Inside Steph Curry's Off‑Season Skill Sessions: Ball‑Handling, Shooting, and Body‑Control Drills
Introduction
Brandon Payne, Steph Curry’s personal skills coach since 2011, breaks down a September 2025 workout that targets ball‑handling, shooting mechanics, balance, and decision‑making. The session is built around constantly changing information so Curry must read, react, and execute in real time.
Ball‑Handling with Decision Cues
- Number‑Cue Drill: An assistant flashes numbers on each hand. Zero = behind the back, even = between the legs, odd = crossover. Curry reacts to the cue rather than calling it out loud.
- Two‑Ball Variations: After removing one ball, each hand displays a separate cue, forcing Curry to make two simultaneous decisions.
- Goal: Keep the pattern unpredictable, train reading skills, and simulate game‑time pressure.
Shooting Foundations
- Two‑Ball Shooting – More than handling; it forces Curry to engage his core, stay grounded, and balance before each shot.
- Pickup Shooting – Dribble the ball from the floor directly into the shot pocket. Emphasis is on a clean, straight‑line pickup; even elite shooters need to perfect this tiny detail.
- Leverage Release – Curry pushes against a resistance (coach) while releasing the shot. The drill alternates between leveraged and non‑leveraged releases to develop strength, balance, and a stable line from nose to belly‑button.
- Anti‑Rotation Work – After a slight left‑rotation is detected, Curry receives a rotational force on his fist and must counter‑rotate, reinforcing a neutral shooting posture.
Lateral and Spacing Drills
- Side‑Step Leverage: Curry steps laterally while maintaining a tight core, avoiding any lateral flexion.
- Spacing Away From Defender: Coach provides forward leverage; Curry drives, then backs away, releasing the shot while staying balanced.
- Key Cue: Keep shoulders over hips and hips over knees; don’t let the chest drift too far ahead of the toes, which would cause over‑correction on the shot.
Body‑Control & Curl Drills
- Full Curl → Half Curl → No‑Step Curl – Curry rotates his body fully, then halves the rotation, finally shoots without a foot plant, training control over his center of mass.
- Mirrored Movements – After completing a drill on one side of the floor, Curry repeats it on the opposite side, even if uncomfortable, to build symmetry.
Variable Shooting & Consecutive‑Make Games
- Variable Ladder – Shots are taken from deep‑two, deep‑three, and deeper‑three spots, alternating sides (wing‑to‑wing, corner‑to‑corner) to mimic game scenarios.
- Consecutive‑Make “21” Game – Curry must make a sequence of shots worth 3, 2, 1 points (three‑pointer, pull‑up jumper, layup) until he reaches 21 points, then restart at a lower difficulty.
- Free‑Throw “60” Game – Six consecutive free throws that do not touch the rim; completion ends the workout.
- Heart‑Rate Monitoring – Drills are run at elevated heart rates to simulate fatigue; missed shots are used as feedback for adjustments.
End‑of‑Workout Focus
- After fatigue sets in, the last 20‑30 shots are high‑quality, mechanically sound attempts.
- Curry often repeats a difficult transition‑shooting drill on his own, choosing the finish that feels right before the session ends.
Takeaway
Payne’s philosophy: Never rehearse static patterns; always create dynamic, reactive scenarios that force the shooter to control his body, balance, and decision‑making under game‑like pressure. Even the greatest shooters need to grind the smallest details every day.
Where to Find More
- Follow Coach Brandon Payne on Instagram and YouTube for additional workout breakdowns and deeper insight into why Steph Curry is considered the greatest shooter of all time.
The workout shows that elite shooting is built on relentless, variable drills that train balance, core engagement, and real‑time decision making—not on static repetition—so even the best shooters must constantly refine the tiniest mechanics.
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