the ball rebounding off the ring and into the net. Elliott and Smith found the most accurate shooters imparted backspin of 1 to 1.5 revolutions.
The same research points to increasing extension at the knees and the elbow of the shooting arm, and increasing the height at which the shooter releases the ball, as ways to improve accuracy.
One honest caveat: there is very little research on netball goal shooting biomechanics and the findings are divided — Elliott and Smith suggested better shooters shoot with less velocity, while Otago found a higher success rate with greater velocity. Don’t coach a single “correct” release velocity. Coach a repeatable one.
What good accuracy looks like
Useful benchmarks from elite play: Ameliaranne Ekenasio shot 24 from 26 at 92% in the 2019 World Cup gold medal match. Grace Nweke shot 140 from 158 at 89% across the 2024 Taini Jamison series. In the 2025 series decider she shot 43 from 48.
So the elite standard is roughly 88–92% in match conditions. Track your shooters’ percentages at training and in games — it’s the only way to know whether a technical change is working.
Five drills
Five shooting drills at a glance
| Drill | Players | Trains |
|---|---|---|
| Clockface | 1–2 | Adjusting power for angle and distance |
| Feed, spin and strike | 3 | Catch, footwork and shot as one action |
| Pressure penalty | 2 | Holding technique under fatigue |
| Under the arms | 2 | Shooting with vision obstructed |
| Rebound and second shot | 4 | Contested rebounds and quick reset |
1. Clockface
Setup: Five markers around the goal circle — one directly under the post, two at 45 degrees either side, two on the circle edge.
Run it: Shooter takes five shots from each marker in sequence, working outward. Record makes out of five at each position. Rotate a feeder in to deliver the ball so the shooter has to catch, set and shoot rather than starting with the ball.
Why: Distance and angle both change the amount of leg drive required. Shooters who only practise under the post have no calibration for the circle edge.
Progression: Score it — the shooter must make three from five before moving to the next marker.
2. Feed, spin and strike
Setup: Three players — shooter starting on the circle edge facing away from the post, feeder outside the circle, defender.
Run it: The feeder calls, the shooter drives to a space, lands, pivots to face the post, and shoots. The defender applies pressure at the legal distance. Repeat ten times, then rotate roles.
Why: In a match, almost no shot begins with the shooter set and facing the post. This drill joins the catch, the footwork and the shot into one movement.
Coaching point: Watch the landing foot. Enforce clean footwork from the first repetition — our footwork guide covers what to look for.
3. Pressure penalty
Setup: Shooter and rebounder. Shooter works from the circle edge.
Run it: The shooter takes ten shots from distance, sprinting to a cone and back between each one. The rebounder returns the ball immediately.
Why: Fatigue is what breaks technique. This trains the leg-driven shot under exactly the conditions where an arm-driven shot fails.
Progression: Add a target — the shooter must make six of ten to finish, or the set repeats.
4. Under the arms
Setup: Shooter and one defender, standing the legal distance away with arms extended.
Run it: The defender applies a full contest on every shot — arms up, moving, but staying at the legal distance. The shooter takes twenty shots, holding their eyes on a fixed point on the ring rather than tracking the defender’s hands.
Why: Elite defenders don’t block the shot, they block the view. This trains the shooter to keep the target rather than the obstacle in focus.
Rules note: A defender must be 0.9m from the attacker’s landing foot before defending the ball. Enforce it in the drill so the shooter is practising against legal pressure, not illegal pressure.
5. Rebound and second shot
Setup: Four players in the circle, one ball.
Run it: One shooter shoots deliberately short or long. All four contest the rebound. Whoever secures it must land legally and shoot immediately. Continue until a goal is scored.
Why: Second-phase shooting under contest is where circle possession is won and lost, and it’s rarely practised.
Long-range work and the two-point shot
Long-range shooting is now worth more in some competitions. Netball New Zealand introduced a two-point shot to the ANZ Premiership in 2025, active in the final five minutes of each quarter, with the shooter needing to be at least 3.5 metres from the goalpost.
If your competition uses it, mark that distance and build a specific block of shots from just outside it into your sessions. If it doesn’t, long-range work still has value — but as depth of range, not as a scoring tactic.
Junior shooting
For primary-aged players the priority is successful attempts, not perfect technique. A child who cannot reach the ring will develop a two-handed chest heave, and that habit takes years to unwind.
The single biggest fix is equipment, not coaching. Year 1 and 2 use a 20cm grip ball with goals no higher than 2.1m, Year 3 and 4 use a size 4 ball with 2.6-metre goals, and Year 5 and 6 stay at 2.6m with a size 4 ball.
| Year group | Goal height | Ball | Shooting focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1–2 | Hula hoop or 2.1m | 20cm grip ball | Getting the ball to the target at all |
| Year 3–4 | 2.6m | Size 4 | One-handed release, close range |
| Year 5–6 | 2.6m | Size 4 | Adding angles and light defensive pressure |
| Year 7–8 | 3.05m | Size 5 | Full-court game, contested shooting |
Three games that work at this level:
Passport. Coloured spots close to the post. Players shoot from each in turn, collecting a “stamp” for each make. Everyone finishes the circuit regardless of makes.
Grab and go. Balls in the middle of the circle. Players sprint, collect, land legally, shoot, then tag the next player. Fast, high-volume, and it embeds the land-then-shoot sequence.
Stop and shoot. Players move around the circle to music or a whistle. When it stops, they take the nearest ball and shoot from where they are.
Keep queues short. If twelve children share one ball, ten are standing still.
Our drills guide has more session structures, and our passing drills guide covers the feeds that create shots.
Before you start any session
ACC and Netball New Zealand developed NetballSmart in response to a high rate of serious knee and ankle injuries, and ACC states a warm-up programme like NetballSmart can reduce ACL injuries by up to 50%. The official warm-up takes 15 to 20 minutes and is designed to be done two to three times a week.
Shooting sessions involve repeated jumping and landing under the post, so this matters more here than in a passing session, not less.
Equipment checks that affect shooting
Post alignment. A post leaning even slightly changes the effective target. Check portable bases and ground sockets at the start of the season.
Ring size. A regulation ring has an internal diameter of 380mm. Undersized recreational hoops make practice harder in a way that doesn’t transfer.
Ball pressure. Netballs should be inflated to 10psi — lower and the ball performs poorly, higher and it risks going out of shape. Under- or over-inflated balls change the feel of every shot.
Padding. Padding must be no more than 50mm thick and extend the full length of the pole. Shooters and defenders contest within a metre of the post at speed.
More in our netball hoop guide and equipment guide.
This article is provided for factual and informational purposes only. It is not individual coaching, training or medical advice. The biomechanics research cited is limited in volume and some findings are contested. For injury prevention guidance see NetballSmart, and for the current rules see World Netball. Details on this page were verified in August 2026.
Reference sources
- North Canterbury Netball Centre — official website
- Want to play netball: grades, days and venues — NCNC
- Year 7 & 8 competition information and season dates — NCNC
- Year 5 & 6 draw and court duty requirements — NCNC
- Open grade and senior representative fixtures — NCNC
- Centre contacts and committee — NCNC
- Woolworths futureFERNS — Netball New Zealand
- Facilities, equipment and uniform requirements — World Netball
- NetballSmart — Netball New Zealand injury prevention programme
- NetballSmart and ACL injury data — ACC
Frequently asked questions
What angle should you release a netball shot at?
Research on netball shooting points to roughly 60 degrees from the horizontal. Elliott and Smith measured an average release angle of 59.8 degrees, and later summaries put the optimal shot at around 60 degrees with backspin.
Why does backspin matter when shooting?
Backspin helps maintain the ball’s flight direction and reduces its speed on contact with the ring, which increases the chance of a miss dropping in rather than bouncing away. The most accurate shooters in the research applied 1 to 1.5 revolutions.
What is a good shooting percentage in netball?
At elite level, roughly 88 to 92 percent in match conditions. Grace Nweke shot 89% across the 2024 Taini Jamison series, and Ameliaranne Ekenasio shot 92% in the 2019 World Cup final.
What hoop height should juniors shoot at?
Year 1 and 2 use goals no higher than 2.1m, and Years 3 to 6 use 2.6m. Full height of 3.05m comes in at Year 7 and 8.
How far away can a defender stand when I shoot?
At least 0.9 metres, measured from your landing foot, before they can defend the ball. They may stand closer, but not with arms extended toward the ball.
How do I stop a young player shooting two-handed?
Lower the post and use the correct smaller ball for their year group. Most two-handed heaving is a strength problem created by equipment that’s too big, not a technique problem.
How many shots should a session include?
More than most sessions manage. Keep queues to two or three players per ball and per hoop — volume is what builds a repeatable action, and standing in line builds nothing.
