Improving Your Shooting Fundamentals

Improving Your Shooting Form

Many basketball players young and old idolize to shoot like the stars of the NBA like Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Kyrie Irving, yet don't have the fundamentals to shoot like them. An important part of being a great shooter is mastering the form. Mastering a better form will allow you to develop consistency to hit open shots, shots in transition, shots off the dribble, or off the catching and shooting. Here are some keys to developing your shooting form. 

 

Not Everyone's Shooting Form is the Same

I'm not going to tell you that there is a default shooting form that everyone should do. Not everyone will shoot with the EXACT same form. Klay Thompson's form is totally different from Reggie Miller's. Don't think because one person shoots a certain way then that is the be all end all. But the key is to get the fundamental parts down so that your form works for you. 

 

Stand Your Ground

Footwork is one of the most critical things in the game of basketball. So much can be altered just by not having your feet in the proper place and at the proper angle. When shooting, you want the shooting side for to be planted first, toes directed to the basket. You don't want to have your opposite side foot planted first because you will be turning your body altering your shot. Proper footwork will make it so that you are squared to the basket.

Be Ready to Shoot

 

One of my biggest pet peeves is watching players stand straight up when getting ready to shoot. Wasted movement can cause a wide open shot to disappear. Think about it. You come up high, to go down low, to come up high. That makes no sense. That .5 seconds that you wasted could cause you to not be able to get off a quality shot for the game winner or cause you to have no option but to pass. Make sure you have your feet planted and you're balanced, but also remain low with knees bent. My favorite comparison is a sling shot. Do you push the sling shot forward, to pull it back, to sling it forward again? No you don't. So make sure when you are ready to shoot you are loaded.

Aim Your Scope

 

The title of this section is understandable to someone who plays Call of Duty. When you shoot a target you must aim your scope, otherwise you will miss. Same with basketball. Your elbow is your scope. You need to make sure when you're shooting, your elbow is underneath the ball and directed at the basket. Now I'm not saying it has to be perfectly directed. Your elbow can be slightly out. If you want to work on getting the elbow in, work on your mobility in your shoulders.

Shoot Up, Not Forward

Sometimes it accounts to strength, but too many times athletes will push their shot towards the basket. I see this the most in young players do this, but many times it happens with older players because simply lack of fundamentals. My favorite player in the NBA to give an example of this is Klay Thompson. He releases and pushes the ball high. Your goal is to get the ball over the basket. Not to the rim.

Shoot with Positivity

How many people enjoy negativity? I hope nobody said they do.  One of my favorite sayings when it comes to shooting is "Positive Shots Only". What I mean by that is shooting on the way up not on the drop. Think about the science of shooting for a moment. Why would you release on your way down from shooting when the ball is going to go down with you rather than shoot on the way up so the ball goes up with you and gets a higher arc? The higher the arc the better chance you have of making the shot. Remember your goal is to not hit the rim. Your goal is to get over the rim with your shot. So never forget shoot on the rise (Positivity) not on the drop (Negativity). NO NEGATIVE SHOTS.

Look at the Flick of The Wrist

Snapping the wrist is such an underrated and under appreciated part of shooting.  Flicking the wrist gives you a good projectile motion to impart to the ball along with the direction and power that you are putting in. When flicking the wrist, the last thing that should touch the ball should be your middle finger. Make sure you emphasize that into your practice of your release.

I hope this helps you improve your shooting fundamentals and takes you to the next level. Never forget to master the fundamentals. Once you master them, the tricks become easy. Please share this with others if you learned something and tag Glo Up Fitness to it as well on Facebook or Instagram.

~Marcus Brown~