How to get better aim in basketball

21 Easy Ways to Improve Your Basketball Shooting Percentage – The Breakthrough Basketball Blog

Tip #1 – Locate Your Target (the Rim) Earlier

Getting in the habit of locating your target (the rim) earlier will improve your shooting percentage.  Why?

Locating the rim just a split second earlier gives your brain more time to subconsciously calculate distance and focus on your objective. Your eyes should be on the rim as early as possible. To make this little trick work, you need to develop this habit in practice, which carries over into games.

Tip #2 – Always Hold Your Follow Through

You’ve probably heard this a hundred times but there’s good reason for it.  Holding your follow through solves a multitude of shooting problems.  This simple movement helps you maintain good basketball shooting technique without even thinking about it.

Tip #3 – Finish with a Relaxed Wrist

A common mistake is for players to follow-through with a tense wrist.   Your wrist should be as relaxed as possible.  Your hand should finish on line and even bounce a little during the follow-through.

Tip #4 – Use a Colored Ball to Improve Rotation

To improve the straightness of your shot, try a colored basketball during practice.   This makes it easy to see the rotation and direction of the ball.  The immediate feedback makes it quick and easy for you to adjust and improve your shot.

Tip #5 – Don’t Shoot like Kobe (By Hanging In The Air)

TOO many kids try to copy Kobe and end up with bad shots for the REST OF THEIR LIVES!

Youngsters have no business trying to hang like Kobe and shoot.  Kobe is a freak of nature!  You should shoot as you’re going up (at least 1 inch before you reach the top of your jump).  Trying to mimic Kobe’s shot will just earn you a place on the bench and lots of frustration.

Tip #6 – Stop Thinking about Your Shot During Games

One of the worst things you can do is think about your shooting mechanics during a game.

Thinking about your shot is for practice, NOT for games!  In fact, you should only think during certain parts of your practice.  It’s ok to think during a form shooting session or when learning a new skill, but once you start developing rhythm and get further into practice, don’t think!

During games, train yourself to think about other things or nothing at all.

You’re going to miss a few.  So what!  Don’t think, just shoot the damn ball!!!

If you adopt this mentality, your shooting percentage will go UP.

Tip # 7 – Eliminate Negative Thoughts with this Simple Trick

Eliminating negative thoughts can dramatically improve your basketball shooting percentage.

To stop thinking and eliminate bad thoughts, you can try this little trick…

Before each game, practice, and shooting session, tell yourself that you don’t care if you make any baskets.   Say it out loud or in your head several times.

THEN, when you go to shoot (right as you’re catching the ball), say something to yourself like, “Nice shot. I can do better.”  In other words, try not to care if it goes in or not.

This simple little trick helps you to relax into the process and not think about the result. Using this technique will be enough to break you out of mini slumps and restore your confidence.

Tip #8 – Develop Optimal Arc

DID YOU KNOW that a shot with a flat 35 degree arc only has .6 inches of margin for the ball to clear without hitting the rim?  The shot has to be almost perfect to get a swish.

BUT a shot with a 45 degree medium height arc has a 3 inch margin of error!

That’s right.  Just by increasing the arc of your shot, your margin of error could increase as much as 500%!

How many shots bounce OUT of the basket because you missed by just a fraction?

As a general rule of thumb, finish your follow through with the rim clearly visible beneath the fingers of your shooting hand.  That way you will ensure that you have a decent arc on the shot.  Shots with proper arch have a much better chance of going in.

Just don’t go too high.  Because if your arc gets too high, you’ll loose your distance control.

Tip #9 – Watch DVDs

Simply by watching great shooters groove their shots over and over, you can improve your confidence and form.

The good habits and examples can be contagious.  As you watch, the good form becomes ingrained in your mind.

Not to mention, you should never stop learning.  There are lots of good shooting DVDs and books for you to learn from.

Tip #10 – Use a Partner to Tune your Shot Alignment

Spend a little time during each practice lined up along a court line about 20 feet from a partner, shooting back and forth and trying to have the ball bounce as close to the line as possible. This simple practice technique will help you to fine tune your control of the precision of your shot.

Tip #11 – Land In Front

Balance is a very important aspect of shooting.  You achieve balance primarily through a proper stance and footwork.  

After your shot, you should land in front of where you started.  You can do this by making sure that your momentum is going towards the basket on every catch. You should also establish good balance from your stance.

Tip #12 – Film Your Shot

You’d be amazed at how filming your shot in both games and practices can help you.

The most common response from players is… “That’s how I shoot!!??”

That’s right.  Most players haven’t seen their own shot before. Seeing your shot on film can help you to detect poor mechanics and motivate you to make commitments for improvement.  Bottom line– it’s a great way to refine your shot.

Tip #13 – Get a Partner

When possible, try to shoot with a partner.  Because when you’re alone, you end up chasing the rebound before following through properly.

This is important.  Think about how you practice…

You shoot and then you start following the shot immediately so you can get lots of reps.   Guess what?  This can mess up your follow-through.  You need to FINISH each shot and hold your follow-through.  That’s why we recommend getting a partner to rebound for you.  Now just because you can’t find a partner you can (and should) still practice by yourself.  Just be aware of holding your follow through.

Tip #14 – Fix Bad Habits by Immediately Correcting Your Shot

This is one of the easiest ways to break bad shooting habits.  For example, let’s say you forgot to hold your follow-through.  Well, immediately after you shoot, raise your hand back up and put your hand in the correct follow-through position.  This simple technique will help you quickly correct the bad habit

Tip #15 – Use a Return Device

Using basketball rebounding and return devices can literally double the number of shots you can take in practice.  Just think how much time you spend chasing the ball when you practice.  A return device solves that problem and lets you take more shots in less time.

Tip #16 – Get To Set

When you catch the ball, you should get the ball to your set position as quickly as possible. This will speed up your shot. Your set point can be anywhere between your hip and your shoulder.

Tip #17 – Don’t Fall for Gimmicks

Too many players spend their hard earned money on shooting gloves and gimmicks, thinking this will make them great shooters.

You can’t use these devices during a game so it really doesn’t do you much good.  You need to learn how to shoot effectively without these devices.  There is NO magic pill.

Tip # 18 – Keep Your Shot Motion Balanced, Fluid, and Consistent

A fluid motion means that there are no jerky movements or stopping points, just one constant flow from start to finish.

Consistency can’t be stressed enough.  Your feet, arms, set point, and jump height should use a consistent motion every time you shoot.  All the greatest shooters in the world have amazingly consistent movements.

Tip #19 – Groove 50 Shots Before Every Game

Before every practice and game, face the basket and shoot 50 EASY shots about four to ten feet from the basket.

Not only does this improve your shooting form, but it helps to develop phenomenal confidence.

You’ll quickly become very good at grooving these shots over and over.  You’ll see the ball going in the basket over and over.  You’ll swish the ball repeatedly and probably shoot 60%, 70%, 80%, or more, which is great for your psyche.

Why do you think that NBA players do this before games?  Why do you think that Tiger Woods starts all of his practice sessions by making 100 three-foot putts?

Because it works!  Don’t overlook this powerful strategy.

Tip #20 – Quickly Chart Your Shot to Determine Tendencies

Head to the gym and shoot a bare minimum of 50 shots.  Ask your partner to chart your shots.  The KEY is to chart the detailed results of each shot.  You will track how many shots fell short, too long, to the left, and to the right.   This information will help you to determine what you need to work on.

For example, if you consistently miss short (like many players do), you’ll need to work on your power and distance control.  If you consistently miss to the right and the left, you need to fix the mechanics of your foot and/or arm alignment.

Tip #21 – Work Game-Like Movement into Your Practice

To make game shots, you need to practice game shots.  You should use good shooting drills and practice movement off screens, cuts, chairs, and pivoting in both directions.

Get to the Gym and Apply What You’ve Learned

There ya go… 21 simple ways for you to improve your basketball shooting percentage.  Now get to the gym, apply what you’ve learned, and knock down more shots!!

Recommended Shooting Resources

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How To Improve Shooting Accuracy In Basketball? A Different Approach – Basketball Word!

It is one thing to shoot consistently by yourself in the gym and what seems like a completely different skill to shoot well in a game and then being consistent game after game can seem impossible.

How do you improve shooting accuracy in basketball? In order to improve shooting accuracy in basketball, you must consistently shoot every day while constantly working on making sure you shoot with correct form. Your shooting must stimulate game shots which are high intensity and a degree of shooting difficulty.

If you have not already read my first shooting guide called “How To Become A Better Shooter In Basketball: Ultimate Guide” You can click on the link to do so.

If you are interested in checking out the best basketball equipment and accessories then you can find them by Clicking Here! The link will take you to Amazon. com

There used to be a time when if you wanted to research a topic you would go to a library, although they still exist there is a much quicker way to do research and find an answer to your question, it is called the internet. Google, YouTube, and various message forums give you information at your fingertips. 

Some people say the internet is actually making us more stupid. I think we just become lazy and have resulted to the easy way hoping for instant results. We are bombarded with so much info we are confused as to what to do or where to start.

 What does this have to do with improving your shot you ask?  I see posts all the time in message forums and comments under the YouTube videos about shot form, improving shooting accuracy and scoring. I do believe that most of the comments are from people who sincerely are trying to improve their basketball game but get confused with the amount of information that is out there that they don’t know what to do with it or where to start.

Things back in the day seemed a lot easier, a coach would show you how to shoot the ball and you go practice shooting. You would shoot thousands of shots and you would just figure it out. It is called hard work and is still as called that. 

I am not saying the internet is a bad place to try and improve your basketball game. I am saying it is used poorly. Most watch a video say they are going to try that and move on to a hundred more videos forgetting the video that they just watch and was suppose to try.

When they do implement a drill it is for a couple of reps and then they stop and forget about it. It takes hundreds if not thousands of reps to instill a skill in your basketball game till it becomes instinctive.

Basketball skills when first learning shouldn’t be treated like music songs that you shuffle through your playlist and listen to it once and then move on to the next one.

My advice is to take one skill or drill, this can be for shooting dribbling and beat a dead horse. You practice it all week until you are extremely comfortable with it until it is second nature.

You must put in solid hard work and consistent practice pumping out repetition over and over again, day in and day out to improve. There is no such thing as an overnight success, it can take a very long while to get to where you want to be. 

Discipline is doing what has to be done, when it has to be done, as well as it can be done, and doing it that way all the time

– Bob Knight

Improve One-shot Mechanic Watch Your Results Improve

There are so many guides out there and ways to shoot a ball it is really hard to change a players shot writing a few words while not being able to see what their form is like in person.

Think of a basketball shot in a simplistic way, not like a golf swing, that is just too confusing. Humans have a tendency to complicate things and over-analyze everything, keep it simple. How can I better my form to easily put the ball in the rim?

Here is a list of common problem areas of players shots that I see often, you can diagnose yourself and fix these problems. The common issues are as follows

I see this a lot with young players and strongly believe when the ball stops resting on the palm or shooting with the palm you will hit more shots. You want to have a space where the ball and the palm are when the ball is in your hand ready to shoot.

When the ball is now on your finger pads it forces your hand span to become wider, giving more control of the ball while creating a straight backspin. The ball has less of a chance to create side spin and all sorts of problematic issues when shooting.

That elbow is ugly, fix it, you just have to look in a mirror. Straighten the elbow so that the elbow is 90 degrees and the arm is straight up and down with your body and not chicken winging out to the side. keeping my hands out in front of me and my shooting elbow against my gut,  from there it’s straight up and down. You should feel that the ball is directly underneath the elbow when your about to extend the arm to shoot.

With balance will come stability, power, and consistency. If you are not balanced your shot will miss right or left and proper weight on the feet will not be distributed evenly.

 What is your stance you ask? You should be in an athletic stance with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Anything more narrow you won’t have enough power behind your shot while shooting leaving most of the work for the arms, Shooting involves the whole body to work together. A stance much wider than the athletic position and it might be difficult to maintain consistency over time.

I would tell players to relax and never think about what’s at stake. Just think about the basketball game. If you start to think about who is going to win the championship, you’ve lost your focus.

— Michael Jordan

Every coach has a different way to teach how the feet should be pointed while they shoot. How I teach the feet is pointed slightly opposite to the shooting hand. If you shoot right-handed your feet will be out slightly to the left and vice versa. 

Some coaches teach in line with the basket such as shoulders squared with the basket they also teach feet squared with the basket which is fine see which works for you.

Those are just a few common errors I see. More importantly, do not focus on all of them but choose one. Use it in your shooting practice.  Work on it continuously for a week before doing anything else or until it becomes natural then choose another skill. You will make far greater progress and improvements doing things this way than jumping back and forth from skill to drill, or not doing anything at all. 

One Skill A Week

If you were to practice 1 skill a week, every week a different skill and work on it for a whole year it would be amazing to see how much a player could improve by the end of that year.

This could potentially be anything shooting, dribbling, left-hand layups, with the idea of continuously practicing those skills that you just learned throughout the year. 

For that one week, you would have to put in an insane amount of repetitions.

Looking At The Rim Longer

I have never heard anyone talking about this, Why is it when players are wide open for a shot they make it more times than not. They have obviously more time to shoot and relax but also they are able to dial in by looking at the rim longer. This will better their chance of making the shot.

Now if you are saying well, of course, I say then use this to your advantage, How so you ask?

When I struggle in games to shoot well in a game, I do my best to try and look at the rim a little longer. I do this in 2 ways. The first is when I am anticipating that I will be receiving a pass (one pass away) and I’m in scoring position, I will look directly at the rim before getting the ball and then receive my pass and fire away. I feel this helps me as I have a picture of the rim in my head before I get the ball. Then I just need to make my move, follow through. I feel as if I am tricking myself into thinking I have been wide open.

The second way I do it is, I will dribble in open space or the to the place I know I can get a shot off and continue to stare at the rim as I am pulling up to shoot. Now your thinking, of course, I already do that. But I challenge you to pay attention and watch other players as most of them don’t actually look at the rim until they are about to shoot at the last second or are in the air then they look.

So if you are struggling during a game, see if finding ways to look at the rim just a little longer works for you. So simple but can very effective, it definitely helps me, it may help you.

“You must expect great things of yourself before you can do them.” – Michael Jordan

 

You Don’t Need A Hoop To Improve Your Shot?

You don’t need a hoop to improve your shot, you don’t even need a ball. What do you mean you don’t need a ball? Some professional athletes will go to the free-throw line and mimick their form right before they are going to be passed the basketball by the referee. They are practicing their pre-ritual free-throw routine right before they shot.

Visualization is everything, in life and sports, if you can not see yourself doing something how can you complete the task. This serves two purposes to the shooter, they are practicing their form as the player knows that proper form will help them make more shots at the line. Secondly, they are using visualization to see the ball going through the hoop, giving them added confidence in making the shot.

Studies have shown if you use visualization to complete a skill movement prior to the task your more likely to be successful, something to think about.

Now what I do at home sometimes with a ball and without, is sit on the floor against the couch or laying down with the ball it doesn’t matter, while watching TV, I will shoot the ball up towards the ceiling. I envision myself playing on my favorite court shooting on my favorite rim playing in a basketball game.

I’m seeing myself in the first person as if I was really on the court and shooting the ball while seeing it go towards the rim and making it, SWISH!!! Sounds too easy hey, sounds too good to be true. You have probably already heard about this but never really tried it, give it a shot.

Every year for the past 10 years I go down to a basketball tournament in Grand Forks, North Dakota. I always do my best to get game-ready before the tournament, putting up extra shots, playing a lot more basketball even though it’s tough with the time coaching and the family.

This past year I was injured, I had a nagging glute injury and Achilles tendonitis in my left foot.  I really wanted to play because the prior year I suffered an injury to my abdominal muscle in which I pulled it playing in a pickup game a week before the tourney and couldn’t play so I was out of commission.

So I was itching to play since last year and I thought I’m playing regardless, it is too good of a time being with friends unwinding and have an overall good time trying to win. Anyhow cause of my injuries I didn’t play or shoot much so I just practiced my shooting form at home. Just like the above, I mentioned, visualizing opponents in my face and cashing it in.

How did I play? You Ask. I shot the LIGHTS OUT!!! We didn’t win the tourney but again I had fun playing and did so while injured and could barely move after the second game on the second day. I shot better than any of my years down there and I knew I would. So much better than I heard a crowd of people cheer when I missed a shot, which wasn’t often.

You are probably thinking it’s just a coincidence, probably not. The Central Nervous System doesn’t know the difference between actually shooting a basketball or visualizing yourself shooting, it’s the same thing.

You could technically shoot more shots in your mind if you really wanted too.

“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” – Michael Jordan

 

The Power Of Form Shooting

I like to use the golf swing to paint the picture in the mind of the reader and relate it to shooting form. A pro golfer will take 2 or 3 practice swings before actually hitting the ball upon teeing off. It is obvious that a golf swing is way more technical than a basketball shot as they have to use a golf club to hit the ball where they want it to go. Don’t even start with how small the hole is that’s another topic.

How can we learn from a golf swing? We can practice form shooting for 5 minutes before a game or at home. Golfers, even the terrible ones know how important their swing is to their golf game, they invest thousands of dollars on clubs, coaches, and instructional videos to hit like the pros do, while working on it constantly. They become obsessed, don’t become obsessed to the point it becomes counterproductive.

When practicing form shooting, keep one of the key skills in mind from the list that I included above. Stand a few feet away under the basket and use one hand and shoot. When you become good at that, trying swishing it not hitting the rim. When you become good at that, move one step back and or add the guiding hand.

You can practice form shooting anywhere, will it look weird, Yes!! Does anyone care, No! not asking you to do it in front of everyone on the bus. But you could if you want too.

So remember if you want to be a better shooter and your spending a lot of time and energy which is great. Do not get caught up with the number of videos you need to watch or time searching for pointless drills you are not using. Use your time and energy wisely.

Do not over complicate the shooting mechanics, you will make things harder on yourself and more confusing that you will end up losing focus on the goal at hand. Take the A and B path, not the A, C, G, H,  and B, path.

Don’t confuse the fundamentals, keep the shot form simple, slowly change it, one shot mechanic, at a time doing so will give you better improvements and motivate you to continue. Changing everything will completely mess things up. But be obsessed with putting in reps.

I feel as if this is worth repeating again……… I was never gifted with amazing natural talents and athletic ability but every skill that I felt I was head and shoulders above everyone else were skills I became obsessed with. Working at them non stop to be better than everyone else and have an edge in that skill over everyone. Consider that for a moment.

So the next time you are looking to improve a skill keep it simple, first dedicate the time and give yourself the opportunity to improve. Remember skills and drills are like tools that a player can use to improve their basketball game, there are no magic tools, just hard work.

Further Readings:

• How to become a better shooter in basketball? Ultimate Guide
• What does a shooting guard do in basketball? Explained
• 10 Games to improve basketball skills with?

Basketball coaching hacks: how to score goals for beginners

Even if you are a novice basketball player, we will not give you a training plan, but we will tell you why the ball flies anywhere but into the ring and into your hands. It's all about technique: even with regular training and perseverance, novice adults and children often make simple mistakes. It's a shame, let's fix it. Below are 11 life hacks on how to hone your technique to increase the likelihood of a goal for your team.

Basketball Shot Rules for Beginners

1. Hands up

In pursuit of the attacker, raise your hands, even if you are standing with your back to the pass, and even more so if the ring is in front of you. Your raised hands will increase the chance of intercepting the ball from the opponent by 2 times. Don't overlook this little thing!

2. Make shield rolls

Even Tim Duncan did not neglect them! A square is drawn on the basketball backboard. If you are standing opposite the ring, then aim at the middle of the upper part of the square, if you are standing on the side, then at the corner. If you hit this square, then the ball is at 90% of cases will fall into the ring. The law of physics and no cheating!

3. Look at the ring, not at the ball

Practice driving the ball with your hand, not your eyes, develop tactile control. Your eyes should be on the hoop while dribbling and be aware of the position of your body in relation to the hoop. Then you will be able to take the correct posture, and the throw will be effective.

4. Dribble with the balls of your fingers only

The palm should not touch the ball, only the pads of the fingers. Dribbling should become familiar to you, like an extension of your hand. Then you can change its trajectory at any time and you will have more chances to score goals. Practice with the ball constantly.

5. Throw with one hand

If you throw the ball with two hands, you reduce the chance of hitting the basket. All the efforts of the throw are in one hand (in the right for right-handers, in the left for left-handers). The other hand only holds the ball, the leading one holds it with the fingers, not the palm.

6. Do not jump when protecting the ring

Jumping is the main mistake of rookie defenders. To intercept the ball and block the shot, simply stick out your hands. When you are in a jump, the attacker will easily bypass you.

7. Don't look back

When you dribble, don't look back, but dribble and aim for the ring, focus on shooting (or passing to another player on your team).

8. Bring the throw to automatism

Incorporate the most basic basketball techniques into your training plan and bring the shot to automatism. Throw first from a distance of half a meter from the ring, gradually increasing it. Learn to throw the ball so that it hits the hoop without touching the edge.

Throw the ball with all fives and jump

Throwing Rules:

• Head in the center of the body - if tilted, accuracy is lost.
• Look at the ring: mentally build a trajectory. If you are far away, the ball flies in a curved curve with a maximum height of 2 meters above the hoop.
• A strong hand is in front and throws, a weak hand is on the side and directs, only holding the ball. The elbow of the throwing hand must be in line with the ring.
• The ball must rest on the fingers without touching the palm. The fingers are as far apart as possible and grab the ball.
• Throwing arm bent 90 degrees, forearm perpendicular to the floor. If you bend less, then you get not a throw, but a throwing of the ball horizontally.

The main thing in the throw is the position of the body and its balance. Place your feet apart and parallel to each other: it is important to orient them in the middle of the basket. Then the direction of the body during the jump will coincide with the direction of the throw, and the ball will fly straight into the ring. When the feet are uneven, the ball flies in the wrong direction or does not reach (although the throw was normal).

Take a deep breath and release as you exhale.

How to hold the ball and shoot in basketball

How to throw correctly: straighten your arm, point your wrist up, and with your hand set the ball to rotate in the opposite direction from the flight. The ball should seem to "roll" off your fingers.

9. Copy masters and play as a team

Watch professional basketball games and try to copy the movements of your favorite players in training. And be sure to conduct game sparring - this will allow you to develop more techniques.

10. Do not throw in a straight line

The higher the arc of the ball, the greater the chance of a goal and the less chance of blocking by the opponent.

11. Do not throw the ball from a full height stand

This is the biggest newbie mistake!

Before the throw, bend your knees slightly and at the moment of the throw, straighten your body, making a jump. You need to straighten up and push off the ground at the same time. When squatting, keep the elbow of the throwing arm close to the body and towards the ring.

The jump will give momentum to the ball and will allow you not to make sudden movements with the brush.

***

And to be a long-term player, do not forget about your health: take care of your joints and muscles, use tapes, do a warm-up. And be sure to strengthen your arms, legs and shoulder girdle, develop coordination. Regular exercises on uneven bars and horizontal bars will help you with this.

How to learn to shoot three-pointers - FURFUR

FURFUR understands how to shoot three-pointers in basketball

• April 11, 2013 at 19:45
• 87838

Winter is finally over, which means it's time to break out of your cramped apartments and do all sorts of outdoor activities. Today's article in the "Advice" section is devoted to basketball, and specifically to how to learn how to make three-point shots, and not just rush aimlessly around the field.