Relationships Between Isometric Shoulder Strength and Three-Point Shooting Accuracy in Male Basketball Players

Abstract

Cabarkapa, D, Yang, Y, Montalvo, S, Rios-Gallardo, PT, Camacho, AA, and Munce, TA. Relationships between isometric shoulder strength and three-point shooting accuracy in male basketball players. J Strength Cond Res XX(X): 000–000, 2026—The purpose of the present study was to investigate the association between absolute and relative isometric shoulder strength and three-point shooting accuracy in male basketball players, and to examine bilateral differences in shoulder strength. Thirty recreationally active college-age male basketball players completed isometric (ISO) shoulder strength testing on a uniaxial force plate at 3 shoulder abduction positions, ISO-I (180°), ISO-Y (135°), and ISO-T (90°), on both the dominant (i.e., shooting hand) and nondominant sides (i.e., guide hand). Following the strength testing procedures, subjects completed a standardized 110-attempt three-point shooting protocol (6.75 m) using a star-pattern sequence, from which shooting accuracy was calculated. Paired t-tests were used to compare dominant vs. nondominant shoulder strength, and linear regression analyses examined associations between shoulder strength metrics and shooting accuracy ( p < 0.05). The findings revealed 3 key outcomes: (a) no statistically significant bilateral asymmetries were observed across any testing position, with mean asymmetry values of approximately 3% favoring the dominant hand; (b) dominant-arm shoulder strength was not associated with three-point shooting accuracy ( r = 0.110–0.209); and (c) a moderate positive association was identified between nondominant shoulder strength in the ISO-I position and three-point shooting accuracy when expressed as both absolute ( r = 0.363) and relative values ( r = 0.382). Overall, without minimizing the importance of dominant-arm strength development, strength and conditioning coaches should consider monitoring and developing nondominant shoulder strength, particularly in overhead positions that approximate the shooting release (ISO-I), as this may support three-point shooting consistency by enhancing guide-hand stability rather than force production.