5 Tips on Shooting a Basketball

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The Ultimate Basketball Shooting Guide

Everyone who plays basketball wants to be the best, but doesn’t always want to do what it takes. Basketball is not an easy sport, ask anyone, even the pros. Shooting is a huge part of the game that everyone wants to be good at, but is definitely not easy. It takes countless hours of training and practice to get good at it, just like anything else. While these tips on shooting a basketball and drills may seem easy, they are only going to help you if you practice them often enough.

Start Balanced

Your feet play a big role when it comes to shooting a successful shot. You need to place your feet in the right spots so that you can stay solid and balanced. When you shoot you need to stay balanced so that you can catch the ball with ease and not have it knock you over. This helps you support your weight when you catch the ball and shoot it.

A good position to put your feet in is having them shoulder width apart.

If you plan on moving around to shoot the ball, then you not only need to stay balanced, but also low when you are going into your shot. It also matters how your feet are placed. For example, if you are right-handed your right foot needs to be slightly ahead of your left foot and if you are left-handed then your left foot should be the one slightly forward. Getting balanced before the ball gets to you is very important because you need to be ready to shoot it once it does. You should not set up for your shot after it gets to you.

Get the Laces

Along with knowing how to stand and stay balanced, how you catch the ball is just as important. You need to be able to maintain control of the basketball. When you are holding the ball, you must get your shooting hand underneath the ball and your opposite hand on the side of it.Your opposite hand is called your guide hand. It’s important to make sure that you are holding it in line with the laces and that you get the laces as you start to shoot it. This allows you to have the most control over the ball and where it goes. This may be difficult at first to get the hang of, but eventually it will come easy to you.

Another tip is making sure that your elbows stay in and are aligned. Your shooting arm’s elbow should be at a 90º angle and your opposite elbow should be bent to, but still close to your body. Your elbows should be shoulder-height as you raise them to shoot the ball.

Keep Your Eye on the Rim

You need to keep your eyes on the target as you are shooting the ball. Obviously when you are shooting it, the target is the basket. A good tip is focusing on a certain part on the rim, whether it be the back of the rim or the front of it, so that you know where to aim the ball every shot. This helps you avoid outside distractions that may make it difficult for you to make the shot.

Follow Through and Hold Your Hand Up

Now it is time to actually shoot the ball. Once you do all of the previous shooting tips, the ball should leave your hand by flicking your wrist and driving it down towards the basket. To clarify, your shooting arm should not physically come down, but just the hand itself should snap down. This is called following through. As you are shooting your shot, you should propel your arms up, follow through, and shoot it towards the net.

Following through is very important because it allows you to fully direct the ball to the rim in a straight line so it doesn’t go all over the place. A good tip is to not bring you shooting hand down and to follow through until the ball hits the ground. You can do this so that you get used to following through and not rushing your hand down.

B.E.E.F

B.E.E.F. is a shooting tip that ties all of the other tips together. In order to refine your jump shot or free throw, you should consider the principle of B.E.E.F.

Balance: Maintaining a solid, balanced, foundation that will set you up for a successful shot. Your weight should be evenly distributed between you legs. You also need to stay low and have your shooting hand side’s foot slightly forward than the other one. Elbows: Your shooting elbow should be at a 90º angle with your body as you prepare to shoot your shot. Your elbow should be underneath the basketball with your hand getting the laces and your guide hand on the side of it. Also remember to keep your guide hand’s elbow in.
Eyes: The ball will go wherever you eyes are looking, so it is important to always look at the basket when you are shooting. Like mentioned previously, it is up to you where you really focus in on at the rim, but focusing on the back of the rim is a good place to start.
Follow Through: One of the most important steps is flicking the wrist and following through when you shoot the ball. When you release it, the ball should roll of your fingers. If you shoot and release it correctly, then your wrist will be flexed with your fingers pointing down at the ground.

Shooting is definitely one of the most crucial parts of the game of basketball, and even a slight increase in your shot percentage may help you and your team win more games. Again, it is essential to practice all of the shooting tips because they are not things that are just going to come to you. Different shooting drills are the best way to incorporate practicing how to shoot a basketball.

Drills to Help Improve Your Shot

  • The Hop or 1-2 Step Drill: This drill is simple and may seem boring, but it is extremely helpful when it comes to having the right footwork on your shot. This drill can be done by yourself or with someone else if you want them to pass it to you.

To start, on the pass (whether it is from yourself or someone else) hop or step into it as you catch the ball. Remember that if you are right-handed then your left foot would go first and if you are left-handed then your right foot will go first.

To really focus on your foot work and balance don’t actually shoot the ball at first, just keep catching passes and pretending to shoot so you are not worried about the actual shot itself. Once you start to het the hang of the 1-2 step into your shot, then you can actually shoot the ball. You can do this from wherever on the court, or even off the court if you’re not shooting it.

  • Form Shooting: For this drill you will just focus on your hands and form of your shot.

To start this drill, you want to start close to the basket. If you don’t want to shoot the ball just yet and want to really focus on your hands, then you don’t have to.

As you catch the ball make sure you line the laces up, have your guide hand on the side of the ball (keeping your elbow tucked in), and your shooting hand underneath it leaving a small space between your palm and the ball. Also remember to keep your shooting elbow in at a 90º angle too.

As you shoot the ball you want to get ark on it so that it goes over the rim and into the net. If your shot is flat, it will have a significant less chance of going in.

Once you start shooting your shots, focusing on the correct hand placement and following through with ark, you can move back and shoot from different distances as you please.

  • Chair Shooting: This is a great drill to help work on emphasizing the importance of using your legs in your shot.

You want to start in close for this drill. While you remember all of the previously mentioned basketball shooting tips, you want to be seated in a chair with your hands on the ball already getting your perfect shooting form.

You will stand up from the chair, step into your shot, and shoot it (remember to follow through). This will allow you to get the feel of how low your stance should be and how important legs are in your shot. As you back the chair up it will become more difficult, but shooting from further distances requires more leg power in your shot so this will help.

Frequently Asked Questions about 5 Tips on Shooting a Basketball

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How can I shoot better in basketball?

The best way to shoot better in basketball is by practicing these tips. These tips will allow you to make more shots and make sure your shot becomes more consistent. By practicing these tips you are drilling the shot into your brain and it will become more natural.

What are 3 things you need to do to be successful at shooting a basketball?

There are 5 tips listed here but the 3 most important tips are staying balanced, keeping your eyes on the rim, and following through after you shoot it. You have to do much more than these three things in order to become a good shooter, but these three tips are a very good start.

What is the most important thing to remember when shooting a basketball?

The most important thing to remember when shooting a basketball is the last tip listed above, B.E.E.F. This tip allows you to combine the most important details of shooting a basketball. You have to stay balanced, make sure your elbow is in the correct position, keep your eyes on the rim, and then follow through. This tip is crucial to becoming a better shooter.