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How to roll a basketball around your arms


5 of the Biggest Basketball Shooting Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)

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By Joe Haefner

For most of these fixes, you are going to need to start away from the hoop and take hundreds and thousands of shots. You can find a wall and do this by yourself or find a line and shoot it back and forth to a partner. Once you begin to feel comfortable with your adjustment, take hundreds of shots really close to the basket and gradually move out.

  1. Thumb on Shooting Hand

    Players often have the ball sit on the tip of their thumb on their shooting hand. This position is awkward and forces the body to strain to hold the proper shooting form. In order to be a good shooter, you have to be comfortable.

    It you don't strain, your elbow sticks too far out.

    How do you fix it?

    You need to have the ball rest on the side of the thumb rather than on the tip of the thumb on every shot. It may feel awkward at first, but it will help tremendously and more of your shots will travel to the dead-center of the rim. If you can not determine when you are doing this, you may need to have someone critique your shot or video tape it.

  2. Thumb on Guide Hand

    Some players flick the ball with their thumb on the guide hand when shooting the basketball. This will cause serious problems for the shooter and the ball will often spray left and right. It's tough enough to judge the distance, yet add another factor of left and right into the equation.

    Most players develop this problem when they are too weak to get the ball to the rim, and the habit carries through their teenage and adult years.

    How do you fix it?

    You can squeeze your thumb against the index finger on your guide hand. This will not let you shoot the ball with the thumb. If the problem still continues, take your guide hand off of the ball by about a half-inch and shoot with one hand. Make sure your guide hand stays still.

    You can also use a shooting strap to keep your guide hand and thumb still. This is a very effective way to break this habit and keep your guide hand from moving. We have found the j-strap is very effective and recommend it to solve this problem.

  3. Unnecessary Jerky Movements

    These jerky movements can cause you to become an inconsistent shooter:

    • Twisting the body.
    • Fading backwards, and to the left or right.

    How do you fix it?

    You need to evaluate when this jerky movement is happening and what type of jerky movement is occurring. This may mean you need to video tape your shot if you have nobody to help.

    Two major reasons players twist their body when they shoot is:

    1. Their feet are not aligned correctly.
    2. They bring their guide hand down too early.

    Make sure your feet line up correctly before every shot. This means you may need to pivot more as you receive the pass or as you step into your shot off the dribble. If you use a hop, make sure that you are turning enough while in the air to align your feet properly as you land. If your feet are not set correctly, this will force your body to twist while shooting to try to compensate for it.

    If you bring your guide hand down too early, it brings extra movement into your shot that causes you to twist your body. If you don't believe me, sit in your chair and shoot with one hand and bring your guide hand down to your waist at the same time. What naturally happens? Your torso will twist.

    That's why it is important to keep your guide hand extended in the correct position.

    Pro players use this method to stop their upper-body from twisting when they take shots when they are off-balance or their feet are not aligned appropriately. It helps keep their upper body from twisting during the shot. I do NOT advise for players under the age of 18 to practice this shot, because it can mess up your mechanics.

    A good way to stop leaning is to step towards the basket on the catch. This brings your momentum towards the basket rather than fading or leaning.

    You may also have analyzed when the player starts to jerk their body or lean in a certain direction. The player may only do a jerky movement when dribbling to the left and pulling up for a jumper. If this happens, they need to take hundreds and thousands of repetitions doing that same type of shot with great shooting form.

  4. No Arc - Flat Shot - Flinging the wrist.

    If you are missing a lot of shots because you have a flat shot or you don't seem to get many shooter's bounces, it could be because you are flinging your wrist or have a flat shot.

    You can check to see if you have this problem by bringing the ball to your set point and then bringing it straight down. If your shooting-hand lands on top of your head (or the back of your head) instead of grazing your forehead, then you've got a bad set point.

    How do you fix it?

    Move the ball forward so that when you bring it straight down, the back of your shooting hand grazes your forehead. Practice shooting to yourself from this position until it becomes your new set point.

    You should reinforce your new set point by daily form shooting close to the basket. In fact, you should rebuild your shot slowly by stepping back one step at a time as you establish consistency from a given range, using the new set point.

  5. Shooting after the Top of your Jump.

    Players who shoot past the top of their jump will often develop a hitch and jerky shot. The same with players who try to jump as high as they can on every shot.

    A player should focus on shooting before the top of their jump for a few different reasons: 

    • Quicker release. If you shoot before the top of your release, it gives the defender less time to recover to defend the shot.
    • Make more shots. The shot is fluid which results in a smoother and softer shot because you don't stop the shot motion at any point in your shot.
    • Longer range. If you shoot at or after the top of your shot, it takes a lot more upper body strength to get the ball to the rim. If you shoot as you are going up, the momentum from your legs help carry the ball a lot farther. Try shooting away from the hoop when doing this.

    How do you fix it?

    This one is pretty simple. You need thousands of repetitions shooting the basketball before the top of your jump. 

    In order to fix any of these problems, you are going to have be persistent and focused. "Sometimes, you have to take two steps backwards, to take three steps forwards." What that means is that your shot will most likely become worse before it gets better. Always keep the long-term in perspective. Who cares if you don't shoot the ball well during summer league, if you'll be able to shoot lights out once basketball season rolls around! 


    To learn more about improving your shot, we recommend. ..

    Basketball Shooting Guide
    One Motion Shooting Video
    Attack & Counter Shooting Workouts App


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Lay-up - basketball

A lay-up involves shooting a basket on the run and is essentially the easiest shot in basketball. Every basketball player should practise their lay-up until they can perform it with ease in any situation without hesitation.

To perform a lay-up, dribble towards the basket at an angle. If you are right-handed, come in from the right hand side of the court. When you are within 2 metres of the backboard, pick the ball up (try to stop your dribble on the right foot), take a step with your left foot and shoot the ball. It’s simple, really. But don’t frustrate if you can’t get it right the first few times, all you need is practice and your technique will eventually develop itself.

If you are just beginning, try the lay-up slowly without the dribble and just aim to get the 2 steps right.  When shooting, aim at the top corner of the box on the side closest to you and try to just softly tip the ball in instead of throwing it at the backboard. After you manage the technique slowly, try to do it faster, and then eventually add on the dribble.

The easiest way to shoot during a lay-up is with the underhand method. It provides a softer shot and more control at high speed. To perform this shot, hold the ball with your hand, palm facing upwards, extend your arm and let the ball roll off your palm, onto your fingertips and into the basket. When bringing the ball up, use both hands but release the guide hand before the shot and rely solely on your shooting hand to release the ball at the top of your jump.

If this method is too difficult to perform, you can use a push-release shot instead. This will be easier to perform if you are not strong enough for the underhand method, but you should gradually work your way towards the underhand method as it provides better ball control. The push-release involves bringing the ball up with both hands, but shooting it off the fingertips with the back of your hand facing towards you. Try not to exert too much force onto the push and instead keep it gentle, or the shot will bounce off the backboard.   

 When you become accustomed to scoring a lay-up, try to become more creative. Instead of simply dribbling towards the hoop, add in a fake or crossover to trick your defender and if you can, dribble between your legs, behind you, or even perform a turn. Remember, the more creative you get, the harder it will be for your defender to stop you. Become accustomed to lay-uping from both sides of the court, and adjust your steps so you can shoot from close up and far away. The 2 steps can be a useful tool; try to step between defenders and make as much distance as you can. This will both get you closer towards the basket and draw the foul when they swing their arms at you. And remember; don’t be afraid if there is someone in front of you! Don’t stop, but continue towards the basket, don’t charge right through them, but be aware of your surroundings and work your way around them. Either you will take the shot, or you’ll draw the foul, or you could even do both! The key is to focus on the basket and just keep trying until you can work your way towards it. Practise, practise, practiseee!!!!!!!!!

How to learn how to spin a basketball on your finger

To skillfully spin a basketball on your finger, you need to learn a few simple techniques, find the ball and set aside 10 minutes of training per day. After a week of practicing your skills, you will master the technique of this trick and show it to your friends. In the step-by-step instructions below, we will show you how to learn how to spin a basketball on your finger.

Tossing the ball correctly

You can train on the sports ground, near the house or even in the apartment, but in any place you need to take into account the environment. For example, when practicing a trick in a room, the ball can bounce and break fragile objects. When a place is found and inventory is prepared, you can begin training. Initially, you need to learn how to properly hold and throw the ball in the air:

  • Hold the ball with the stripes vertical. Horizontal scrolling looks ineffective and it is very difficult to catch a projectile from this position.
  • Select throw method:
    • Two hands. You need to keep the ball not on the sides, but so that 1 hand “looks” at you, and the second from you. Having fixed the object, sharply spread your arms and slightly “throw” the ball up.
    • With one hand. To throw with one hand, place your fingers along the lines of the ball. It is important that there is free space between the palm and the inventory. Lightly squeeze the ball. Turn the brush outward until it stops, and then gently turn it back. At the last moment, you need to give additional rotation to the ball with your fingertips. But we do not recommend using a large one, because. this will upset the balance and the ball will fly away.
  • Throw the ball parallel to the floor, do not allow the ball to wobble. It is important that when thrown, the projectile rises above eye level. When its bottom surface is visible, the ball is easier to catch.

These steps must be repeated until fully automatic. Usually it takes two days. When the throws are confident, you can move on to the second level.

Learning to catch the ball

Once you have learned how to throw correctly, try catching the ball with your finger. To do this, remember the following nuances:

  • You need to catch the projectile on the nail, not the finger itself. In this case, it is important that the brush is turned with the palm towards you.
  • The finger must be placed strictly in the center, at the junction of the vertical lines, otherwise the ball will slide off.
  • When your finger touches the ball, gently and smoothly lower your hand down. So you will improve the cushioning, the inventory will not bounce, and you will not damage your finger.

This stage is one of the most difficult and requires patience on the part of the freestyler, athlete and just wanting to master the skill. When you learn how to catch the ball, at first it can control you: jump off and make you “run” after it to keep your balance. Be patient and keep practicing.

Once you are comfortable with a spinning ball, try to keep it spinning and spin it further. To do this, with light flapping movements, move your free hand along a tangent. But remember that strong twists can shift the center of gravity and the projectile will lose balance.

Tips

Here are some helpful tips from the pros:

  • practice throwing a few times a day before moving on to other stages;
  • workouts can be quite tiring, so take breaks between sets to give your hands a rest;
  • use only a well-inflated ball;
  • when accelerating the rotational movements, do not apply much force, otherwise the ball will slip off the finger;
  • Trim your nails before practicing, this will increase rotation control;
  • do not throw the ball very high: you can damage or break the phalanges;
  • You can reduce the risk of wrist injury by warming up before practicing the exercise.

Knowing how to spin a basketball on your finger and approaching the matter responsibly, in a week you will be able to show a cool trick to friends or sports colleagues.

Do's and don'ts with the ball in play

Intentionally kicking or punching the ball is passed to the other team. Accidentally kicking or touching the ball is not a violation.

You already know how a player can turn, dribble or stop when receiving the ball. However, I would like to remind you of some details of these elements of ball possession.

A dribble consists of a basketball player making the ball move by throwing, hitting, rolling or touching it again before another player touches the ball; When dribbling, the ball must touch the floor. The number of steps while guiding is not limited.

The dribble is considered to be completed as soon as the player touches the ball with both hands simultaneously or holds the ball with one or both hands. A player may not start a second dribble after the first has been abandoned, unless the ball out of his control has touched another player, the opponent's ring or backboard.

A player may move with the ball in any direction subject to the following rules:
1. A player who receives the ball while standing may turn using either foot as a pivot.

2. A player who has received the ball while moving or having completed a dribble may use a two-step rhythm to stop or pass the ball; the first step is considered held if the player at the time of receiving the ball touches the floor with either foot or both feet of the player touch the floor at the same time after he receives the ball in the air; the second step is considered completed when, after the first step, the second foot touches the floor or both feet touch the floor at the same time.

3. A player may take off a pivot foot or jump on a throw or pass, but the ball must be released from the hand before one or both feet touch the floor again.

4. Do not lift the supporting foot off the floor at the start of the dribble before the ball is released from the hand.

Now about the zone rule. The team in possession of the ball in the frontcourt is not allowed to pass it back to their backcourt. However, this does not apply to dropped balls and kick-ins after a free throw for a technical foul. In addition, a player who has possession of the ball in his frontcourt immediately after a jump ball in center court may pass the ball to his backcourt.

And to conclude this section, a word or two about situations involving the ball being played above the level of the ring.

No player of either the defending or attacking team may touch the ball above the level of the ring and descending towards the basket. This restriction is valid until the ball touches the ring. The moment the ball touches the ring is extremely important, because after it the basketball players of both teams get the opportunity to play the ball. On any "ascending" section of the ball's flight path, which is above the level of the ring, both the defender and the attacker can touch it. The same applies to a ball that has bounced off the ring or is circling on it. Only after a free throw is it forbidden to play with a ball circling on the ring.


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