Ask coaches what the #1 youth shooting flaw is and you’ll likely hear - “shooting the ball with 2 hands”!.

It’s easy to see how this problem develops - young players shoot with too big of a ball on too high of a hoop from too far away. To compensate for their lack of strength, they shoot with 2 hands.

Left unfixed, this could be a fatal flaw.

Let’s make sure that’s not the case for you!

Why 2 Hand Shooting Gets A “Thumbs Down”

We’ve talked before about the ideal hand placement. The basketball should be centered in your shooting hand. That allows you to shoot the ball with 1 hand, ensuring that the energy coming from your shooting hand is going at the rim.

When you shoot with two hands, both hands are providing force and energy to the ball. This is a problem since neither hand is centered on the ball. What results is:

• some energy pushing across right to left 
• some energy pushing across left to right

For the ball to go in, those two energies must match up perfectly.

Clearly, that’s not a recipe for high percentage shooting.

One clue that you’re shooting with 2 hands is if you flick the thumb of your guide hand. In other words, if you’re a righty, does your left thumb rotate forwards when you shoot? If so, your guide hand is too involved.

Here’s a 3 step progression to fix that problem.

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3 Drills To Eliminate A Thumb Flick & Shoot With 1 Hand

Do each of the following 3 drills for 2-3 minutes. Shoot from 3-6 feet away from the hoop. Here’s a video of all 3 drills.

• Drill #1 - Mirror hand shooting

  Get the ball to your set point. Remove your guide hand and hold it 1” off the ball. Shoot, moving your guide hand (which isn’t touching the ball) up with your shooting hand.

  Because your guide hand isn’t touching the ball, you can’t “thumb” the ball with your guide hand.

  

• Drill #2 - Flat Hand Shooting

  Place both hands on the ball. Straighten the fingers on your guide hand and keep them rigid. The ball will rest against the palm of your guide hand but your fingers will not be touching the ball.

  Go up and shoot from there. Keeping your guide hand fingers straight will prevent you from “thumbing” the ball.

  

• Drill #3 - Thumb Pinch Shooting

  Position both hands normally on the basketball, with one exception. “Pinch” the thumb of your shooting hand to your pointer finger and keep it there while you shoot. This prevents you from “thumbing” the ball.

  You can also place a coin in between your thumb and pointer finger and shoot. If the coin falls out, you know your thumb is getting too involved.

  

Unlock Your Shot with the Spurs' Secret: "Vitamins" for Your Game

The Spurs are famous for what they call ‘vitamins.’ Each player works on shooting mechanics specific to him.

If a thumb flick and 2 handed shot is an issue for you, make sure you spend 8-10 minutes on the vitamins above. Your shot will be a lot healthier for it!

For more form shooting drills, check out our recent video:

To learn this and other shooting secrets that will make you a game-time sniper, check out our Breakthrough Basketball Shooting Camps. 

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