How to Shoot a Jump Shot

Good shooting form in basketball is one of the most important fundamentals of the game.

To have a good shooting form, begin by standing with your toes pointed toward the rim with the foot on the same side of your body as your shooting hand just about an inch or two in front of the other. Just be relaxed. Keep your feet about shoulder width apart, standing straight up. Take the basketball in both hands and hold it out in front of you, letting your arms hang naturally. Place your shooting hand behind the ball. Place your non-shooting hand on the side of the ball. Form a 'T' shape with your thumbs. Your thumbs should not be connected but they should look like a 'T' with about with about two inches between them. This will keep the ball properly balanced.

At this point, squat down with your legs forming a 45 degree angle. You should not be squatting down to 90 degrees; this is too low and will actually take strength and quickness away from your release. Pull the ball back so that your non-shooting hand comes up above your head and your shooting hand comes up high just to the right of your head. Imagine now that there is a long stake. The stake should be able to go straight through the palm of your shooting hand, through your elbow, knee and right through your heel into the ground. If all of these body parts are aligned, you will have a balanced shooting form.

The Release

With your jump shot, you should only be using your dominant hand to shoot the ball. Your non-shooting hand should simply serve as a guide hand, to hold the ball in place; it should not serve any role in getting the ball to the rim or directing it. It is just to help you balance the ball. If you are shooting with both hands, it is a practice that you need to amend now. Release the ball high, pushing up and out toward the rim. At the peak of your release you should let the ball go. You should also be coming out of your 45 degree leg position and be at the peak of your jump when you let the ball fly. When you let go of the ball, let it roll off the tip of your index finger and snap your wrist. Your index finger should be pointing toward where you want the ball to go. Hold your hand in the air after you let the ball go so that you can get a good follow through. The follow through gives the ball a nice soft touch. A quick follow through will cause the ball to come out flat making it more difficult to be accurate because less arch means that you actually have less of the surface area of the rim for the ball to go into.

Larry Bird always aimed at the back of the basket when he shot because he knew that he was then working with the whole rim and that even if the ball was long it had a chance of bouncing back and going in. Also, good shooters always aim for the center. It is better to be long or short rather than left or right. When you are long or short in your shooting you at least know that your aim is good and that you just need to work on the strength of your shot.

The same principles can be applied for free throw shooting, only at the peak of your release, come up on your tip toes, but don't let your feet leave the ground. If you are using your legs properly, you should have plenty of strength. Practice. Make these skills second nature.