Steve Silverman is an award-winning writer, covering sports since 1980. Silverman authored The Minnesota Vikings: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly and Who's Better, Who's Best in Football -- The Top 60 Players of All-Time, among others, and placed in the Pro Football Writers of America awards three times. Silverman holds a Master of Science in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism.
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Baseball TipsOverview
There's no one single skill that will make a basketball player a formidable opponent. Dribbling, passing, rebounding and defending are all important, but shooting is probably the one skill that is most desired by all players.
Step 1
Place the ball on the fingertips of your shooting hand. Your opposite hand should be your guide when you get the ball in shooting position. Don't let the ball sit on your fingers when you shoot. In order to maintain the most control and have the ball go in the direction that you aim it, you must keep the ball on your finger tips.
Step 2
Jump when you prepare to shoot the ball in a game. In order to avoid getting your shot blocked, you must jump as you shoot the ball. Jump off the balls of your feet, and don't shoot until you reach the apex of your jump.
Step 3
Keep your eyes focused squarely on the basket as you shoot the ball. Don't look at your feet, at your opponent or the ball. Once you have made the decision to shoot, keep your eyes on the front of the rim from the moment you make that decision and keep them there until you follow through with your shot. If you sense your opponent coming in to block your shot or you see him coming through your peripheral vision, make the appropriate adjustment to keep your shot from getting deflected. However, keep your eyes on the basket.
Step 4
Snap your wrist as you let the ball go. This will keep the ball going straight at the basket and it will also give you backspin once it leaves your hand. Backspin often allows the ball to bounce through the rim once it hits the backboard. It helps keep the ball straight.
Step 5
Keep your elbow into your body when you shoot. This will help you keep the ball straight and it will prevent you from putting side spin on the ball. An elbow that is angled out from the body and will be much more likely to go offline and fail to go in the basket.
TIPS AND WARNINGS
- TIP : Watch as much videotape of your shot as possible. You will notice if you are keeping your elbow straight, if you are shooting before you reach the top of your jump or if you are using your fingertips to shoot the ball.
