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How to shoot a basketball

Oct 19, 2010

It's time to start talking basketball again! Wanna learn how to shoot the perfect jumper? Shooting a basketball and hitting nothing but net from the three point line is probably one of the most satisfying feelings in all sports. Imagine if you could do it 10 - 15 times a game? Let's learn how to shoot a basketball.

The Best have Balance

The most important part of shooting a b-ball is balance. Bending your knees and keeping your shoulders square to the net is going to set the proper balance and foundation of your shot. If you remember to do these two things before you take every shot, then you're bound to shoot out the lights!

Elbow at 90

Basketball elbow90 degree elbowCourtesy of robotcosmonaut.tumblr.com

OK, you've got your balance and you're ready to fire your shot. Make sure your arm isn't bent or their a good chance that you won't be able to fire the ball straight at the net. To make sure the ball goes straight, you have to line up your shooting hand with your elbow at 90 degrees. Your non-shooting hand is only placed at the side of the ball for support.

Rainbow it Up

Proper Arch for shooting a basketballRainbow basketball shotCourtesy of robotcosmonaut.tumblr.com

So your balance is set, and your arm is locked at 90... launch that ball nice and high so it makes a big rainbow arch. The last thing you want to do is shoot a ball that moves in a straight, flat arch that will have everyone yelling "Brick!" To get that perfect swish, you need a ball that falls from a high arch.

Spread and Snap

Basketball follow throughSpread and SnapCourtesy of teameliteacademy.com

When you shoot a basketball, the secret to controlling the ball is to spread your fingers as wide as you can across the ball with your shooting hand. Then, as you shoot, as the basketball leaves your fingers, you snap your wrist to create backspin so the ball spins downwards creating more arch and a greater chance of spinning down into the net if it touches the rim.

Have your say...

Do you have any sharp shooting pointers for basketball? Let us know in the comments below!