Preparing your shot:
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and facing the basket. It is fine if you feel more comfortable having one foot a little further forward than the other as long as you are squarely balanced. Balance is the first key to releasing a great shot.
If you are right-handed, hold the ball in your left hand in front of you and spread the fingers of your right hand and place your hand on the ball. Try and place your fingers in the seams of the basketball. Now, move your left hand around to the left side of the ball without letting it drop.
Raise the ball up to your forehead, making sure you can still see the basket with both eyes. If you look at your thumbs, they should be creating a 'T' shape with one another. This is a good indication that you are cradling the ball well with the right hand and guiding and stabilising the ball well with the left hand.
Pull your right elbow in. This is extremely important if you are going to perfect a reliable shot. Ideally, your forearm should be in line with the basket whenever you are shooting. This will all feel quite uncomfortable for beginners, but persevere; you will be a great shooter.
Shooting:
The power of a jump shot in basketball comes from the legs and not the arms. So, it is important that you bend your legs before jumping and releasing the ball.
Stand with your legs bent and with the ball on your forehead. Jump straight up. At the top of your jump, push the basketball away from your forehead with your right hand, guiding it with your left hand, so you release the ball with a good arc-ing trajectory toward the basket.
The most important part of your shot is called the follow-through. This is a flick of the wrist at the point of release that creates a backspin on the ball that helps with flight and with bouncing straight upwards if the shot hits the rim giving it a greater chance of going in off a roll. This will feel very unnatural, but, you will not be a shooter if you do not have a great follow-through, so persever. Practice by standing by a wall and pushing the ball as high as you can with one hand, flicking the follow-through to get used to the motion.
Landing:
Try to land in the same place as where you took off from. This will happen if you square up to the basket and balance yourself before every shot. Of course, as you get better, and as you watch more and more basketball, you will see the best players take the most off-balance shots and make them. Do not be fooled. They have all taken so many balanced jump shots that they must be able to adjust when defenders are not letting them have the easy balanced shot. Fundamental basketball skills will make you great player.
Nicholas Eglin - Life is long, time is fleeting.
Join the Conversation