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Shooting the Basketball

Step 1

Keep Your Eyes on the Target

When you know a pass is going to come to you, or when you're about to shoot the ball it is very important to keep your eyes on the hoop and not on the ball. This is so that you have a sense of how far away the hoop is and what direction you will have to shott in depending on where you are in regard to the hoop.

Step 3

Move the Ball into Your Shot Pocket

As the ball is caught, a player should immediately move it into their shot pocket. They should line the ball and their shooting eye up with the basketball hoop. The ball should be positioned several inches above the waist and the ball should be gripped properly in order to prevent the ball from slipping out a player's hand.

Step 2

Stance and Balance

As you receive the ball, you should immediately position your feet so that they are shoulder width apart. In this stance, the dominant foot should be slightly in front of the other foot. However, every player's shooting form is different and a player should get into a stance similar to this that is comfortable for them. Next point your feet in the general direction of the basket and bend your knees.

Step 4

Properly Gripping the Ball

In order to have a proper grip on the ball, players usually place the air hold between their index and middle fingers of their shooting hand. However in games, players cannot do this so they make sure to have a spaced out palm on the ball. Some space should be left between the palm of your hand and the ball and the ball should sit on your finger pads.

Shooting the Basketball

Step 5

Balancing the Non-Shooting Hand

When setting up the positioning of the shooting hand, a player should set up the positioning of the non-shooting hand on the ball too. The non-shooting hand acts as a guide for the ball to go in the hoop. It should be placed on the side of the ball. It should not add any force or spin the the ball and it should come off the ball before the shooting hand when the ball has been shot.

Step 6

Shot Delivery

The player should move the ball upwards from the shot pocket when preparing to shoot the ball. The ball should stay infront of the player's head and their elbow should be underneath the ball. Uncoil your legs and extend your arms and wrists in a straight line to the basket. The shooting hand should extend to the basketball hoop and it should place a backspin on the ball using a flick of the wrist.

Step 7

Upforce and Landing

The ball should be released before the peak of the jump. The legs are used to generate upforce and should land in the same spot from which they left the ground.

Step 8

Following Through after the Shot

After releasing the ball, the wrist of the shooting hand should be relaxed with the fingers pointed at the rim. Usually players hold their follow through until the ball goes in or hits the rim but it is not necessary to do so.