How to Improve Basketball Shooting Form

We all know that proper shooting form and lots of practice will lead to a great shooter. If you have already read my eHow article: "How to Use Proper Shooting Form in Basketball," you will now want to continue to work on your shooting form and build good shooting habits. This article focuses on a one-handed shooting drill that will focus on maintaining the proper shooting form. This drill is especially helpful when the shooter is having difficulty releasing the guide hand which leads to two-handed shooting. It is a great way to start any shooting practice.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Basketball
• Basketball Hoop

How to Do a Drill Set-Up

1. Position yourself approximately 5 feet in front of the basket.

2. Your legs should be slightly wider than shoulder width apart.

3. Put your guide (non-shooting) hand at your side. For this drill we are focusing on the shooting hand. When you get into your normal shooting routine you will find it easier to release your guide hand.

4. Extend your shooting arm directly out in front of you so it is parallel to the ground.

5. Bend your elbow to make an upward facing "L." Be sure to keep your elbow tucked within your body.

6. Cock your wrist back. You should now look like you are holding a pizza.

7. Place the ball in your shooting hand so it is positioned on the top pad of your hand and your middle finger is in the center of the ball. The top pad is the area that is at the base of your fingers and above your palm.

How to Do a Drill Shot Release

8. Focus your eyes on the back of the rim.

9. Bend your legs until you are almost in a sitting position.

10. Rise up knowing that the strength of your shot will come from your legs.

11. As you are rising up to shoot, fully extend your shooting arm.

12. Propel your shooting hand forward by releasing your wrist from the cocked position. The ball is shot with this wrist release—it is not shot with your arms.

13. While keeping your eyes focused on the back of the rim, your follow-through should look like this:
    1. Shooting arm is extended above your head
    2. Shooting hand is pointed at the basket with your hand pointed slightly downward (looks like a fish hook)

Tips & Warnings

• For this drill, stay within 5 to 10 feet of the basket. You are focusing on isolating the shooting arm and proper technique—there is no reason to shoot from long distances.
• Do at least 10 of these shots to begin your shooting warm-ups. This will improve your muscle memory for the proper shooting technique.
• This drill is not just for beginners—continually drilling on shooting fundamentals is critical to your success.