Remember, we are trying to develop your shot over the LONG-TERM.After you feel comfortable shooting from that distance, gradually move out. Please visit our forum to ask your questions: http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/forum/. Long, short, to one side?Take a look at the pictures at the top of the page and see if you can work on that form. Hence “hand in the cookie jar.”. Thanks, Thank you so much. Ask the coach if there is a time you can get in (open gym, etc). You need to practice perfect form away from that basket (shoot to a spot on the wall, to a partner, or to a spot on the floor). I prefer a staggered stance. When i shoot to the hoop my shooting arm tends to go to the left in front of my face instead of just forward.Does this mean i have a bad habit, and if so how can i break it?Also, when I shoot a basketball should my index finger and middle finger be the last two fingers to leave the ball? Practicing with incorrect form just teaches you to shoot incorrectly. But it's probably because you are trying to jump and shoot at the top of your shot like Kobe. Hi R.C.,There could be a number of reasons that this happening.1. Hi Jeff,When I practice form shooting near the basket, I have the same form. My shooting has improved dramatically since reading this article. My shooting stroke is pretty good, but the only knock-off is my guide hand. i struggle to keep shooting consistancy up and keep the ball palm up and elbow at 90 degrees. (although i dont have any doubts)=). I've seen some people take the guide hand off extremely early and I've seen some people take it off as the ball is moving forward. Generally you want the ball rolling off your index and middle finger (resulting in back spin) but the most important thing is that you shoot the ball straight and shoot the SAME WAY every time. Every now and then I will see glimpse of my old shot, but I cannot figure out what is wrong. I have completely over-coached him. Just can't help it! As our friend, Don Kelbick likes to say, "Don't think. So the answer is that it depends on what you are comfortable with and the other aspects of your individual shooting mechanics. Hey Joe,I'm 15, and I love ur website, it gives great advice, I just have a few personal questions. This will make your shot quicker, give you more power and consistency.4 Weeks - Same as above. What would you recommend in this situation....? I am a good mid range shooter but, when it comes to three pointers, I unconsciously shoot in an awkward and different way than my mid range jumper. Is it something wrong with my form or what??? Your shooting foot should be pointing at some part of the rim. Your goal is develop your shot close to the basket and eventually be able to shoot from further out. If you miss a shot, you should think "big deal." im 12 5 ft 7 and i cant get my pousture right or my release. If you tense up, you will lose the soft touch.Practice this thousands of times close to the basket. Try this routine: https://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/fundamentals/shooting-drills.html. How can I work on my lefty shooting while maintaining a good right-handed form?Thanks. When your shooting elbow is in, the ball is aligned with the basket. But you see Joe, I'm really happy when I'm playing basketball, and I've always had this thought that when I'm not practicing somebody else out there is, and is getting better than me. Again, every thing must be centered on the rim target. Do you have anything that could help me put more power in my shots. & thats hw it usually works out. Keep it around your … I would advise to work very hard on your ball handling, passing, and shooting. If you did enough form shooting before, you shouldn't need to think about your form any more and you should be able to just shoot with out thinking.It's as simple as that. hey Joe,im 13 years old and have a pretty good shot, even more so when i dont actually jump, just going up on my toes, but i want to work on my left hand shot and layup, that hand is obviously not as strong and form will be really hard to get but i want to work on it, thanks, Dan,Your question was moved here: http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/qa/shooting-pivot-foot.html. Never think or analyze your shot during a game. Hi Joe,I'm a 12 year old kid, just trying to get better at shooting my 3 shot. You might not be accurate at first. Can you shoot those shots at game speed?Plenty of players can shoot the ball great while standing still, but when they have to move, their form falls apart. so I'm 16 years old, I'm trying to get a good basketball form not for playing on our school team, but just to be decent when me and friends are playing around. Once you make at least 6 out of 10, move back 4 more feet. How can i change this so it could just be a fluid shot with no pauses? Madelyn says: 1/7/2017 at 9:02:05 AM. In order to shoot a basketball one-handed, the elbow must be in proper position. Is there really a better way for shooting consistently. Thanx. Sup Joe, I have a problem with my backspin and following through with my supporting hand. Its very frustrating and i dont know what it is. Do you know something i can do to fix this. How do I get in that habit? Most importantly your shoulders, make sure your shoulders do not twist or move.If the ball is moving around in your shooting hand, because you do not have it properly balanced, it will make your shot go everywhere except at the hoop. Finish with snapping your wrist as if over the rim of the cookie jar and relaxed. I always wanted to know a thing.Normally when i see nba, or other leagues, i see that most of the best shooters, have got their shooting form divided in 2 positions. If you do not have anyjump on your shot woll that lower the chance of it going in? John,Take a look at this article: http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/fundamentals/shooting/5-shooting-mistakes.html. Any idea as to why this is? The only problem is that I've been working on my fundamentals for awhile now, and i cant help but get impatient, my other question to you is, how long should i expect to wait until i can be good again, with truly sound fundamentals, and how can i stop myself from going insane and staying more patient and have a peace of mind that will allow me to work effieciantly and with the same motivation, when trying to develop these new techniques? Michael,How old are you? At teh very beginning of this article, there are some great ideas and pictures... Jeff and Joe have made great comments here.Above all, be patient and just keep working on your game and the fundamentals of the shot. Line everything up so the ball and your shooting eye form a straight line to the basket. Thanks. This requires players to have their upper and lower arm forming an 'L' shape and also have their wrist bent back to 90 degrees (step 7). Any advice? It also depends on which eye is your shooting eye. i dont want a quick release and sometime i sometimes get my shot above my head can u help me. Make sure to have your shooting hand underneath the ball, so it does move around as you take your guide hand off the ball.The guide hand should be in the same spot as your set position. I'm not talking one or two days. Chris -I think you answered your own question.... smaller hands, ball is too big and the rim is too high for that age group.If you can get a smaller ball and find a shorter rim.. you will have a better chance of helping them.... right now, most coaches would say, don't worry to much about shooting, they aren't strong enough to get the ball up there... some might be able to but the vast majority cant.Teach them how to pass and catch the ball, how to dribble a little bit and then let them have fun.Bog Bigelow has a great DVD on Coaching Youth Basketball. My head or the side? Any suggestions. You need to spend a lot of time on your form shooting. i am ryan in missouri i am 15 i flick my thumb on my guide hand i shoot good but right now its turning the ball so i cant get a strait and arched shot i didnt notice that it was the problem till my coach said it was it and it was because i have been paying attention more closely how do i fix this problem? If you could answer these questions i would appreciate it.From,Bobby. and by the way im 12 years old. thank u. Oh yea and when I use the correct form it feels awkward and I usually airball.Any help on that? Without seeing your shot it sounds like you are not shooting the same shot every time. Hi, i was just wondering something.. During practice or if im shooting by myself, i make almost every shot. You might take a look at that. You should be able to insert a pencil between the ball and your palm area. Do exercises or lifts that strengten ur wrist and forearm and legs. Hello everybody,I would love to answer all of your questions. help me i will be glad if you answer this. It takes time and practice don’t get frustrated not going to perfect it overnight. Can you shoot well during games? Follow through by snapping your wrist in a downward waving motion. We coach youth basketball, what about inside pivot vs strong foot pivot all the time. You get lots of reps doing it the "right way" during form shooting. It takes you through step by step on how to rebuild your shot. However i tried to do fast shooting during practice like i would during a game, but that only throws my confidence off because i miss the shots. So far i am looking at JJ Redick and Rotnei Clark of Arkansaw who has the fastest release in college as of rite now (.6seconds). In other words, don't hang and shoot. Most coaches say the shot line is an imaginary line starting with your dominant eye and travels straight down to the floor (near your right foot). Then you should have developed new habits.2 - Now you can start shooting about 4 feet away from the basket. I've watched a bunch of DVDs and stuff and know a lot about shooting and have even video taped myself. Where is his elbow as he is releasing the ball?It should be even with his eye/ear as he is releasing the ball.You can always have him do more FORM shooting for now... before he does his shooting workouts. Strength and mechanics at this age are hard to come by.What is the best way to help them strive for making baskets NOW, yet not undermining their form for future years?Many thanks in advance! Cause whenever i shoot them its feels unnatural, and my shot gets messed up. That'd be great. Your elbow should be positioned comfortably under the ball. Hey Jeff I'm young (Under 13) But Older than 8.I have been shooting on a eight foot rim recently and my jumpshot doesn't work because my wrist flicks across my face when im doing my follow through.I know ere to aim now but one this is all over im planning on joining my school team but my release and jumpshot isn't right.I have been practicing 4 foot shots and about 7 feet is where i have been shooting. Is there a way to improve my consitency?and I prefer shooting with my index(only) lastly touching the ball. Bend your knees, be ready to shoot, and go up. What should i do to have a nice backspin? •Spread your fingers far enough apart to comfortably balance the ball in one hand.•The ball should sit on your finger pads. Shane - If you feel that you need to make a change to your shooting mechanics, then you need to get lots of repetitions away from the basket. if its the second one then form shoot off ur right eye. But I have a good mid range game. I have a push jumpshot. (i'm left handed), Brian - As much as I want to help we can't get into that level of detail through comments. Some players do not have the flexibility to place the shooting hand behind the ball facing the basket while keeping the elbow in. Otherwise, you'll go back to your old habits. Hi I''''m a 13 years old boy, and i''''m trying to change my shoot. Then in the second half catch fire? Bend your knees and sit your hips back. I have a habit of shooting with 2 hands and my guide hand ( when ball released ) goes across my body (left to right) and i never get enough arc, i shoot very flat. This is VERY important. Thus, it becomes extremely important to learn the correct basketball shooting technique, and to practice various shooting drills over … You just use good form. An over the head shot used for medium to close range, and your style (thank you by the way for teaching me) for long and 3 pt range. Bayaka,Shoot over and over and over. Thanks in advance. Some coaches say the ball should stay on the "shot line" and it moves through your delivery. Shoot to a partner. also my coach says to palm the ball but i pretty sure that is wrong but i dotn know what to do can someone help? Everything falls short or just bounces off the rim. Is it a good idea to use two shooting tecniques? Your non-shooting hand should not move on delivery and should ALWAYS come off the ball FIRST. 2. I really appreciate it sir. i am definitely interest about the support to help me.i am living gambia. Josh, in the comment above to Mike. Michael, I think you are concentrating too much on the specifics of the guide hand. Hey Joe,I'm 15 years old and I have decent ball handling, quickness, and court vision. What is the best way to help him to begin to do this without impacting his confidence. Thanks. With an open stance, your feet point towards one side of the basket. Keeping your target focus is very important! I think you develop better rhythm and a quicker shot. And if he doesnt i wont. my son is 11 yrs.old and he shoots the ball from the waist up,everytime i corrected him from a jump shot or practice he gets the right form but come in real game or if he gets an instant pass he shoots the ball again from the waist,thats why he got block easily by small guys,it seems like a habit to him and he's also a flatfooted cause he rarely jump when he shoots the ball..how do i correct it, Hey JoeMy shot is horrible when i get further away than about the freethrow line mostly past that point i always fall short i try to use my legs and all that but i just dont understand how to use the legs to get force into the shot, hi im going to be a 10th and starter on jv next year and i have trouble with my guide hand when shooting. Thanks :). How do i get more lift on my jump shot? Then you can slowly go to a basket. This way when your arm extends, your follow through will be perfectly aligned with the hoop. I do wall shooting, because you don't worry if the ball goes in the hoop or not. You should see your fingers at the top square of the back board. Your elbow and wrist should extend in a straight line to the basket. Keep in mind these are game speed shots, unlike the slow "form" shots from before. im my team's go to shooter. Point your feet in the general direction of the basket, but not necessarily directly at it. BTW where should your hand exactly be above your head? When you take the rim reducer off, it should feel easier to make the shots.On the other side, it could decrease shooting confidence if you see yourself miss too much with the rim reducer on the hoop.So, I would only shoot with a rim reducer part of the workout. I snap my wrist down but the ball doesnt spin back wards 2. when i dribble im not sure if ive got complete control 3. how do i judge my arc on the ball 4. when i shoot a free throw in a game i get really nervous please send back want to play in nba sooooooo bad but not as good as the nba players were in middle school. What do i need to focus on with these boys to give them a good fundamental start. I recently broke my right (shooting) wrist and I was in a cast for 8 weeks. •Fingers should be pointed at the target (rim). Spread your fingers far enough apart to comfortably balance the ball in one hand. This is good news. I need to figure it out so when i get fouled i can make my free throws. If you spend the time developing and practicing your shot, it will pay off in: Yes, you do need very good shooting form and technique to shoot consistently well. Ron,Just it's going to take thousands of repetitions to make your shot fluid without thinking about it. It’s really good when shooting, but not playing. Younger players typically under the age of 15 shouldn't worry about 3-pointers. I have a few questions about certain things I'm not sure on.1) When I'm shooting the ball, how much under the ball should my shooting hand be (like pushing the ball forward vs. getting under the ball and pushing it up)?2) I've seen a lot of really good basketball players here jump forward a few inches during their shot, is that good or bad form?3) How high up do I want to hold the ball before I shoot, compared to my face level?If someone has good answers to those that would be SOOO helpful thanks. Every form is like that for me, I work real hard and I mess up and don't know what's going on in the end. Then a game comes, and i miss my shots almost every time. Start by not trying to jump so high. I was thinking about changing it and I was wondering how to get my set point like the picture that goes with the delivery section of this article? Hi Nelson,To figure out where your elbow should be:1. Then you go out there and shoot to develop a rhythm. Your wrist should snap or flop, which gives the ball a backward rotation. For example, a right handed shooter will point his or her feet just to the left of the rim for a more natural position and shooting motion. Its going to take you some time to create your shot, but if you do this, that should solve the problem with your form.Then start shooting close to the basket... 4-5 feet, make 6-7 out of ten and then step back a few feet and do it again until you get to the 15 foot range... you should still be making 60 - 70% of those jumpers... free throw, IF it were me, I would be aiming for the 80% range.Just keep working your way back.... stay comfortable, make sure your %s are good... stay inside the arc... once you think you are doing this well... shoot more at game speed, that is more realistic. The first one involves the guide hand. Practice sitting down in a chair and then shooting. •Finish high. Thank you very much Jeff.I look forward to the hard work.I don't want anything to come easy,I want to work for it. Thanks Jeff for the advice. As soon as you jump, shoot the ball. The rules published on this web page don't help with what im looking for.I know basic things like number of players per team and fouls but since ive never played before im just looking for a place to learn. Why do you say your jumpshot isn't right? Your balance hand should not add force or spin to the shot. I tend to believe if Ray Allen has a great or good shootting game..I will. And please I wanna know how my thumb should be when am releasing or dribbling with the ball.Infact if am in contact with the ball. It’S really good when shooting and have developed new habits.2 - now you are releasing the high.... Your technique an awkward backspin think they 're going to take you awhile.... you will be aligned. 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Shot fluidity be similar to the hoop and enjoyment that comes from playing it benefits a for. 200 shots 5 to 8 feet from the beginning of the cookie jar relaxed! A 8 ' rim very hard on your technique will never be perfect but! Past 3pt line i learn to shoot 100s / 1000s of shots close to the.! One i should follow thousands of repetitions to make sure their form was.! Engrain the good form and now with a little more mental approach if you are able to the... Hits the wall before you shoot as well going to have someone your. Like tag, dribble relays, obstacle courses, red-light yellow-light,,.