How to Improve Your Basketball Shooting Form

Great shooters regularly work on shooting mechanics. Incorporating the following tips into your practice routine will help you improve your basketball shooting form:

1. 1. Hand positioning is key. Your grip on the ball plays a major role in your ability to shoot well. Your grip affects feel, spin, connection, and control through your release. To find the correct position, place your shooting hand behind the ball with the tip of your index finger on the air valve, so you're gripping the middle of the ball. Place your balance hand (also called the guide hand) on the side of the ball so that the tip of your shooting hand's thumb points towards the side of your balance hand's thumb to form a "T" shape. Always hold the ball with your finger pads, leaving some breathing room between the ball and the palm of your hand. To practice your hand alignment on the ball, put the index finger of your shooting hand on the basketball's air valve and let the ball rest in your hand to feel the center of the ball. Standing just a few feet from the basket, take 10 shots by finding the air valve first. Then take 10 more just by finding the center of the ball with your hand, not searching for the air valve. Repeat until you can easily find the ball’s center without using the air valve as a guide.
2. 2. Find your shot pocket. The shot pocket is the area of the body where a basketball player holds the ball to begin their shot. Using a consistent starting position is one way to ensure a consistent shooting form. To find your shot pocket, hold the ball in front of your stomach at a location that feels most comfortable to you. When you intend to shoot right after catching the ball, bring the ball back to your shot pocket and position your hands into the proper grip on the ball. Starting from your shot pocket will give you a consistent shooting rhythm every time.
3. 3. Pay attention to your lower body. Every good shot begins in the lower body. Begin by pointing your toes in the same direction, first squaring them with the rim, and then working through practice to find the most natural stance for your body. Use an open stance, with your feet shoulder-width apart for proper stability. Right-handed shooters should place their right foot slightly in front of the left and left-handed shooters should do the opposite. Your legs give you power and consistency, so load your lower body by pushing the arches of your feet into the floor. Keeping your knees behind your toes, shift your weight to the balls of your feet, and concentrate on letting power and energy flow from your feet up through your hips and glutes. Square your toes, knees, and shoulders, and remember to flex your legs on every shot.
4. 4. Aim at a consistent spot on the rim. Before taking a shot, NBA champion Steph Curry focuses on the front of the rim and envisions the ball dropping in just over the front of it. You can aim at any spot on the rim, whether it's the front, back, or middle of the rim, as long as you remain consistent. To get comfortable finding your target quickly, spend 15 minutes walking around the basketball court, keeping your eyes on the rim. Familiarize yourself with how the area you're targeting appears from different angles or distances. Without a ball, practice running to a random spot on the floor, stopping, and finding that spot on the rim with your eyes as quickly as possible. If you're using the front of the rim as a target, always seek out the three rim hooks facing you as a reference point.
5. 5. Properly align your shooting elbow and wrist. When shooting, the flight of the ball must follow a straight line with the correct backspin to enter the basket. When you lift the ball to start your shooting motion, make sure that your shooting elbow is underneath the basketball, bending into an "L" shape. Bend your wrist back, as close to a 90-degree angle as possible, so your palm forms a platform for the ball.
6. 6. Avoid using your balance hand to propel the ball forward. If you're frequently missing shots to the left or right, there's a good chance you're adding force to the ball with your balance hand. You should only use this hand to balance the ball until you straighten your elbow to begin your shooting motion. At that point, release your balance hand off the side of the ball without pushing forward.
7. 7. Increase the height of your release point. Releasing your shot from a higher point will help you avoid blocks and improve your shooting range. To improve your release, start by lifting the ball up from the shot pocket as you straighten your legs. Once the ball is above your shoulders, straighten your shooting elbow. At the ball's release point, snap your wrist forward so that your fingers end up pointing down after the release (your index and middle fingers should be the last to touch the ball). Don’t release too low. A higher release point makes it harder for a defender to interfere with your shot. As you release the ball, keep your elbow and wrist in line with the basket, extending your arm fully, so at the point of release your elbow ends above your eye.

Good basketball shooting may seem simple on the surface, but it results from several different body parts working in fluid motion together. Add the following drills into your daily practice routine to ensure your jump shots consistently fall over the front of the rim:

1. 1. Start just a few feet from the basket, and shoot until you hit five perfect makes.
2. 2. Record how many shots it takes for you to get to five.
3. 3. Take a step back to the middle of the lane, and shoot until you hit five more perfect makes.
4. 4. Repeat twice more, moving backward after making five in a row.

Once you’ve hit five perfect makes from each of the four spots in front of the basket, start adding the other spots to your form shooting practice.

1. 1. First, shoot five form shots from each of the 20 spots, and record your makes.
2. 2. Once you can comfortably shoot 100 total form shots in a training session, you can move on to Phase 2 of the training.
3. 3. Push yourself to take as many shots as it takes to hit five perfect makes from each of the 20 spots. This may take a few weeks or even months but stick with it.

Remember, when form shooting, if you’re not perfect directly in front of the basket, it’s going to be impossible to be perfect as you move away from the basket.

• Each time you miss, pause and notice whether you missed short, long, or to one side. What can you do to correct your misses?
• Film yourself shooting from the front and the side. Play the video back, studying your form and mechanical foundation. Are you making any common mistakes? How can you fine-tune your mechanics to make your shot more efficient?

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