Everybody who plays basketball wants to be a shooter. Not everybody wants to put in the work it takes to get there. There’s no shortage of theories and gadgets available to help you become a shooter. You can choose to sort through all the acronyms and unique terminology trying to find the approach that’s right for you but in the end becoming a good shooter comes down to establishing sound fundamental technique and practicing with purpose – focusing on performing the techniques consistently and racking up lots of good repetitions. Contrary to the popular theory claiming that mastery is achieved by performing 10,000 repetitions, 500 repetitions performed well is more beneficial than 10,000 repetitions performed inconsistently. The difference is not the quantity but the quality of the repetitions.

We’ll try to keep our thoughts on shooting simple. Most experts agree that accurate shooting is influenced by aligning the body with the target. The ball will go where the body directs it to go. If your elbow and wrist point to the target the ball will be directed to the target. If your wrist turns to the right on the release the ball will go to the right. Pretty simple right? Unfortunately getting your mind and body in sync is not as easy as it sounds. That’s where the repetitions come in. Executing the shot correctly over and over again trains the mind and the body to sync up. This is what some call “muscle memory”. If the repetitions are performed inconsistently the results will also be inconsistent.

While the position of the elbow and wrist are essential to shooting technique, effective shooting is heavily influenced by proper footwork and a balanced position. The proper footwork will get your feet and shoulders square to the target. The legs provide the power for the shot. Knees are over (not beyond) the toes and the shoulders are over (not beyond) the knees. The shooter’s eyes are focused on the center of the rim. This spot obviously changes as you move around the court and shoot from different court positions. One method suggests using the clips that connect the net to the rim as a way to focus on the center. Accuracy is significantly affected by rim focus – the sooner the eyes are focused on the target, and the longer the eyes are focused on the target, the greater the chance of making the shot.

If facing the basket on the catch or the pull up, the shooter uses a 1:2 step or a jump stop to establish their base. The 1:2 step involves stepping with one foot towards the target then bringing the other foot up next to the lead foot. The spacing between the feet differs for each player, but should allow for balance on the catch or pull up. If facing away from the basket (as when cutting from the wing or from the baseline) the shooter uses an inside foot square up to bring the body square to the target. The inside foot is the foot nearest the basket. If cutting from the left wing to the lane the inside foot is the left foot. As the player sees the pass she steps at the ball with the inside foot, long and low. On the catch she pivots on the inside foot and pulls herself square to the basket.

Correct shooting technique requires the shooter to snap the ball into position off the catch or the dribble. The elbow starts at 90° from the torso and points to the target. The lower arm (triceps) is at 90° to the upper arm (bicep). The wrist is relaxed and behind the ball. The ball rests on the fingers, not just the finger tips. The shooting motion begins with the legs. The shooter is low, knees bent, hips down. The shooting motion should be an uninterrupted flow, from the legs through the finish – no hesitation. The shooter wants to catch the pass (or pull up off the dribble) in a down position – similar to sitting in a chair. This is more efficient than catching the pass (or pulling up) and then getting down, engaging the legs*. On the catch or pull up the shooter squares up, facing the basket. On the shot the shooter keeps the elbow under the ball until the elbow is at eye level, then finishes by extending the arm to its maximum reach. A release angle of 55 – 65° is optimal (a lower release means a flatter shot; a higher release can cause the shot to float with less control). The wrist snaps (dropping the wrist), directing the ball towards the target, with the fingers finishing down, creating backspin / rotation. Basketball research tells us that raising up quickly contributes to shot accuracy. Conversely, a slower raise up leads to less shot accuracy.

*The concept of shot power coming from the legs can be misleading. Power for the shot does not come from jumping high or strong on the shot. Some of the world’s best shooters, like Steph Curry, elevate only a few inches off the ground on the shot. Power comes from the momentum created in the uninterrupted motion that starts with the legs (toes, ankles, calves, knees, quads, hamstrings, hips) through the body to the release and follow through on the shot. When in total sync the ball is at the shot set point as the legs lock out and the toes come off the ground. The ball is released at the height of the jump, before the body descends.

5 SHOT KILLERS

Twister – jump in the air, turning your shoulders / feet. CORRECTION: practice shooting while squeezing a ball between the knees as you jump to shoot – max 12 feet away.

Broken Elbow – the elbow is all over the place, but not pointing to the target. You want the hand and elbow under the ball prior to release.

2 Hand Shot / Thumbing – guide hand is in the way. CORRECTION: squeeze a quarter between the guide hand’s thumb and forefinger.

Changing Shot Pocket – changing the shot pocket when shooting from distance. To improve your range, maintain smooth upper body mechanics while focusing on an uninterrupted motion from the feet through the body as noted above.

Paul Pierce

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