How to Shoot a Basketball

Make sure you have proper balance.

When you shoot the basketball, you need proper floor balance. This means you need to keep your body straight. One of the leading factors to missing shots, is when you lean with your body, and don't have the proper balance. Balance is important. You never shoot off your back foot, you shoot off your toes.

Make sure you bend those knees.

Bend those knees, your shooting power comes from your legs, not your arms. You shoot with your knees, and got to bend them. When you land from jumping, you want land straight forward. Not to the side, or to the back.

Make sure your shoulders are Squared.

When you shoot the basketball, your shoulders need to be squared to the hoop. Your entire body should be straight, your toes, knees and elbow.

Make sure you keep your elbow in, not out.

Your elbow will determine whether the ball is going straight, or if your elbow is out, you'll miss a lot to the outside. When you notice shots are missing to the outside, either your elbow or shoulders aren't squared up to the basket.

Make sure you flick your wrist.

Wrist action is very important. Flick your wrists, and follow through ALL the way, not half way. It should be as if your entire hand is going into the hoop. Follow through to your target, and bend that wrist completely. Practice flipping the ball up, and catching to get a feel for it.

Make sure you use the proper grip.

The most important step, is grip. You don't want to grip the ball firmly, otherwise you'll have a lot of hard misses. The basketball must be in your hands, as if it were an egg. Be delicate to the ball, hold it lightly. This will give you a much softer shooting touch, and allow for a lot of swishes. Even when you miss, you want to miss pretty. You know you are at least in good rhythm. You can't make every shot.

Make sure the ball is on your finger tips, not the palm of your hand.

You shoot with the ball on your finger tips. There must be what I call, daylight with the ball in your hand.

Get enough Arch on the ball.

The farther you shoot, you need a rain bow shot. You can't shoot line drive shots from a far distance, and expect to make a lot. The further you shoot, the more ark you need to put on your shot. This is more complicated, because people tend to not keep a balance body the further they shoot. If you are shooting out of your range, and struggling to maintain balance and keeping your body and shoulders squared, you're shooting too far.