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Shooting: An Introduction
If you have never been taught how to properly shoot a basketball or you are new to basketball. It is best to build your shot from the ground up. Square feet to the basket - Your feet should be about shoulder width apart. For those that are right handed your right foot should be just slightly ahead of your left (opposite for lefties). Your feet should be squared (both pointing toward the basket) with the basket before initiating your shot. Bend your knees – When you start to initiate your shot you should bend your knees. Your legs are going to provide the power in your shot, so getting a good knee bend in the shot is vital. Get the body squared - In addition to your feet being square to the hoop you should also have your body square to the basket. You need to be completely balanced and feel solid before the shot. This is very important. Whether coming off of a pick, shooting off the dribble, or moving to an open spot, you must be balanced and have your shoulders square with the hoop. Focus - Your eyes should be fixedon the rim and focused in on one spot (the back of the rim or the backboard if you are going to shoot a bank shot). Try not to watch the flight of the ball. Hand position – The strong hand should be placed behind the ball with your fingers spread out (they should not be too close or too spread out...your hand should still feel comfortable). Your thumb should be at about a 45 degree angle from the pointer finger. The basketball should be gripped primarily by your. You should be able to barely slide a finger between the ball and your palm. Your weak hand is usually referred to as a "guide hand", however it really shouldn't guide the ball. It is used only to assist you in raising the ball up and getting into position. Right before you shoot you will actually gently let your assist hand fall away from the ball. All this information gets you into the correct position to take your shot. We call this "shot ready" Beginning the shot – As you initiate your you will bend your knees and start to jump in the air. The ball should start off around chest height slightly to the right of the body with your shooting hand underneath/behind the ball. Begin raising the ball up towards the face (just slightly to the right of your body for right handed shooters), being sure to KEEP YOUR ELBOW IN (the elbow and wrist should be in a straight line up and down... do not let it slide out to the side). The ball should move just above the head, and should be resting in the "waiter's position" (this is like how a waiter carries a tray at a restaurant... the wrist is bent so that the hand is almost flat). The hands should hold the ball secure, but both the hand and the wrist should be relaxed. At this point if you were viewed from the side your arm would make a backwards "L". Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com Check out The World of Hoops for great basketball training: videos, guides, videos, and drills. |
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