I'm shooting guard and I shoot profienct from everywhere on the court but the one problem is that my coaches said I shoot well but I kept shooting like I'm fading back. But I wasn't trying to fadaway or move back. It wasn't that big back but I feel comfortable shooting like that. Still, my shots goes short if I shoot from 21 feet away(3pt). Wow, all the years I've been playing basketball I never notice that I was falling back my shot. So, my coaches wanted me to work on my jumpshot going UP and DOWN not UP and BACK. My form is fine. I don't know if I'm clear to you guys but can you help? THanks, Jesse from WA

Jesse -

You have been doing this for a long time now so it will take a lot of practice / repititions / shots.

The one drill that you can do by yourself is the FLIP DRILL... start at one elbow, flip the ball out in front of you, go to it, plant your inside foot and go into your shot. The reason I am suggessting this is that you can plant your inside foot on the free throw line and go into your jumper.... now when you come down you should work on coming down on the line.

We told our players that they need to come down on the same spot they took off from or "slightly forward" IF you fade it has a tendency to make your shot flat or it can come out short......

Maybe Jeff & Joe have some other ideas here.

I think I'm liking the flip drill. It really get me going. When I get it in the air, i get it your only going UP and DOWN not BACK. Still my shots going up and down are hitting back rim.
BTW, normally I shoot free throws fine but only gets my body falling over the line but long enough to get the ball into the basket...
Thanks!

Jessse -

Think about balance at the free throw line... ending up on your toes slightly. Is that how you finish?

As for hitting the back of the rim... sounds like the shot is a little flat... as you are releasing the ball... is your elbow by your eye/ear area? As you bring the ball up - THE LIFT..... that should put your elbow as I have described. Or maybe you aren't holding your follow through??? Jerking your hand back could cause a flatter shot.

Remember, I cant see your shot so I am just trying to figure this out for you.

Let me know how this goes for you and IF what I was describing was the problem.

My shot is kind of like Josh Smith my coach said. It's not like I play like him, just same form. Still I make shots moving back. But I need to change it to up and down. I'm sure my arc isn't short, my friend said it looks good arc but still hitting back rim. I feel kind of out of my comfort zone on up and down jumpshot. I was forcing myself to land to same spot when landing. Also, the free throws yes I do lift my toes then wait until the ball goes down then I fall with one step forward... Does that explains ok to you? Thanks!

Here is something I did with my players.... at the beginning of every practice I had them do what we called BEEF CHECK... had them do this with one hand,,,, starting at one block.... then middle .. then other block...1 shot at each spot and then work their way back....to maybe 6 feet. You can do this until you get the feel of your shot. You might want to shoot 15-20 of those before you go back to 10 feet and shoot 20-30- from there.

Then, move back a few feet and do that some more... just keep doing that until you are sure your arc is correct -

Then work back some more to maybe 10 feet and use both hands.

Then you can go to the free throw line... you shouldn't be falling over the line, that tells me that you are not balanced ??

As you bring the ball up, is your elbow around your eye/ear level as you release the ball? There should be a window that you can see through.

I hope I am helping you and not messing up your shot... its just that I cant see it. Let me know how this goes after you do this for awhile.

This is the drill that also called Shooting Form Drill right? And I have done that and did it every once in awhile. I don't get it, I've done it and what does it help to make a perfect form? Plus the moving back feets really helps how? I tired it and same thing for form. Do I have to stay on the ground to do form while back up? My shot does short when I don't jump at all. So I had to do it like free throws. I'm confused can you maybe explain again? THanks!

Jesse -

Lets try this again.... you are trying to build your form... by shooting 100s to 1,000s of shots... thats what we call MUSCLE MEMORY. Being automatic, shooting with good FORM without thinking about it. Thbis is not about doing it every once in awhile, its about doing it every day - over and over and over. This will help you get that perfect form.

Step 1 - Do your form shooting against the wall, one handed 100s every day.

Step 2- What we called BEEF CHECK ....go from block to center to the other block, do this until you can make those shots in your sleep. ( yes you should end up on your toes like you would a free throw. ) Shoot 10 from each spot 3X which will give you 30 shots.

Step 3 - Move back to about 6-7 feet and do BEEF CHECK again, three spots 10X = 30 shots (ending up on your teoes )

The idea of this is to perfect your FORM - then you can go to -

Step 4 - Shoot 50 free throws ( ending up on your toes and holding your follow through ) IF you feel that your shot or FORM is NOT good, go back to the BEEF CHECK and start over.

Step 5 - is the Flip Drill... .... This is a jump shot drill and now while you are working on your FORM, you will be correcting the FADE a WAY in your shot.

I hope this is what you are looking for. Once you get the FLIP DRILL to the point where you are being successful, you can move back further.... but for now, I wouldn''t worry about the longer shots until you correct the FADE.

I think I'm getting the hang of this. I have tried this for couple days and I am liking it. Still I am not sure if I am correct because when take steps back for form shooting, it's like too much power, the shot does hit the back rim or goes past the rim. At 6-7 ft. I didn't do the fade drill yet. I just want to work on my form and going up and down stuff. Does that help?

Look at this clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfTxHGOQdEc

Are you releasing the ball around your eye/ear? That should give you a good arc on your shot... make sure its a soft shot, thats why you are shooting up close. Think of their being eggs up there. :-)

Fade or FLIP DRILL?