How are you supposed to shoot a basketball

How to Shoot a Basketball Like a Pro: Complete Guide

Learn the basic fundamentals on how to shoot a basketball with this easy how-to guide.

Whether you want to learn how to play basketball for fun or want to become the next Steph Curry, you need to have proper shooting technique. Arguably the most important skill in this worldwide sport, being able to shoot provides you with several benefits on the basketball court. To strengthen your knowledge of this skill, consider what shooting entails, the simple shooting method, how to shoot, the importance of being a great shooter, and various shooting drills to help you perfect your form.

To play basketball, it's important to know the basic rules of the game, the layout of the court, player positions, and various skills that can help you improve your game. Shooting, in particular, is widely considered one of the most essential skills of the game. This is because it can set a strong foundation for your knowledge of the sport. For example, knowing how to shoot properly can increase your knowledge of the game regarding strategic gameplay and other fundamental skills such as dribbling and passing. Ultimately, correctly shooting a basketball can establish you as a well-rounded athlete in this sport.

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How To Shoot a Basketball

1. Get into a proper stance

Placing your feet in the right position can help you maintain balance and ensure you're able to handle the ball with ease. To shoot the basketball into the basket, keep your legs apart and extended. Your feet need to be in a comfortable position and approximately shoulder-width apart. This can help you support your weight rather than falling over when you shoot the basketball.

Anthony Davis

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If you plan on moving forward, bend your knees and move your dominant foot a little ahead of the other. For example, if you're right-handed, your right foot needs to be slightly in front of your left foot. Get balanced before the ball is in your hands so you can take a shot as quickly as possible without having to regain balance before shooting.

In addition, slightly flex your knees to make it easier for you to jump when you shoot the ball. Though this step takes practice, once you've mastered it, it can help you take a stance and make the shot more quickly.

2. Grab hold of the ball

Along with knowing how to stand, you need to maintain control of the ball. Grab hold of the ball using your fingertips of your shooting hand. Ensure that the ball and your eyes form a straight line leading to the hoop.

Keep your elbows aligned and make sure your hands are stable enough to ensure the ball heads in the right direction. Keep your lower arm vertical and at a 90-degree angle. Your elbows need to be in line with your shoulder as you raise them slightly to aim for the shot.

Once you have the ball, make sure you have it under your control using at least your fingers and your thumb. This helps the ball leave your hand with ease.

3. Focus on your target

Keep your eyes on the target by narrowing your focus on where you want the ball to go. For example, consider directing your attention to the backboard or the back rim of the net a little before shooting. This can help you avoid outside distractions that may hinder your ability to make the shot.

4. Take the shot

With the previous steps in mind, your hands need to be on the ball as your wrists flick forward to drive it toward the net. Be sure to arch your arms to propel the ball upward and into the net. Your arm needs to extend completely and your elbow needs to lock.

The more practice you receive with these steps, the easier it can be to execute them in the future without thinking ahead of time.

Anthony Davis

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Understand the Simple Shooting Method: BEEF

Whether you're playing one-on-one basketball or as part of a team, one simple shooting method to consider learning is the BEEF principle. This concept improves your form, balance, control, and overall shooting ability on the court. To refine your free throw and jump shooting, consider the following elements of the BEEF principle:

• Balance: Maintain a solid, balanced base that will help set the foundation for a perfect jump shot. Weight should be equally distributed between both legs with a slight bend in your knees.

• Eyes on the target: Most pros say that the ball will go wherever your eyes are looking, so make sure you're looking at the basket. Where you focus exactly is up to you, but focusing on the front of the rim or the back is a good place to start.

• Elbows aligned: Your elbow should be at a 90-degree angle with your torso as you prepare to shoot. The elbow should be underneath the basketball and your shooting hand fingertips should be on the ball with your off hand making light contact on the side of the basketball.

• Follow-through: The crucial last step of the BEEF Method is the flicking of the wrist to follow through on the shot. Upon release, the ball should roll off the tips of your pointer and middle finger. If you've done it correctly your wrist will be flexed with your fingers pointed down at the ground.

Shooting is hands down one of the most crucial parts of the game, and even a slight improvement in shooting percentage can make a huge difference in winning percentage. Practice, practice, practice in the form of strategic shooting drills is the way to increase skills and get better. Here are individual shooting drills to add into your basketball training routine.

Shooting Drills to Help Your Form

To perfect your form, it's important to practice specific shooting drills. These drills will develop your technique, improve your consistency, and increase your confidence on the court. Here are some shooting drills that can help you perfect your form and make you a better shooter:

• 1-2 step shoot: This drill involves stepping into your shot with one foot at a time and can help you develop your offensive skills. To perform this drill, begin by taking your stance. As you receive the pass, step with one foot in the pass's direction. If you're right-handed, step with your left foot, and vice versa. Then, step with your other foot to complete the 1-2 step shoot.

• Set to go: This drill involves you standing a few feet away from the basket. Once you're in a set position, keep your arm angle at 90 degrees with the ball positioned under your shoulder. Then, extend your legs and shoot at the same time.

• Off-dribble shooting: To perform this drill, take two 45-degree angle dribbles to your right and shoot the ball. Then, do the same to your left. The goal is to perform this drill at high speed and to maintain proper footwork and dribbling throughout.

• One Hand Form Shooting: Stand 2 to 4 feet in front of the rim and establish your base and position your feet properly to line up to shoot. Bring your arm up into an L position, your upper arm parallel to the ground and your forearm pointing to the ceiling. Your upper arm and forearm are at about a 75 to 90 degree angle. Shoot 5 to 10 reps then move to a new spot

• Add Off Hand: Stand 2 to 4 feet in front of the rim. Establish your base and position your feet properly to line up to shoot. Bring your arm up into an L position, your upper arm parallel to the ground and your forearm pointing to the ceiling. Your upper arm and forearm are at about a 75 to 90 degree angle. Place your off hand on the ball. Shoot 5 to 10 reps then move to a new spot. Tip: Make sure your four fingers are pointing up to the ceiling when you put your hand on the ball.

• Block Shooting: Block Shooting drills help you practice the same skill over and over and are excellent for developing shooting technique, developing rhythm and building confidence. They can also serve as warm up drills.

Importance of Becoming a Great Shooter

Knowing how to shoot a basketball has several benefits that can help you stand out on the court. Although you don't need to be an expert shooter, this highly coveted athletic skill can help you advance your overall technique. Here are some of the benefits and overall importance of becoming a great basketball shooter:

Helps your team score points: Being able to shoot a basketball increases your team's chances of winning a game. This is because making baskets is the way you score points in a game of basketball. Therefore, the better shooter you are, the greater your chances are of gaining points and helping your team win the game.

Increased shooting percentage: When your team has a higher shooting percentage, it can help you devise a strategy to win games more frequently. For example, if you need a certain number of points to win, being a great shooter can help your team understand the types of shots — and the number of shots — it needs to win. A team with a higher shooting percentage requires fewer shot attempts to win the game because they're more apt to make every shot. A lower shooting percentage may cause your team to rely on rebounds or forced turnovers.

More playtime: Coaches value basketball players with strong shooting skills. Often, this skill is hard to come by, so honing your shooting skills can give you more time on the court during a game

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Knowing how to shoot a basketball is fundamental to the game. The more you understand proper form technique and follow it up with practice, the better athlete you'll be.

Proper Basketball Shooting Technique, Fundamentals, Form, Mechanics

By Jeff Haefner

Home > Player > Basketball Skills > Shooting > Proper Basketball Shooting Technique, Fundamentals, and Form

It's often said that great shooters have a place on any team.

Even if you aren't blessed with tremendous speed, strength or athleticism, great shooting is one of the surest ways you can stand out on the basketball court.

If you spend the time developing and practicing your shot, it will pay off in:

• Making the team
• Getting more playing time
• Scoring consistently
• Feeling confident and having fun every time you step on the floor

Now, let me start with some good news!

Yes, you do need very good shooting form and technique to shoot consistently well.

But it does NOT need to be "perfect".

If you watch enough great shooters, you'll see that their form varies quite a bit based on what's comfortable (and what works) for them.

But almost all great shooters follow the principles I'll explain in this article. So keep reading for (all the good stuff)!

In this section, we give you the raw form and mechanics of stationary shooting.

In other words, this section does NOT address the fundamentals of shooting on the move and more advanced footwork you'll need for game situations.

Here's a quick roadmap of the stationary shooting fundamentals that we'll be covering:

1. Eyes on Target
2. Stance and Balance
3. Shot Pocket
4. Grip
5. Balance Hand
6. Delivery
7. Upforce and Landing
8. Follow Through
9. Correct Shot

NOTE: If youd like specially-designed workouts for shooting and scoring, download our FREE Breakthrough Shooting Workout. It includes over 30 drills you can do by yourself or with a partner all you need is a ball and a hoop!

Click here to get your FREE Shooting Workout.

Related Products & Helpful Resources

Basketball Shooting Camps

Free Basketball Shooting Workouts

Basketball Workout App - Shooting Workouts, Guard Play Workouts, Post Workouts, etc.

Simple Basketball Game for Android that you will be interested in

In the next post I will introduce and recommend Basketball Game for Android , a game from those super simple ones called Casual Games or Casual Games which I call Bath Games , which is one of the most addictive games I've ever played on Android and it managed to hook me from the first moment.

A game that responds to the name Ketchapp Basketball , follows the principles of so-called casual games with fair graphics and simple gameplay So the oldest and smallest in the house can play games at any time, putting the ball into the basket, like in classic basketball or shooting, albeit with some new options which I will comment below.

Index

• 1 What does Ketchapp Basketball offer us?
• 2 Download Ketchapp Basketball for free from the Google Play Store

What does Ketchapp Basketball offer us?

Ketchapp Basketball is much more than the classic Basketball game for Android in which we'll have to throw the ball into the basket indiscriminately to surpass our own mark. And it's that if this basketball game for Android stands out for one thing, it's because of the simplicity of the game's graphics, graphics that are almost like pencil drawings, showing just a few lines or simple outline strokes of a Basketball Hoop. If we also add to this the amazing simplicity of his game system, a game system in which we only need to slide to launch the ball, and we also add the ability to choose between different game modes That's when we realize the difference between this basketball game for Android and other games of the same style that are distributed on the Google Play store.

Various game modes that we can choose from the options modes that we can find on the main screen of the application, make this game for android terminals, light where they are, and be available for all android, no matter as far as they are basic, give them a touch of something different that stands out from other style games. Some game modes to choose from:

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• Endless mode or endless mode in which we will add points until we miss our attempt to score the ball in the basket.
• Time Challenger Mode : In this game mode, we will have 20 seconds to indiscriminately shoot the basket and score as many points as possible. About 20 seconds, which doesn't start counting until we make the first throw into the basket.
• Rebound mode : This mode is undoubtedly one of the most attractive game modes of the application, in which in order to score so many points and so that they reach our personal scoreboard, we have to shoot at the basket, but in such a way that the ball bounces off the sides . Direct basket shooting.
• Multi Hoops Mode : This mode or way of playing basketball is one of the craziest I have tried in my life, and it is that in the Multi Hoops mode we will be shown two lines of basketball boards in constant motion, in which, when thrown, the ball will count as many points as the number of baskets scored in the attempt. That is, when throwing the ball, we add points related to the number of points scored when the ball hits as many baskets as it passes, even if it is a bounce.

In the video that we started this article with, I will show you the game system and operation of this simple but addictive basketball game for Android , a basketball game that once you download and try it on your Android terminal, you won't be able to stop playing with the little free time you have.

Game Mode Bounce

The perfect game to play while waiting for the train, bus, subway, while you wait at the doctor's office or especially during those moments of everyday seclusion that every person has to hide.

Multi Hoops game mode

Download Ketchapp Basketball for free from the Google Play Store

Ketchapp Basketball

Developer: Ketchapp

Price: It's free

The content of the article complies with our principles of editorial ethics. To report a bug, click here.

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Basketball rules

How the rules have changed in your favorite game

How the rules in our favorite game have changed

WE ALL LOVE TO PLAY BASKETBALL, BUT DO WE KNOW THE RULES EXACTLY?

Basketball was invented by James Naismith in 1891. Everything was different back then: playgrounds, baskets, balls…

!!! Read about the evolution of balls in the article:

Basketball was invented by James Naismith in 1891. Everything was different back then: playgrounds, baskets, balls…

!!! Read about the evolution of balls in the article:

History of basketballs

History of basketballs

What balls are played now and how it happened

Beginning

The rules have also changed a lot during this time. Initially, there were only 13 of them in basketball:

1. The ball can be thrown in any direction with one or two hands.
2. The ball may be hit with one or both hands in any direction, but never with the fist.
   
3. The player cannot run with the ball. The player must throw the ball from the point at which he caught it, except for a player running at high speed.
   
4. The ball must be held with the hands. You can not use the forearms and body to hold the ball.
   
5. In any case, hitting, grabbing, holding and pushing the opponent is not allowed. The first violation of this rule by any player shall be called a foul; the second foul disqualifies him until the next ball is scored, and if there was an obvious intention to injure the player, then a disqualification for the whole game. It is not allowed to replace a disqualified player.
   
6. Punching the ball is a violation of points 2 and 4, the penalty is described in point 5. commit no foul).
   
7. A point is scored if a ball thrown or bouncing off the floor hits the basket and stays there. Defending players are not allowed to touch the ball or basket while shooting. If the ball touches the edge and the opponents move the basket, then a point is scored.
   
8. If the ball goes out of bounds, it must be dropped into the field by the first player to touch it. In the event of a dispute, the referee must throw the ball into the field. The thrower is allowed to hold the ball for five seconds. If he holds it longer, then the ball is given to the opponent. If either side tries to play for time, the referee must give them a foul.
   
9. The referee must monitor the actions of the players and fouls, and notify the referee of three consecutive fouls. He shall have the power to disqualify players under rule 5.
   
10. The referee must watch the ball and determine when the ball is in play (inbounds) and when it is out of bounds (out of bounds), which side should be in possession of the ball, and any other actions normally performed by the referee .
    
11. The game consists of two halves of 15 minutes each with a break of 5 minutes between them.
12. The side with the most goals during this time period is the winner.

The most important rule change in the history of basketball is the introduction of dribbling. In the original version of the game, this was prohibited by paragraph 3 of the rules.

One of the first changes in the game and the rules was the replacement of the basket with a ring with a net. It seemed to be very inconvenient to climb after the ball every time after a hit. Around the same time, free throws, dribbling appeared, and the composition of the teams was fixed for 5 players on the court at the same time. Before that, in some matches, up to 50 people could be on the court at the same time. All this happened back in 1896-1897.

The emergence of FIBA ​​(International Basketball Federation)

Basketball at the beginning of the 20th century became more popular and the rules in each country could be different. This was one of the reasons why FIBA ​​appeared in 1932 year. At the first FIBA ​​Congress, the teams were approved (5 people and 2 substitutes), and it was decided that after each goal there would be a throw-in in the center. This rule was removed after 4 years to reduce the advantage of tall players.

Over the next few years, the main changes were related to the number of personal fouls, the number of players on the bench and the introduction of a time limit for getting the ball into the opponent's half of the court.

More changes came in 1952 after the Olympic Games. The game became very boring, because the teams held the ball, having received a minimal lead in the score. Everyone understood this and searched for solutions for several years in order to save the life of basketball. At 1954 Danny Biason proposed to the NBA to limit the time for the shot to 24 seconds. At the 1956 Olympics, there was a similar rule: it was necessary to make a throw in 30 seconds. At the same time, to add equality between defense and attack, another rule familiar to us appeared: you need to start dribbling the ball before the supporting leg comes off.

Then the game became similar to the modern one from a technical point of view: dribbling, shots, a three-second zone appeared. In 1979, the NBA added a three-point line, and in 19In 1984, FIBA ​​also added an arc.

!!! Article about the evolution of the three-point shot and interesting facts:

10 interesting facts about the three-point shot.

10 interesting facts about the three-point shot.

Three-pointer evolution and insane records.

Changes in the rules and basketball since 1956 have included the number of free kicks, the situations in which these free kicks are given, and individual and team penalties. Some rules were introduced, and a few years later they were canceled. For example, the "3 for 2" rule: if a player was fouled in the shooting phase, then if one of the first two shots was missed, he could make another free throw. This rule was later removed.

Since the 1990s there have been constant changes: the emergence of alley-ups, changes in the timing and rewriting of the rules of running, which continue to this day.

From the most interesting: if the team has 0.3 seconds or less to throw the ball from behind, then it must be a one-touch throw. It takes at least 0.4 seconds to perform a full throw.

Derrick Fisher made similar throws:0009

Do you want to take your first steps in basketball or improve your basic skills? We have a Basic Basketball Skills workout for you. See the schedule and sign up:

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Coach: Yuriy Bespalov

- Professional player of the INANOMO 3x3 team;
- Champion of Russia 3x3 2019, 2021;
- Winner and medalist of the MOFB championship;
- MLBL Summer League MVP 2017;
- Multiple participant of the Moscow Open;
- Champion of Moscow 3x3 2017;
- MVP GrunisCup 2017.

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