This Tip has helped me imprve my shot greatly and now i am my team captain thx Breakthrough Basketball

Thanks this is great and am going to work on my shot using these tips. However i dont understand which part of mistake number 3 we shouldn't practice unless we are eighteen. Can anyone clear this up for me?

Hi Hadi,

There are a couple of reasons I do not advise players to shoot fade-aways before the age of 18.

1. It's likely that there are other areas that you should concentrate on before practicing a fade-away. Only extremely talented players could practice this shot before going to college. JJ Redick one of the best shooters to ever play did not practice a fade-away until he was in college. First, he perfected his shot. Then, he progressed to more difficult shots when he was in college.

2. Most players are not strong enough and lack the proper coordination. This can lead to bad mechanics. so, practicing a fade-away can mess up your normal shot.

If you are a high school player, do not mess with it. There is too many aspects of the game to work on to become a better player. Only if you have perfected your shot and have proper strength, would I suggest to shoot a fade-away.

this is a very useful video.. check out

Thanks
i will take you advice

Your*

the best drill ever. thanks for this mail, "Breakthrough Basketball"

Ammazing....your tips really solve the problems......i am really impressed with your service

thanks a lot man..................!it helps

I coach grade school children. My second-grade son is moving from an 8-foot to 10-foot goal. He does not seem to have much power in his shot, so his distance is limited. If you get beyond 6 feet from the basket with a 10-foot goal, he has a problem. I do not think the problem is strength. Is it form? What are you tips?

Hi Coach Steve,

I would suggest making sure sits his hips back to use his legs to develop more power for the shot. I would also suggest dipping the elbow slightly to give him more power.

That problem is very common for 2nd graders. I don't know too many 2nd graders that can shoot with good form at 10-foot hoop. They are just too small and too weak. I would usually have 1st & 2nd graders shoot at a 8 foot hoop with a mini ball. I would have 3rd & 4th graders shoot with a junior ball at a 9 foot hoop. Then, I would progress to a 10 foot hoop once players start entering the 5th grade.

That is part of the reason that you don't see too many GREAT shooters anymore. They develop poor shooting mechanics, because they start shooting at a 10 foot hoop with a big ball when they are young, less-coordinated, and weak. They have to find other ways to get the ball to the hoop, so they develop bad mechanics like twisting and slinging the ball up there.

Basketball needs some sort of progression like the current system that baseball has. You don't see us throwing youth kids onto a major league field and tell them to play baseball. They start on smaller fields with closer mounds and closer bases. That’s part of the reason that the rest of world is catching up with the US in basketball. They have better progressive systems.

You can also check out our shooting mechanics page at this link: http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/fundamentals/shooting-technique.html

Steve - Bending the knees and using the legs will help with power. Have him try shooting the ball over the 9-10 foot back board. He'll have to use all legs to do that. This little trick helps develop distance. Once he figures out how to utilize the legs for power, that will help.

With that said, 2nd grade is really young. Probably just need to wait to get older or use lower hoops. I don't suggest 10 ft rims at that age! Not to mention, things like soccer and martial arts are great ways to develop athletes at this age. Basketball will come with time and other sports are better to focus on at this young age.

Hi, I am an 11 year old who loved to play basketball. I have played AAU for three years now. I have traveled all over the US already to play in big tournaments. I do struggle with my shot when I get tired. This article I think will help me a lot with keeping my hands correct and my thumb out of the way.

Thanks so much and I look forward to reading more articles.

Sean Kuck

Hi,
I am a decent shooter but a month ago, my shot was really off for about 2-3 weeks.
I am glad to say that now my shot is "back" but i was wondering if you had any tips on what to do if my shot is off in the future.

Thanks

Hi Hadi,

Keep shooting. Basketball is a percentage game. You're going to have some days where you don't make as many as normal and you're going to have some days where you make way more than normal.

Try not to think about things and keep your head clear.

For more mental tips, you could look at these articles: http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/fundamentals/shooting.html#mental

thanks for the info but im already the captain of my team and my friend tried the steps but still sucks at shooting and he practiced for 3 months so i dont think your tips work

thanx mob 4 all wat u guys are doing especially 4 me 4rom a country where yo dreams of becoming a proffesional player are no where to b seen wit you guys am so grateful coz slowly by slowly my dreams are being realised is there a way may b u could help me get somebody to sponsor my basketball otherwise all to say thanx the drills are real

I recently stoppd using my guide hand thumb to shoot and thats all good from every where from three I have to go extremely slow and can't get it to the hoop even then. I have decided to use my thumb past the three line. Any advice on how to increas range without thumb? I'm 13 and can't afford to stop shooting 3s as I make about 4 a game and our team needs the points.

Hi John,

Would you rather have some success now or more success in the future? I know it's difficult, but who cares how many games you win when you are 13 years old. Look at the big picture. Wouldn't you rather be a great player when you're 16, 17, or 18 rather than make a few more 3-pointers when you're 13?

By consistently using your thumb on your guide hand on your thumb, you are never going to be consistent shooter. It's naturally going to push the ball left and right and you'll never reach your potential as a shooter.

It also sounds like you may be having problems generating power to get the ball there. Try pushing your hips and getting your butt down in order to generate more power from your legs. Practice by not shooting at the hoop at first.

If you don't fix it now, your shot will not be as good as it could have been when you're older.

Also, your teaching yourself two different shots. One where you use your thumb and one where you don't. This will make it extremely difficult to have any consistentcy with your shot.

My advice would be to stop shooting 3's until you've perfected the form. Who cares if you can't shoot 3's until your 14, 15, or 16. Try to look at the long-term and be the best you can be.

Great tips on the physical aspects of shooting.
What can I do to develop the mental/confidence aspect? I have a daughter who is a good ball handler at point guard, very strong defender, but she will rarely shoot, even when wide open, and she has a pretty good shot. Its almost like the fear of missing keeps her from taking the chance. In defense of her coaches, I don''t recall them yelling at her for taking a shot she has missed, however, the message is pretty strong to "run the offense" to the nth option.

thanx it helped alot

WWH,

Confidence is a very important aspect of shooting. Actually you have to be confident to be a good shooter. Confidence comes from practice, success, knowledge, and praise.

Of course practice is important. But for players I think a big thing is for them to realize that you're going to miss!! It's no big deal. Don't worry or even think about it.

The greatest shooters in the world shoot around 50%. That means they fail around half of the time!!!

You're going to miss shots. So what? How many times have you seen Michael Jordan start the game cold and miss 6 or 7 shots in a row -- yet still end up scoring 40 points in the game? Just because you miss a few shots doesn't mean you won't catch fire any minute. That's the mentality. You just can't worry about it.

With that said, you need to practice and practice smart. I like grooving about 50 shots nice and close the the basket. This is a great confidence builder because you see that shot going in over and over again. Groove shots every day.

If interested in more tips, we have an entire ebook filled with shooting tips and plenty of mentality building techniques.
http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/pr/btshooting.html

Hope this helps.

Hi WWH,

If your daughter has a coach that instills fear in the players, it's going to be difficult for her. I prefer to coach players and let them play. If they make a mistake repeatedly, I teach them an alternate option.

If you want, check out this page and listen to this audio: http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/audio/news7kelbick.html

It has a section on How Stress Retards Growth.

After your daughter has taken thousands of shots from stationary position and showed proper form, move onto practicing shots off of the move.

Once, she has taken enough repetitions, she should start to practice those shots in game-like situations.

We also have some mental tips on shooting at this page: http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/fundamentals/shooting.html#mental

Thanks Joe. Interview audio was very good, beyond just the topic we were discussing. As a coach, its amazing how easy it is to repeat the mistakes of others rather than learn from them.

these are the only tips that put some arc and backspin on my shot thanks a lot !!!!!!!!

love these tips thanks!!!

I'm 21 and in a small private college. I also am a head coach at a private Jr. High and assistant at a varsity. I've had a good shot since my 11th grade year in high school from practice but the biggest problem I've had is inconsistency. I think I've figured out the problem and all I need is practice to fix it, but I have a question still. I think I've always had the ball sitting a little too far up on my fingertips, espescially my thumb. but now that I'm practicing moving it down, I feel like I'm palming it. Where EXACTLY is the ball supposed to sit on the fingers, espescially the thumb? And how long do you think it will take to fix this problem?

One more question. Also, I've been told that the index finger is supposed to be in the center of the ball. Is this true or should the center of the ball be in between the index and middle finger?

You definitely don't want to have the ball on your finger tips. You want it to rest on your finger pads. Look at the second picture from the top. It should look similar to that. Notice, the ball is resting on the side of your thumb, on the finger pads, and you can see my palm.

As for index and middle finger, shoot one way and be consistent with it. I prefer to have the middle of the ball between the index finger and middle finger, but as long as you have your hand behind the ball I wouldn't worry about it too much. Don Kelbick recently sent me a response to an email where he says that you want to have the basics of shooting down, but if you pay too much detail to the little details, it can cause "paralysis analysis" which means you over analyze your shot and end up thinking too much. This causes you to always change things which can lead to lost confidence and we know that is the last thing you want.

Just make sure you have good basic form and practice, practice, practice.

Wow thanks, this really improved my shot and I now don't have to worry about by guide hand thumb otherwise I always had to take into account that the ball was going just a bit to the right. And that is quite hard when you're in a basketball game and in mid-air.

Mr. Haefner,
I'm 18 and I have played basketball my whole life. I grew up watching greats such as Jordan, Stockton, Hornachek, Malone. I have always had a pretty decent shot until I reached highschool. I had days where I shot amazing and other days where I was all over the place. I have always been able to help others critique their shots, but unable to fix my own, even though I knew what was wrong. The big thing I noticed was that every shot was different, I never shoot the same way. I've done drills, I've shot looking at mirrors, I've filmed my shot, I've had other people look at it. I just have not seemed to be albe to fix it completely so that it's consistent. I do agree with your tips, they will help people fix their shots and make them better shooters, but do you have any advice for me to help fix my own shot.

Vern,

You may be thinking too much while you shoot. Groove your shot thousands and thousands of times with good form and just let it fly. Not every shot is going to be perfect.

Another thought.. does your shot change on certain type of shots? Do you shoot well on all catch-and-shoot shots? Does your shooting form fall apart when you are moving to your right, but is great when you move to the left? Are all of your shots within 15 feet taken with good form? Does your form become inconsistent when shooting off the dribble? Those are just a few different ideas to consider. Maybe you just need to fine-tune your shot in one or more of these situations.

Is the flick of the wrist supposed to be natural or is it intentional? I really need to know in order to improve my shooter's touch.

Hey im 21 years old and a pretty good player. I've always prided myself on defense because I was never really a good scorer. As a teen I always had troubles with my technique and release. Even now I still struggle with shooting the same every time. But as I got older from the age of 18 on I've noticed a HUGE difference in my game. I absolutely love the mid range game because there are many ways to get your shot off. I don't like the three point shot because it takes a lot more for me to set up and pull the trigger. Now the way I shoot would be more of a sling shot type shot with the ball behind my head but I've always been told that my shot looks very pure. I do have a lot of confidence issues especially around big crowds and that's when I become a non threat. I need help with my confidence big time because I can get my shots off on anyone its just a matter of me making them. How should I change my shot? How do I find better ways of releasing my shot perfectly every time?

How come during my shooting practices i have a higher % of shots going in rather than
actual games?

Is it because i'm nervous during actual games? is it because i rush my shots during game time? How do i correct this?

Hey im 13 and i just started playing basketball in the fourth grade. i have always been very athletic and strong. the past year i have been great at all parts of the game. i averaged about 15 points and 15 rebounds with a pair of blocks a game. before the end of my AAU season i broke my wrist in multiple places on a late hit on a shot during a tournament. it ended my season now im back to playing basketball after pt. problem is now i dont have a jump shot. before the injury i followed all your rules and had great form. now i cant shoot and feel like im back in the fourth grade just touching a basketball. what are your ideas on what i should do to get my shot back? right now practicing 3 hours a day in my driveway my shot is all over the place. where should i start?

I am trying to fix my shot. Somewhere along the line it got messed up. I seem to bring the ball behind my head and it seems to be a flat shot. No matter what i do i cant seem to fix my shot. I am going to be playing d2 college lvl ball and if my shot doesn't improve i will be in trouble. Can anyone help with just throwing my shot out and starting from scratch?

my 9 yr old son seems to have to dip his shooting shoulder a bit when he shoots from about 12 ft out when shootin from 10 ft in its much better. i try tellin him not to shoot from further out but those are shots he has to take in games and of course free throw line is beyond that as he plays up a grade at his school. is this something to worry about at this age for future habits or will this correct itself on the longer shots as he gets stronger and develops. if need correcting now what are some tips for that.

hey im an 8th grader and i started basketball this year so everyone else has a huge lead on me in basketball skill any tips to help me get better a catch up to the rest of my class?

just asking anyone: i am 15 and i am going to play basket ball for my high school next year, i never played for a school bball team before but im really good. but i want to find a better shot so that my accriasy is better and was wondering if there is a better way to shoot.

Logan - Talk with your coach. Ask him what you can do to get better and help them team. Do all the little things and work hard. Check out this article and listen to your coach:
http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/players/10-basketball-tips-playing-time.html

I have always been able to drive and get past a lot of people with speed and an extremely consistent layup, but my shot has not been consistent at all and its NOT because of confidence or any mental issuse because I have been playing for many years. It seems as if every time I step on a real court in like a 5v5 I always airball it at least once, and I have to tuck my elbow in because it usually sticks out. Whats the problem?

is thier any way you can demostrate this through a video segment. Would be easier to show our kids. Thank you.

Hey Im a 12 year old that loves playing basketball but i cant get the proper motion of shooting anywhere further than the free throw line..anywhere past that and my shots airball. Do you have any tips?

Thanks,

Hi, ive been playing for two years and I've gotten a pretty good inside game, the only thing I cant do is shoot. Since I'm a lefty I cant seem to look at demonstrations and learn from them. currently i shoot above my head but i cant seem too get much range, Can you guys help me on that?

Sandaru,

My advice is simple. Don't shoot past the free throw line. At 12 years old, you don't need to shoot any further. You'll notice that as you mature and get stronger, you'll be able to shoot from further. Be patient and keep working on your shot within 15 feet.

Justin, it's very difficult to give you advice without seeing your shot.

How much range are you looking to shoot with? If you're really good inside, stick to that area until your improve your range. Remember, you don't have to be good at everything in order to be a good player. Derrick Rose is still developing a 3-point shot and he's developing into a great player. Ben Wallace could never shoot the ball and he was an all-star.

Are you being knee your knees and pushing your hips back to generate power from your legs?

Are you shooting on the way up? Don't pause at the top of your jump. Shoot before the top of your jump.

usually i can shoot from the elbow. i tend to drag the ball up towards my shot

I am 18, and have been playing my entire life. I am a three-point shooting point guard for my high school team. One thing I've noticed is that my shot is always messed up during my follow through--right when I release the ball and the defender pushes me backwards, boxing me out. Is there a reason for this and a way I can prevent it?

Hi Alex,

Talk to the referee. According to the rules, that is a foul.

hey, im 18 and im working on my shot, this is like my 2nd year playing... is it true to shot the ball with the elbow and then flick with index, middle, and pinky finger right before the release to give the ball an arc? i tried it and it kind of works i guess. and when i shoot, i tend fadeaway because i feel like im leaning forward sometimes, how can i fix that?

George, I would take a look at this page: http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/fundamentals/shooting-technique.html

It explains how we teach shooting technique.

my sugestion that helps young ones shot progress and get stronger is really simple. stand in front of the rim, have your knees bent as they would be in triple threat, hold the ball out in front of you with your shooting hand, then bring the ball back up to where it is comfortable and shoot the ball with one hand many times, make sure you go up onto your toes and your "reaching into the cookie jar". i would recomend this every day !this will build your muscles in your arm and you will get a perfect shot, take about 30 shots like this then put your guide hand up to the side and make sure your not useing your thumb! all shooting hand , the ball will spin sraight.

Hi I'm a pretty good shooter but I think I take too many bank shots. I have a hard time swooshing the ball, for whatever reason, and I even do this when shooting threes. Any ideas?

Jeff, maybe more arc?

When I shoot, i dont get much arc. i can hit jumpers, but more in-game than in practice. When i try to add more arc (jump higher and more flick of the wrist), i sometimes shoot too hard. How can i find an equality of good arc and good power?

Hey John, I am 13 and I play post. I also am a very good shooter. But I have problems when I get out to about 17-20 feet. I used to have a shot where I took a step with my right foot before I shot and this helped me get most of my power. Now since I have corrected this problem I can't shoot a 16-20 foot jumper unless I push the ball with my shooting arm. Should I stop shooting those shots? Also my left foot always turns to the left on my free throws could you help with this also?

i am pretty good its just im a left and people say i shoot weird any tips?

Hi Joe
I play basketball for my highschool team. But i have a big problem in my shot. I had a tornado shot. The spin is sideways... I have no idea how to fix this. It really bothers me, and i am willing to puts lots of time in to fixing it but donw know how. Any suggestions?

Wow. I have been having problems with using my guide hand too much but didn't know how to fix it. Now I can see that my thumb is just sticking out to much. I need to just keep my thumb next to my finger. Hopefully it will correct my backspin and make my shot more consistent too. Thank you so much!

I play for my high school team and I can shoot light out from midrange, but then I get too the three-point line and all my shots are short or drift left or right. What should I do.

thanks man,this really help my shot,i had a habit of always fading back when i shot,but your tips really helped

Hey im a 14 year old sophomore and my shot is not really consistent yet. it seems when i shoot a freethrow i turn my shoulder and it usually ends up on the left side. & when i shoot some day it goes in & some days it does not is it because of my awkardly body movements or what? ive tried changing my stance by standing wider of jumping forward and this still doesnt make it consistent would a shooting sleeve work?

Renee - Without watching you shoot it''s impossible to say for sure what the problem is. But it sounds like it might be your stance. If your body twists when you shoot that makes me think it''s not starting out right (at your feet). Move your feet so they are comfortable (shoulder width apart), shooting foot ahead of non shooting foot, in a comfortable staggered stance (sort of like a boxer). Maybe your feet need to be pointing in a slightly different direction so your body doesn''t twist. Shooting with your toes pointing directly towards the basket is not a natural position (unless you are a two-handed shooters from the 1950s). And remember you''ll never make all your shots and there is no such things as perfect form. Once you get comfortable form you never want to change it -- you need to develop rhythm and feel with lots of reps.

so your saying to have my feet not pointed straight at the basket maybe to have them point inward. & would you recommend a shooing sleeve?

Yes, just make sure your feet feel comfortable when you shoot. It should be a natural position. No I do not recommend shooting sleeves or any devices like that.

okay & shouuld the ball be over my head when i pull it back or right in front

You want it to be comfortable. But from a technique stand point, you should not be pulling the ball back and/or over your head.

ok & on freethrows when i shoot i now use this routine where i go down low then bring the ball up to shoot because when i stood up my shoulder would twist and the ball would end up on the left side. after i made this change my percentage is alot better is this a good thing to do?

Yes, it sounds good.

whenever i shoot my ball is flat and and has no arc and my form of shooting is good as well?

Your tips are def right on!! have a question.. I play small college ball, I started trying to develop a jump shot my tenth grade year, in doing so i believe i''''''''ve picked up some bad habits that seem near to impossible to fix. I''''''''ve filmed my shot and i noticed i have a hitch, in which i bring the ball up, however it will dip or move before i release. I may be releasing to late. I have now started back to square one and started on correcting form by shooting jump shots at a wall to help it?
Is this the best way to help it? And how long do you think it would take to see some improvement and some comfort with it? considering i would shoot bout 300 to 500 wall shots a day?

Yes. It will probably take 3000-6000 reps doing it the right way. Then after that you slowly will start developing comfort and rhythm. It will take a few months or more depending on how hard you work.

hey i play basketball and been trying to work on my shot and form but when i work on my free throws alot and my forms good then i work on my shot and its bad. i tend to turn my shoulder alot and i dont really have a high release how can i develop them

When I shoot my main arm comes across my body and my legs spread a little. What can I do to stop this. I am also 14 so its not that im not strong enough.
Thanks
Byron

i like this is kapo

As I am reading the posts, there are a lot of different problems here.... two of them being...
1- Consistency
2 Distance
3 Shooting %

As for #`1 Do a lot of form shooting, against a wall will work or from block to block... get comfortable with your shot, be patient with yourself..... IF you have a bad habit, it will take longer to correct it, just keep working on it. Look up BEEF

#2 Distance comes with strength... age means nothing when it comes to shooting... stay in the range where you are successful until your shot is excellent... then you can work your way back slowly. Don't try to go from 15' to the arc... not many people can do that.

#3 Good shooting %s comes from shooting within your range. As soon as you get too far, you will see the % go down. Everyone wants to be a great 3 point shooter or dunk the ball. Be as good as you can be within your own abilities.

Jeff & Joe have given some great information AND advice to you.... so just work on your game... IF need be, ask your coaches or a get a personal trainer.

Bryon,
Without seeing your shot, it sounds like its something to do with your follow through. When you are finishing your shot, make sure you are " putting your hand in the cookie jar "
The basket... and hold it until the ball goes in.
Again, this is something that you can work on against a wall... form shooting holding your follow through.
PERFECT PRACTICE makes perfect... practice without it being correct will just ingrain bad habits. So, you will need 100s to 1,000s of reptitions to correct this... but it can be done... and IF you are a quick learner.. it can be done faster. I helped to correct one of my varsity players by having him shoot the ball off the wall, working on his form. His motivation? I told him that he wouldn't be playing the 4th quarter next year because everyone would foul you because you cant make a free throw..... that was on Friday, on Monday, it was corrected, so you know he worked on it. His problem was too much left hand... so you can do this... how bad do you want to correct the problem?
Look at the pictures at the top, that should give you some idea as to how to finish... good luck.

About the guide hand thumb. It seems the thumb can cause problems even when it doesn't shoot the ball. I have been working with a kid who doesn't shoot with his off hand thumb. The problem is he's a right handed shooter, but still somewhat dominant with his left hand as far as dribbling and his grip. So basically he really has a strong grip with his left guide hand when he shoots. I think the solution is taking his guide hand thumb completely off the ball so he doesn't have a death grip. What do you think?

Nick,

When I had kids that used to much guide hand in their shots I had them do FORM shooting against a wall ... ONE HANDED.

Take one dribble, bring the ball up with your shooting hand and then go into your shot. You can have the guide hand behind the back or on his side... but not anywhere near the ball.

He will have to do 100s / 1000s of shots like this to break that habit..... but as you see him getting better, you can add the guide hand UP but NOT on the ball at all. Keep repeating this until his form is better and his guide hand is just that ... GUIDE hand... not having anything to do with his shot.

.... IF you have a bad habit, it will take longer to correct it, just keep working on it. Look up BEEF also to see if any other part of his shot is lacking - might just as well correct it all.

Let us know how this is going.

When shooting,how does the arm extension go? I have good form and my shot is straight and I used leg power but I feel sometimes its my arm extension that causes me to air ball in games. I fully extebd,but what am I supposed to do? Are you supposed to push your arm to extension or contract it more than shoot? I hope this question makes sense

Jon -

Take a look at this and you will see the correct way to shoot, how and where to release the ball and the follow through.

http://www.breakthroughbasketball.com/fundamentals/shooting-technique.html

Without seeing your shot, it seems that it is too flat and you are jerking your arm back? Do I have that right?

You should be bringing the ball up and releasing it with your elbow by your eye / ear level. As you bring it up there, you will have a
"window" to see your target. HOLD the follow through until the ball goes into the basket.

I hope this helps.

Awesome! This is going to help me build my basketball skills greatly :)