Thank you so much!
you've improved my 3-point shots so much
keep up the good work

good

your tips are very helpful without yall my fundamental game would have been lost thanks

Hi,
Is it also beneficial to shoot at a higher than 10 ft hoop?

wow ur site is amazing i especially to help my shooting because im gamalways down on myself when i miss a shot and the POSITIVE thinking is a great tool for making new shots and the best part of my game is mid range but never could shoot great behind arc untill i read this article thanks bbiggg help

Thanks for the help, I should have just done more researching on the page!

I am just about to try out from my schools basketball team and techniques have helped me alot. Now i can do alot better at try-outs! Thanks a million!!

This is an amazing site that will help interested youth develop the fundamentals to be competitive players

I hope this will help because i really need more help in skills in this criteria

These techniques work and result come fairly quickly

I hope this works. I think it does. Lately I've been struggling. Hope it increase's mi range

I dont understand what u mean by dropping your elbow like NAsh

in number 3

It just means that you start the ball a little lower to help generate power. You still shoot in one continuous motion and the release point should be the same.

oh so like dipping? I have noticed alot of NBAs best shooters do this like ray allen, jj reddick, kyle korver, mike miller.

I just like my starting point to be a little bit lower.

ya it sorta worked but how do i work on my wrist?

thanks alot now i am a baller. i work my wriet every day and i have the best form ever now. i am going to be the next MJ!!!!!

i hit the wight room every day and work on my triceps and wrist and the wight thang works to try it. but i can shoot half court shots now...

Well behind the ark...maybe you should stop using the WEIGHT room so much and attend class or something.....

hi im 13 and I'm asian lol ... should i start doing a jumpshot now or wait till my body is fully developed?plz help

Wait until you are fully developed. And even then, think more in terms of quick shot, versus jump shot. Watch Stephen Curry for an example.

Hey, how do i prevent pushing out too much from being at the 3. if i do my normal form, it always goes about 3 or 4 feet short of hitting anything

Dom,

It sounds like you are shooting out of your range.... stay inside the arc until you gain enough strength to shoot the ball with correct form.... IF you keep shooting 3s with bad form you will develop bad habits which are tough to break. ( I know, everyone wants to shoot threes or dunk the ball - do what you do best / play to your strengths and develop the rest of your game. )

Amos ou - Jeff is right... don't worry, everybody develops at a different age... I've seen a couple of 12-13 year olds with a jumper but most kids that age are not ready for that shot.

Work on your form until you shoot correctly in your sleep.

Do tricep dips. I do these every time I work out. Im 15 years old and I have nba range with ease. If you can do do reps per set after a month of excercise then start adding weight and your good to go

you suck

"ADJUSTMENT TECHNIQUE #2

Another effective technique is to drop your elbow. If you watch Steve Nash you'll notice that he drops his elbow when shooting three pointers. If you're going to adjust mechanics, this is a good option to consider because it doesn't alter your delivery mechanics too dramatically."

This is genius!! Tried it out at shoot around today and once i got the principle and the timing was draining some 3s (obviously not perfect) but I have never really practice three as much due to a lack of confidence and also I didnt know which technique to use didnt really want to go gung ho with high jump jump shots since i also have a a bit of tendonitis so needed the technique which utlitizes all my body and not just my arm (plus its a softer landing hehe) agin i have to say genius!!!!

Sorry as you can tell am very excited about this technique haha and there are several spelling mistakes!

Steve -

If I had a player that shot well and his form was not exactly like we taught, I wasn't about to start changing it.

So, IF this is working for you, go for it. I would say as long as you aren't dropping your elbow too far, it should be a problem.... you don't want to get into a habit of dipping the ball a lot, that slows your release.

Just a thought and good luck.

I meant SHOULDN'T be a problem.

Take 500 shots per day? Really? I know a shooting coach who went out and shot 500-1000+ shots every day, 7 days per week, and had to go through femoroacetabular impingement which ended his season.

Sorry to hear that Eric -

Everybody is different... we had several players that shot 1,000 free throws every morning at camp, 5 days a week.

I don't have to tell you which kid had the ball in his hands late in the game. One kid shot in the mid 80s during the season.... and he was automatic in the 4th quarter.

I don't know why that coach had the problem but we never had anything like that happen.

Hey Joe,

I have the exact OPPOSITE problem of what a lot of other players have. When I shoot from any range, with proper form (which is what I try to use at all times), I OVER shoot. I can't follow through the way I should when I shoot, I have to conciously stop myself from doing so. I tried adding more arc to the shots and that works, but it then turns into a huge rainbow shot and I have to think about doing it before I shoot, slowing down my release. Have you come across this before? And do you have any tips for fixing this? Thanks in advance!

Kwinton, it's impossible to determine without seeing you shoot, but here are some thoughts.

Maybe it's a mentality thing. I've seen shooters who move rigidly. When preparing for the shot, you should be thinking quick to get your feet ready and the ball to your shot pocket. Once the balls is in your shot pocket, you should think "soft and smooth." To emphasize that Stephen Curry-like smooth follow through. Too many players stop at their set point trying to emulate Dwyane Wade and Lebron.

Also for your follow through, make sure you finish with a relaxed wrist. You want to avoid snapping your wrist.

This increased my shooting range from perimeter to three pointer to almost half court :D

Good advice - thanks.

I would like to add that proper footwork is needed to not only to improve range but to stay balanced so the shot stays online. Proper balance is when your weight (center of gravity) is centered directly between your feet with both feet pointing straight at the target, spaced shoulder width apart. It is easiest to accomplish that when you pivot into your shot so that you don't have to rely solely on shifting your weight to get balanced - you shift your weight AND use your non-pivot foot to center your weight.

Pivoting into your shot also improves your range for a couple of reasons. First, you can jump higher when you step into your shot - because you take advantage of your body's natural stretch reflex response, which means you recruit more muscle fibers into pushing off the floor when you stretch those fibers immediately before doing so.

Second, you are able to release the ball when you are rising up at a faster speed when you step into your shot. That is because stepping into your shot gets your weight moving downwards just before you push off the floor. As you set your non-pivot foot on the floor, you raise the ball into shooting position and extend your legs at the same time; the ball is moving up while your body is still moving slightly down. Your direction does not reverse instantaneously as you apply force to the floor. As you continue to apply force, your direction reverses and you start to rise, but in the meantime you have given the ball a head start towards the set point where the ball is balanced in your shooting hand and you are ready to let it fly. This head start allows you to release the ball while you are rising up faster off the floor, which expands the distance you can comfortably shoot from. That means you can tap into that extra speed generated from jumping while shooting with the same smooth stroke rather than having to heave the ball.

hey coach

I am an outstanding three point shooter. I can hit 3s like its my job. my problem is how to shoot the ball longer? also i have a "clean" follow through but for some reason the basketball is ALLWAYS to the right if i miss. can you give me a very detailed explanation on how to improve this? also give me tips?

thanks coach!

sorry also coach .... when i shoot i tend to bring the ball from the center off my body to above my right eye.. i am right handed. does it matter where my shooting hand thumb ends up?

Austin -

It sounds like you are automatic from the arc or slightly beyond? Do yourself a favor and take this slowly, don't go from 20' to 26' right away.... that will mess up your shot for sure. A couple of feet at a time until you are comfortable with the shot and are successful.

Here are three techniques written above for adjusting your shot for power and distance-

How to adjust your mechanics for additional power.

This can be tricky because changing your mechanics can throw off your shot. Big changes to your mechanics will require you to retrain your muscle memory and you'll need thousands of repetitions to retrain your muscle memory.

In most situations, it's best to make very minor adjustments to your shot delivery.






ADJUSTMENT TECHNIQUE #1

A good technique for developing range is to intentionally shoot the ball all the way over the backboard. This kind of power is achieved through using optimum leg power and releasing the ball a split second before reaching the top of the jump motion. If done properly, then generating enough force to shoot over the backboard, even from beyond the 3-point line, is not that difficult.

Once players realize how much power is available through this motion, they can learn to control it for shooting at the rim. Since this takes less force than shooting over the backboard, players have more confidence shooting from long ranges.

It's important to shoot a split second BEFORE you release the top of your shot. You'll lose tremendous power if you jump, hang, and shoot on the way down. Plus, you just give your defender more time to block your shot.

ADJUSTMENT TECHNIQUE #2

Another effective technique is to drop your elbow. If you watch Steve Nash you'll notice that he drops his elbow when shooting three pointers. If you're going to adjust mechanics, this is a good option to consider because it doesn't alter your delivery mechanics too dramatically.

ADJUSTMENT TECHNIQUE #3

Yet another technique to consider is to try to decrease the time that it takes to get the ball from your shot chamber to your release point. This will add power to your shot and increase your range.

Without being able to see your shot, its difficult to say what is wrong.... you say that you have a "clean" release. I'm not sure what you mean by that.... is your FORM correct? Is your thumb pointing to the right as you shoot? (shooting hand) This could push the ball to the right.

Pick the ball up with one hand into your shooting pocket...your thumb should be pointing to the left..and as you release the ball, it should still be pointing to the left. Do some FORM shooting against a wall to make sure that you are releasing the ball properly (one handed) Then move to the blocks and do the same thing. This might take 100s of shots to correct your thumb... IF it is pointing to the right as you release the ball. You might ask someone to watch you shoot and tell you where your thumb is ending up.... since we cant see it.

When you are receiving a pass, give them a good hand target, catch the ball like you are ready to shoot it.... not from the middle of your body.... IF I was covering you, I would just stick my hand in your chest, forcing you to turn/pivot to shoot. Try to get the ball towards your right side.

Now, I don't know how old you are OR how well you are shooting the ball...... (like I said, we cant see your shot) IF you are very successful, you might want to go about this slowly, I wouldn't want to mess up your shot. Talk to your coaches and ask them for suggesstions.

Good luck and let us know how this works for you.

This page has been gr8 thanx alot!! I figured out a good way to do it also..... U start off from 3-4 feet away from basketball and shoot only with legs and fingertips, then gradually move back as u start hitting more and more until u get to the 3 line.