I have been training basketball players for a long time and have seen quite the array of different shooting forms with the players I’ve worked with. Some players are a bit of a project to fix their shot, while others just need a few basic tweaks. There are several factors that go in to having a silky-smooth shot and quick release, but I have comprised a list of the top 10 major corrections that I help them out with the most:
- Timing with ankle and wrist
- Most players tend to be done with their legs before the shot ends
- Arch (too much or too little)
- Players with a lot of arch tend to track the ball in the air
- Players with a flat shot tend to keep head down and drive the shot
- Stance and Balance
- Solid base before the catch, feet shoulder width apart, slight stagger ok
- Balance shoulders in line with feet. No shoulders over toes forward lean
- Lift and follow through
- Get the elbow above the eyebrow and follow through with the shoulder
- See the rim
- Find it early and keep it. So often the last thing they do is look at the rim
- Load hand
- Bend the wrist before the catch and keep it behind the ball. Snap the finish
- Get Under it
- Have your shooting hand under the ball – slight dip ok but keep it loaded
- Find the middle of the ball
- Have your pinky and thumb as wide as possible, with the center of the ball in the middle of them (use the balls air valve as a middle reference)
- Elevate
- They call it a jump shot for a reason, get up elevate
- Shooting hand to the rim
- The ball goes where the hand goes
- Also watch body rotation – a lot of players twist a lot in the air
