How to Break Bad Shooting Habits and Keep Your GUIDE HAND Quiet
The most common shooting flaw with young players is they move their guide hand.
In particular, players often flick the ball with their thumb, as shown in the picture. This is also known as thumbing the ball.
Moving your guide will affect the flight of the ball causing you to miss left or right. It can also create side spin instead of soft and smooth back spin when you shoot.
How Do You Break This Habit?
To break this bad habit, you must develop new muscle memory by taking a few thousand shots with the CORRECT TECHNIQUE.
A few thousand correct repetitions create new muscle memory and allow you to break the habit.
This can be a really tough habit to break because you have to stay really focused for thousands of repetitions.
If you have ever tried to break this habit you know how difficult it can be!!
I have found the easiest and most effective way to break this habit is to practice with the J-strap.
The J-strap forces you to keep your guide hand still so you avoid slipping back to your old technique. And allows you to develop new muscle memory faster.
Step-by-Step Process to Keep Your Guide Hand Quiet
Heres a step by step process that will break this bad shooting habit and keep your guide hand quiet...
Week 1
Step 1 Put on the J-strap as explained in this video:
Step 2 Shoot 50 shots away from the basket. You can shoot to a spot on the wall or a line on the floor. Focus on perfect technique for every shot. Take your time. Make sure you have good foot positions, correct grip, etc.
Focus on shooting straight and holding your follow through with perfect technique.
Step 3 Shooting 50 form shots at the basket. Take your time, shooting about 4 feet from the basket.
Step 4 Shoot 50-100 mid-range shots. Take 50-100 shots slowly moving away from the basket...
Start 8 feet from the basket. Take 10-20 shots. If you make at least 60% you can move back to one foot (so you now are shooting 9 feet from the basket). Repeat the process and continue moving back one foot at a time until you complete 50-100 shots.
Step 5 Go home and rest. Return to the gym the following day. Repeat the process (step 1 -4) for one week.
After one week you should have taken over 1000 shots with correct technique keeping your guide hand still.
Week 2
Repeat the process above WITHOUT the J-strap.
After each shot, check to make sure your guide hand does not move. Make sure the thumb on your guide hand is pointing back towards your head. If it is, that means your guide hand stayed quiet! Good job!
As shown in the picture to the right, your guide hand stays to the side and does not influence the flight of the ball.
Continue shooting. Take your time. Make sure each rep is perfect.
If possible, film yourself shooting to make sure your guide hand is quiet.
CoachesEye has a great app that lets you analyze your shot in slow motion. (Be sure to use 60 FPS so you can see your hand movement clearly.)
If you find your guide hand is still moving, put the J-strap back on and repeat the process from week 1.
Final Thoughts
The solution to breaking a habit is simple. Create a new habit by taking thousands of repetitions the new way.
Unfortunately it is much easier said than done!
We found the process above is a surefire way to get results. Give it a try and let us know what you think.
You can get the J-strap and other shooting aids here.
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.
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:
Their feet are not aligned correctly.
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
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Fear Theory - Basketball - Sports.
ru Fear Theory
What is the main fear in sports? Fear of defeat. A normal person should be afraid. To be afraid to lose, to lose. Fear is a feeling that can and should be used for your own growth. It's like a fire: a coward burns out from it, and a brave person uses it for his own good, strengthening resistance to stress, motivating him to better results in sports, in life, finally. Fear is dynamic: it drives some people up, and crushes others like a tin can. Mike Tyson, the man who made any daredevil crazy with one look, talks a lot about fear in a recently released biopic. About how he led him forward and changed his life.
50 minutes
JR Smith was terrified for fifty minutes of playing time. He released the ball on the dribble, missed the basket over and over again. What's in the ring, he sent four passes a few meters away from his partner. Fear bound him with a huge metal chain: defending himself against Bryant, he did not raise his hand, fearing to break the rules. This is comparable to fleeing in the midst of a battle, when your comrades are hitting the ground without moving. I threw up my hands in surprise and waited with the impatience of a child to see what George Karl would do. Without the "JR" system, his team could not gain the missing momentum. Karl was indignant, destroyed dozens of his candies, but again and again released Smith to the site.
And after 50 minutes, Smith in defense successfully substituted for Bryant. This may have been his first useful action in this entire series. Not the brightest episode, but very important. JR got up from the parquet, straightened his shirt. And ran quietly into the attack. After that, he will make his four rebounds, give an assist and finish the game with "+3". It turns out that Carl was also just waiting. And the barometer showed 100% accuracy.
JR Smith was terrified for fifty minutes of playing time. He released the ball on the dribble, missed the basket over and over again. What is there in the ring, he sent four passes a few meters away from the partner
But Linas Kleiza is a mentally completely different player. One devil knows what passions boil inside him. But on his face there is calmness in the best traditions of Carlson. From behind the arc, like from a machine gun. Kleisa is the product of two great basketball schools. In Lithuania, he brought up the character of the winner. And at the age of 18, a native of Kaunas, the city that gave basketball a whole galaxy of great players, moved across the ocean. In the States they made him strong. Made it the way we see it now. A stone-faced player who single-handedly smashes the Lakers bench. It is a pity that he does not have a stable place in the current Denver. Linas became corny a hostage of the situation. On the one hand, Anthony, from whom it is impossible to take minutes, and on the other hand, the position of a power forward, in which he can not play against every opponent according to his strength.
Gasol doin work
And Gasol is certainly not the most suitable opponent. 31 rebounds in two games. 11 on someone else's shield. Above all your opponents. He stretches his arms up as soon as the ball goes to the ring. The only way to stop rebounding is to take him out of position. Having missed the moment to catch the ball somewhere in the stratosphere, Gasol returns to the floor, where the more mobile players of the Nuggets rule.
As expected, both Nene and Martin try to play hard against him. Although against whom does Martin play not rudely? Here he grabbed Ariza today, flying in fractions of a second from the dunk. Yes, played dirty. But there was simply no other way. A few minutes earlier, Ariza was already hammering from above. And Martin at the right moment hinted to him who was the boss in the house. Ariza understood the hint and later, at the moment of decisive seconds, he threw the ball to Fischer from the floor with fear, after a controversial one. It was deplorable for his team to throw it away, by the way.
2 ½ minutes
But up to this point, there have been amazingly busy minutes. With two and a half left on the dial, Carmelo Anthony took the Lakers rebound and scored two points as he moved toward the basket with Bryant's hand on his shorts. Two dozen seconds pass, and these two are already converging on the opposite side of the site. About eight meters from the ring. This time, Melo, with the skill of a jeweler, takes the breath of Kobe into his palm. But Bryant's killer instinct kicks in at times like these. What kind of fingers are there, he will see the ring through the wall. Bounce. Three points. 99:99. A minute later, Bryant responds from an average distance, but already to Billups' attack 101:101.
In Larry Brown's built-in system after inside-outside play, Flip Saunders after screens and long passes. Now he has become more aggressive and tries to move towards basket
as often as possible.
And now Chauncey desperately flies under someone else's ring to get victory. Billups always scored points exactly when the team needed. But in Detroit, he almost always did it by shooting. In Larry Brown's built-in system after inside-outside play, Flip Saunders after screens and long ball passes. Now he has become more aggressive and tries to move towards the basket as often as possible. But in this attack, Chauncey falls into the shadow of the long arms of Gasol and Odom. The ball flies to Nene, who immediately falls to the ring, bumping into almost all the Lakers players at once. Elegant discount on Martin, and 103:101 in favor of the Nuggets for 29seconds to the end.
Jackson takes time out
Bryant again. Now against Billups. Gasol moves forward and puts up a barrier. Bryant happily breaks up with Billups, but immediately falls into the trap of the ubiquitous Nene. The Brazilian makes a couple of movements with his hands, and the ball treacherously leaves Kobe. Billups and Gasol are on the floor. And here is the controversial ball. When Ariza caught the ball in the fall and threw it towards Fischer without hesitation. But there again was Nene 103:101. There is no more fear.
Denver gains home court advantage. The series moves to Colorado.
DENVER : C. Anthony (34 + 9 rebounds), Billups (27), Martin (16 + 3 steals), Hilario (6 + 9 rebounds + 6 assists), D. Jones (2) start ; Kleiza (16 + 8 rebounds), Smith (3), K. Andersen (2), E. Carter (0).
Related Content
Basketball Training 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 throws
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 your fingertips 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.
Take 50-100 shots slowly moving away from the basket...
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.
We have found the j-strap is very effective and recommend it to solve this problem.
If your feet are not set correctly, this will force your body to twist while shooting to try to compensate for it.
Practice shooting to yourself from this position until it becomes your new set point. 
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.
ru Fear Theory 
This is comparable to fleeing in the midst of a battle, when your comrades are hitting the ground without moving. I threw up my hands in surprise and waited with the impatience of a child to see what George Karl would do. Without the "JR" system, his team could not gain the missing momentum. Karl was indignant, destroyed dozens of his candies, but again and again released Smith to the site. 
What is there in the ring, he sent four passes a few meters away from the partner 
-Step-5.jpg/aid43486-v4-728px-Play-21-(Basketball)-Step-5.jpg)
Billups always scored points exactly when the team needed. But in Detroit, he almost always did it by shooting. In Larry Brown's built-in system after inside-outside play, Flip Saunders after screens and long ball passes. Now he has become more aggressive and tries to move towards the basket as often as possible. But in this attack, Chauncey falls into the shadow of the long arms of Gasol and Odom. The ball flies to Nene, who immediately falls to the ring, bumping into almost all the Lakers players at once. Elegant discount on Martin, and 103:101 in favor of the Nuggets for 29seconds to the end. 
But there again was Nene 103:101. There is no more fear. 
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. 
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. 
When you are in a jump, the attacker will easily bypass you. 
