GDYBL Home

Team
- Choose a Team
  - BOYS 5/6
  - BOYS 6
  - BOYS 7/8
  - BOYS 8
  - GIRLS 5/6
  - GIRLS 7
  - GIRLS 8
- Schedule
- Multi-Schedule

My my My my

For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. Here are the instructions how to enable JavaScript in your web browser.

How to shoot a basketball with small hands

How to grip the basketball and use your hands for a perfect release

How you grip the basketball is critical to a consistent release.

There are so many details that go into holding the ball and using each of the hands in order to become a great shooter.

If you can get consistently close to an optimal grip and release, then you stand an excellent chance of developing repeatable form.

Use these details to start to develop your own system of drills to isolate the habits, and layer drills. Or skip to the front of the line and get my my proven system of drills in my SHOT DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM – PURE RELEASE.

THE GOAL OF THE HANDS

As I’ve mentioned in other posts, our goal when we shoot is to create as much Positive Power in the shooting motion as possible. Positive power is any energy that is straight up and in line with the hoop.

Since it is your hands that are actually TOUCHING the basketball, it is going to be critical that we create as much positive power with our hands as we possibly can.

We want to avoid the shooting hand pushing the ball off line in one direction and the guide hand pushing the ball off line in the other direction, and then trying to perfectly synchronize those two motions to create positive power. It is POSSIBLE to do, that but the MORE you have compensate, the harder it will be to be consistent.

Instead, try to build a one-handed release with one hand pushing the ball towards the target.

Need help creating positive power but have no idea how to do it? Want to build a true one-handed release? CLICK HERE TO GET MY SHOT DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM – PURE RELEASE.

START BY MEASURING YOUR HAND

This is one of the key building blocks that so many people miss. They build their shot around assumptions, or theory, but not their actual body.

Start by gripping the ball with your shooting hand wide and your thumb comfortably spread out. Place your index finger (pointer, forefinger) on the air valve of the ball. Then place the ball on your hip so that you have your guide hand free. With your guide hand, measure the distance from the tip of your index finger to the tip of your thumb. Then compare that distance to the tip of the index finger and the tip of the pinkie.

‘ve measured over 10,000 players hands over the years at camps, clinics, and my own personal workouts. I’ve found that 90-95% of players, when they grip the ball with a wide thumb, the index finger is the middle of their grip. About 5% of players might find that the center of their grip is in between the index finger and the middle finger.

I’ve never had anyone grip the ball correctly and find that the middle of their grip is the middle finger. If you do, make sure that the thumb is spread out wide. If the thumb isn’t wide, your hand won’t be as big as it could be, and won’t control the ball as well as it could.

Need help isolating this important skill, then learning to apply it into games? Click here for my SHOT DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM – PURE RELEASE and get all the drills you need to build the habit!!

MIDDLE OF THE HAND UNDER THE CENTER OF THE BALL

Once you know where the middle of your hand is, we need to work to get the middle of the hand under the center of the ball.

Just like in billiards, the ball will go in the opposite direction of where force is applied to it. If your hand applies force to the very bottom of the ball, the ball will go straight up in the air. And if we apply force near the bottom of the ball but slightly to the right side, the ball will go up but slightly to the left – even if we try to lift straight up in the air. Same thing on the other side – if your hand is slightly on the left side of the ball it will push the ball slightly to the right.

Our goal is to get the middle of the shooting hand under the center of the ball at the release of the ball. To make that easier, we want to get the middle of the shooting hand under the center of the ball at the set point. We may not be able to do this perfectly, but the closer we can get, the more accurate we have a chance to be.

Need some drills for getting your shooting hand under the ball? Then need to learn how to layer drills so you can apply the habit at game speed? GET MY SHOT DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM – PURE RELEASE.

SHOOTING HAND FINGER PARALLEL TO THE TARGET LINE

This is one of the most overlooked keys to shooting. The angle of the finger on the middle of the ball.

Coaches tend to refer to getting the “elbow in” without realizing why it matters. But let me say this first – the position of the ELBOW doesn’t really matter, the elbow isn’t touching the basketball. We can, however, use the elbow as a cue to get the finger into correct alignment. So saying “elbow in” isn’t WRONG, it just doesn’t fully cover the issue.

When a player can get the finger of their shooting hand parallel to the target line, it will remain on the very bottom of the ball throughout the wrist snap. If the finger isn’t parallel to the target line, it will eventually come off the middle of the ball as the wrist snaps, and push the ball off line.

Also be aware that you can get your “elbow in” too much. It is most common/natural for a right handed shooter to let their elbow relax outward, and the finger to come out of alignment in one direction, but it is equally bad to get the elbow “too far in” and have the finger be out of alignment in the other position.

Do you have a tendency to push the ball off line on your release? Click here to start building a Pure Release.

GUIDE HAND COMING OFF THE BALL AT THE SET POINT

Once the shooting hand is in the correct position, we can focus on getting the guide hand off the ball.

Players and coaches both need to remember that if the guide hand pushes at all, it will push the ball off line. Even if the motion that the guide hand makes appears to push the ball FORWARD, it will push off line since it is on the side of the basketball. The only way you can truly push the ball on line is from the middle of the ball, and there isn’t enough room for two hands there.

So the role of the guide hand is to simply help hold the ball stable in the shooting hand as the two hands lift the ball. At triple threat position, a player needs the guide hand to play a role in holding the ball, otherwise the ball will fall out of the shooting hand. Same thing as the player lifts the ball – if the guide hand is removed when the ball is at chest height, the ball will fall out of the shooting hand because it isn’t under the ball yet.

The guide hand needs to support the ball until the shooting hand can fully get underneath the ball and support it by itself. That occurs around the set point. And that is when the guide hand should start to come off the basketball, though it might not actually release from the ball until a fraction of a second later.

Does your guide hand push the ball off line? Need a progression of drills to help with this? MY SHOT DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM WILL TEACH YOU ALL THE DRILLS I DO WITH MY PRO PLAYERS

GUIDE HAND ON THE SIDE OF THE BALL

The positioning of the guide hand on the ball will play a large role in how easily or how well it can come off the ball.

Keep this in mind… it is POSSIBLE to get the guide hand off the ball or even make shots from ANY hand position. But our goal is to make the movement as simple as possible, because SIMPLE IS REPEATABLE.

So our goal is to find the most simple position that the hand can assist in the lifting motion, but not interfere in the shooting motion. I encourage players to hold the ball so that the guide hand is on the very side of the basketball with the fingers pointed at the ceiling when the ball is at the set point. From that position, all the guide hand has to do it come off the ball a fraction of an inch, and it is out of the way and passive in the shooting motion.

If a player grips the basketball with the guide hand towards the top or front of the ball, the guide hand will need to make a bigger move to release from the ball. The bigger move means more time, and more room for error.

Now, it may be necessary at times to catch the ball with a larger separation in the hands because a catch was challenging and needed to be more secure. But understand that makes the SHOT slightly more challenging. We can work on the skill of catching the ball better, but there will always be some variability in the hand position on catches just because catching and shooting are two different skills, with two different ideal hand positions. Continue to work on the habit of simplifying your hand position, not intentionally making it more difficult.

Need help getting your guide hand off the ball cleanly? CLICK HERE TO GET THE HELP YOU NEED TO MAKE MORE SHOTS.

WHY DOES IT LOOK LIKE SO MANY PEOPLE SHOOT OFF THEIR MIDDLE FINGER?

This is a common question and requires a deeper understanding of shooting form.

First of all, no one’s shot will be perfect, especially in game situations. And being “perfect” doesn’t mean you’ll make every single shot, just like being “imperfect” doesn’t mean you’ll miss every shot. Being better will simply give the shooter a BETTER chance of making each shot.

In order to simplify the shooting motion as much as possible, I’d like a player to get the middle finger under the middle of the ball at the set point, then lift the ball straight up in the air so that both sides are being lifted evenly, and then releasing off the finger that is the middle of their hand.

But many players appear to release the ball off their middle finger? Why?

The shooting motion is short and violent. The wrist is snapping quickly and there is a lot of variability in how the ball leaves a players hand from shot to shot. Even two swishes can come off a great shooter’s hand differently.

This is why I concern myself far more with the position of a player’s hand at the set point, rather than the release.

Secondly, most players don’t hit a perfect position creating ONLY positive energy. They start off with the shooting hand slightly on the right side of the ball (as a right handed shooter) and start the shooting motion pushing the ball slightly to the left. Then, as they lift the ball, the shooter rotates their hand under the ball so that their middle finger is under the center of the ball, more hand is on the left side of the ball, and finish pushing the ball to the right.

This happens all the time, but that small rotation is something we want to try to either minimize or eliminate from the shooting motion.

Have you struggled to be able to do this in games? It might be because you never layered drills so that you could APPLY what you were learning. Finally break the habit once and for all with my SHOT DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM – PURE RELEASE.

HOW DO I BUILD THESE HABITS WITH MY NBA CLIENTS?

Building habits in the grip and release requires attention to detail and patience.

I focus on isolating the habit that needs work. In many cases, this can look like standing close to the rim, taking as much time as needed on each shot, and holding the correct position for a couple of seconds before shooting.

From there, as a player gets better at the new, isolated skill, I will start to layer in other drills to make the situation more like a game. The more their habits progress, the more layers I add.

It is a process that takes a lot of experience, so it is difficult for me to explain in a single blog post.

That is why I created my Shot Development System “Pure Release”. All the drills that I use with my NBA players, laid out in order in video form. Stop guessing what to work on. Start getting results.

You get:

60+ Videos of drills and tips
2 hours of video content
Everything laid out in order to remove the guesswork
Life-time access

You can get “Pure Release” by CLICKING HERE.

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

The Internet's #1 Website for Basketball Camps, Resources and Learning Products

Member Login

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.

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.
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.
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.
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.
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

Subscribe to our free monthly newsletter to receive new drills, plays, scoring tips and coaching strategies, plus three free eBooks with over 270 pages of our favorite basketball drills and plays!

Subscribe to our free monthly newsletter to receive three free eBooks with over 270 pages of content!

Basketball Shooting Technique: Basic Rules

One of the fundamental things in the game of basketball is the correct shooting technique. You can dribble, make accurate passes, play with your body as you like, but without this final stage of attack, your team will not score enough points to win the match. So how do you learn how to throw the ring correctly? SOVSPORT.RU has studied this issue in detail and is ready to provide you with several recommendations in this regard.

One of the fundamental things in the game of basketball is the correct shooting technique. You can dribble, make accurate passes, play with your body as you like, but without this final stage of attack, your team will not score enough points to win the match. So how do you learn how to throw the ring correctly? SOVSPORT . EN has studied this issue in detail and is ready to provide you with some recommendations in this regard.

There are different types of throw: from the pass, classic, slam dunk, free throw, with a bounce from the shield, without it, and so on. Let's take a look at what each of them is.

Free throw

First, let's look at the basic technique of all basketball shots - the free throw technique. The ball should be at chest level (feet may be in line or one leg extended slightly forward), held with fingers, elbows near the body, legs slightly bent at the knee joints, torso straight, gaze directed at the basket. Simultaneously with the circular movement of the ball (as in a simultaneous pass) and even more bending of the legs at the knee joints, the ball is brought to the chest. Without stopping the movement, the ball is carried along the body up and forward in the direction of the ring and with a sweeping movement of the hands, giving the ball, the reverse movement is released from the fingertips, while the legs are straightened. The weight of the body is transferred to the front leg, the body and arms must accompany the flight of the ball. After releasing the ball, the player returns to the starting position.

Throw from three steps

Throw from three steps is practiced as follows. First you need to stand on the line of the penalty area, a little obliquely in relation to the ring. It is necessary to take a couple of steps for a run, while not forgetting to dribble. As soon as you feel that you have already accelerated enough, take one long step with your right foot. The ball should already be in your hands at this point. After that, a short step is taken by rolling from heel to toe with the left foot. At the same time, you push off with your left foot, swing with your right foot, and carry the ball over your right shoulder so that it rests on your right hand, and your left supports it to the side. At the highest point of the jump, the arm is straightened to the end in the elbow joint, the throw ends with a sweeping movement of the hand. After the ball is released, the player lands on both feet. The description of the throwing technique on the move is given for players throwing from the right side. In the situation with the passage on the left, accordingly, everything is done the other way around: you take the first long step with your left foot, and the second with your right.

As a rule, in the technique of throwing from a three-step, another way to get the ball into the basket is used - a throw from the backboard. Its essence lies in the fact that, being at an angle with respect to the shield, it is quite difficult to throw the ball directly into the ring. This is where the white square line drawn on the shield around the bow of the ring comes to our aid. It is quite simple to train the technique of throwing from the side. To do this, you need to stand within the penalty area, at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the shield. To throw the ball from this position, you need to hit the upper corner of the square line on the shield closest to us. That is, if you are to the left of the ring, you throw it to the upper left corner of this square, and if you are to the right, then to the right. Everything is quite simple and clear.

Jump shot

In general, the main technique of shooting at the opponent's basket in basketball is the jump shot. As a rule, in this way, players try to hit the target from a long distance. This type of throw can be roughly divided into three stages. First you have to get the ball in motion. Having caught it, you take a short stopping step with your left, simultaneously placing your right. Then you take out the ball with your right hand (if you are right-handed) over your head, along the way holding it to the side with your left. Take off from the ground with both feet. The technique of the throw itself is similar to the technique of performing a free kick: when releasing the ball from your hands, remove your left hand, and with the fingers of your right palm, give the projectile a reverse rotation. In the final stage, it is necessary to ensure that the distance between the points of repulsion and landing is approximately equal to 20-30 centimeters, so as not to collide with the player of the defending team.

Slam dunk

If you have already mastered all of the above throwing techniques and are craving something more cool, then it's time to turn to perhaps the most spectacular, but at the same time the most difficult way to hit the opponent's ring - slam -dunk. Millions of basketball fans around the world go into a state of complete ecstasy every time they see a professionally made and beautiful shot from above. Do you want to be the same cool performer of this element, so that your opponents on the court are afraid of you, and the girls in the audience go crazy with your person? Then the following description of the technique of throwing from above will help you achieve this.

A proper slam dunk begins with the fact that a three-step throw also starts with a running start. Take the allowed two steps, dribbling the ball with your arm and controlling your approach. Jump off your lead foot, opposite your kicking arm, extend your arm towards the hoop and throw the ball into the net. Try throwing with one hand first, as a two-handed dunk requires a higher jump. Coaches recommend starting with a smaller ball as it is a little easier to control.

Also, there is a very important point with the landing. This must be done with support on both legs, softening and bending them at the moment of touching the site. Experts highly advise beginners not to mow under the NBA stars, hanging after the throw on the bow of the ring, as at this moment your balance may be disturbed and it will seem to you that you are falling backwards.

Actually, these are some of the basic shooting techniques in basketball, with the help of which 90% of the balls are thrown. Now your task, dear fans of this wonderful sport, is to train them so that your rivals do not have a single chance to win! I wish you success!

Methods of teaching basketball

How to choose sneakers for volleyball

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. Throw from the shield

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.