Although it may often be considered a recreational activity, shooting buckets and practicing your basketball shot is a skill that often makes the difference in any game, from school leagues to the pros. It takes practice, repetition, and consistency to ensure you're comfortable with hitting your shots when all eyes are on you.
During the shooting motion, the placement of your hands and feet are crucial. With IMG Academy’s How-To Become a Better Shooter drills video, hear directly from the team’s coach, and learn how to set yourself up to shoot nothing but net!
In this video, you will be introduced to three basketball shooting drills to become a better shooter. Watch how student-athletes perform each drill with instruction on stance, follow through, and balance to control the ball and make the shot. Each of these drills will allow you to enhance your skills:
Form Shooting
Quick Feet
Transition Shooting
The keys to Form Shooting are good balance and follow through, keeping your elbows in, and properly judging your power - don’t miss short. To master Quick Feet and set yourself up to score, take three steps to get behind the three-point line, pivot to catch, and get the shot off before it’s contested. Transition Shooting is all about maintaining good balance and your follow through being stuck to ensure your shot finishes strong.
Ready to impress the crowd when you step on the court? Press play below to get started!
IMG Academy basketball has created a library of basketball training drills that you can refer back to any time! Check out our other News stories as well as our YouTube channel (@imgacademy) for all of our How-To content.
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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:
Eyes on Target
Stance and Balance
Shot Pocket
Grip
Balance Hand
Delivery
Upforce and Landing
Follow Through
Correct Shot
EYES ON TARGET
To improve accuracy, locate the target (rim) as early as possible.
Keep your eyes on the target and do not follow the flight of the ball.
Keeping your target focus is very important!
STANCE AND BALANCE
Feet are shoulder width apart for good balance.
Feet should be in a slightly staggered stance that is consistent and comfortable for you. Your shooting foot is slightly ahead of the non-shooting foot in a comfortable position.
Point your feet in the general direction of the basket, but not necessarily directly at it. We prefer an open stance, but you can also use the closed (squared) stance if that's more comfortable for you. With an open stance, your feet point towards one side of the basket. For example, a right handed shooter will point his or her feet just to the left of the rim for a more natural position and shooting motion.
Once you develop a comfortable stance, line up your feet the exact same way on every shot. Whatever stance you use, consistency is critical.
Flex/bend your knees on every shot.
SHOT POCKET
As you catch the ball, move it quickly into the shot pocket.
Line everything up so the ball and your shooting eye form a straight line to the basket. This is VERY important.
Position the ball several inches above your waist.
Grip the ball properly and be ready to shoot.
Position the ball in your shot pocket the SAME way every time you catch it.
GRIP
Place the air hole between the middle and index fingers.
Line up your fingertip pads parallel to the long seams of the ball, so you can monitor the back spin.
Leave space between the ball and the middle of your palm. You should be able to insert a pencil between the ball and your palm area.
Spread your fingers far enough apart to comfortably balance the ball in one hand.
The ball should sit on your finger pads.
BALANCE HAND
Your non-shooting hand should be on the side of the ball.
Your balance hand should not add force or spin to the shot.
Your non-shooting hand should not move on delivery and should ALWAYS come off the ball FIRST.
DELIVERY
The ball should start motion directly upwards from the shot pocket.
Your elbow should be positioned comfortably under the ball.
The ball stays in front of you and should not go behind your head.
Uncoil your body with your legs, core, and arm power all coordinated.
Your elbow and wrist should extend in a straight line to the basket.
Your shooting hand should extend in a straight line to the rim.
Hand position on delivery is very important. The ball should come off the hand with perfect symmetrical backspin.
As shown in the picture to the right, your guide hand stays to the side and does not influence the flight of the ball.
UPFORCE AND LANDING
Release the ball on the way up, just before the top of your jump.
Use your legs to generate upforce.
You should land in the same spot that you jumped, which shows that you have good balance on your shot.
FOLLOW-THROUGH
Your wrists should be floppy (relaxed).
Fingers should be pointed at the target (rim).
Finish high. You should see your fingers at the top square of the back board.
Hold your follow through position until the ball hits the rim.
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.
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
88009
Winter is finally over, which means it's time to break out of your cramped apartments and do all kinds 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.
How to learn to shoot three-pointers?
A three-point shot, like a free kick in football, is one of the most spectacular moments of the game. With such a killer throw, you can bury your opponent's hopes a second before the end of the match, and also win the respect of your friends by showing your unsurpassed accuracy. Of course, it takes a lot of time to hone any skill, and reading this guide won't instantly make you Reggie Miller or Ray Allen (the best three-point shooters in NBA history), but you can learn some useful skills. Further, everything depends only on you: training and perseverance, and at one fine moment you will succeed.
The three-point shot in its current form originated in 1967 in the ABA (American Basketball Association) championship, and later adopted by the NBA. Interestingly, in the NBA, the distance of the three-point line is 724 cm from the basket, while in the American collegiate championship it is much less - only 602 cm. The standard distance for most courts in the rest of the world is 675 cm.
Pre-training
If you are serious about impressing everyone with your abilities, start training. It is better to start doing the first exercises from a close distance, about half a meter from the ring, and gradually move away. When training at close range, you should try to throw so that the ball hits the ring without hitting its edges. The main thing here is to bring muscle movements to automatism.
Andrei Kasai
musician, illustrator
Three-pointer is not easy, but there are a few tricks that will definitely help. Well, first of all, let's not forget the good old prayer. Here all means are good: amulets, ritual candles, limbs of dead animals, training. Secondly, you can always cheat. No one has yet canceled a well-tested technique - a spade. And don't forget, a three from a shield doesn't count.
Preparing to throw
To begin with, you should completely relax the body - mainly the arms and hands (but do not spend too much time on this). Look at the ring, focus on a specific goal. Feel the ball in your hands. To do this, you can twist it a little, pokanit several times. Then you need to carefully build a picture in your head of how the ball hits the ring. Try to mentally imagine its trajectory: when throwing from long distances, it is a parabola with a maximum height of about two meters above the level of the ring.
Leg position
Place your feet slightly apart parallel to each other and orient them towards the middle of the basket. In this position, the direction of the kinetic moment of the body during the jump will coincide with the direction of the throw. If the feet are uneven, you will have to make additional efforts to extinguish the energy of the body. The range and accuracy of the flight in this case will be very different from those planned.
Hand position
The weaker hand must be the guiding hand and be located to the side of the ball, the stronger hand must be the thrower and be in front. The fingers are open, the ball should lie on them, without touching the inside of the palms. The elbow of the throwing arm should be approximately in line with the basket and bent at a 90 degree angle.
The world record for most three-pointers is held by Dave Hople, the shooting coach of many NBA players, including Kobe Bryant. In a minute, he managed to put 18 three-pointers in a row into the basket.
Throw moment
Take a deep breath and exhale to throw. At the moment of the throw, the arm is fully extended, the wrist is directed upwards, and the hand tells the ball to rotate around the horizontal axis in the direction opposite to flight. The ball at this moment, as it were, rolls off the index and middle fingers. In the final stage, there should be a movement with the brush, seeing off the ball. At the moment of release, the ball must be above the player's eyes, but at the same time at the same level with the goal. The greater the distance, the greater the amplitude during the swing and the final effort.
Common errors:
Bend the arm less than 90 degrees. In this case, the trajectory will be more horizontal and the throw will turn into throwing.
Shoulders and back tilted back. Then the range of motion will increase greatly.
The ball comes off the ring finger. This causes it to rotate sideways and accuracy is reduced.
The guiding hand interferes with the direction of the throw.
Shield use
Using a shield is a bit of a cheat, of course, but if a three-pointer can decide the game, why not. All basketball backboards have a rectangle. If you are opposite the ring, you need to aim at the middle of the upper part of the rectangle above the ring, if on the side - at the corner of this rectangle closest to you. If you get there, the ball will almost certainly be in the ring.
Platon Ogaryov
amateur athlete
There are no tricks here, the main thing is to dodge the opponent, forget about everything for a second and concentrate on the ring. If you truly believe that the ball will hit the basket, it will definitely happen. And of course, you need work and perseverance, it took me at least three months to train the throw.
Don't forget: After reading this guide, be sure to secure the material on the basketball court. The article will not make you a master of sports, but it will make you go out into the street, which is not bad.
Whatever stance you use, consistency is critical.
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. 
Look at the ring, not at the ball 
Do not jump when protecting the ring 
With such a killer throw, you can bury your opponent's hopes a second before the end of the match, and also win the respect of your friends by showing your unsurpassed accuracy. Of course, it takes a lot of time to hone any skill, and reading this guide won't instantly make you Reggie Miller or Ray Allen (the best three-point shooters in NBA history), but you can learn some useful skills. Further, everything depends only on you: training and perseverance, and at one fine moment you will succeed. 
It is better to start doing the first exercises from a close distance, about half a meter from the ring, and gradually move away. When training at close range, you should try to throw so that the ball hits the ring without hitting its edges. The main thing here is to bring muscle movements to automatism. 
Look at the ring, focus on a specific goal. Feel the ball in your hands. To do this, you can twist it a little, pokanit several times. Then you need to carefully build a picture in your head of how the ball hits the ring. Try to mentally imagine its trajectory: when throwing from long distances, it is a parabola with a maximum height of about two meters above the level of the ring. 
The fingers are open, the ball should lie on them, without touching the inside of the palms. The elbow of the throwing arm should be approximately in line with the basket and bent at a 90 degree angle. 
At the moment of release, the ball must be above the player's eyes, but at the same time at the same level with the goal. The greater the distance, the greater the amplitude during the swing and the final effort. 
All basketball backboards have a rectangle. If you are opposite the ring, you need to aim at the middle of the upper part of the rectangle above the ring, if on the side - at the corner of this rectangle closest to you. If you get there, the ball will almost certainly be in the ring. 
