Shooting a basketball is an art form that has many different styles for many different players. The key to perfecting your shot is to practice and practice some more until you find your style. Whether it's a jump shot, a layup or a free throw, here are some basic tips to help the ball reach the center of the basket.
Foot Placement
It is important to have proper foot placement before attempting the shot. Center the basket between your feet, shoulder-length apart, with one foot about a half a foot length in front of the other. Whichever hand you are shooting with, the corresponding foot is the one that should be placed slightly forward.
Hand Placement
Before attempting a shot you should be holding the ball with both hands on the sides, fingers spread wide. As you set your feet for the shot, bring the elbow of the shooting arm in parallel to your torso, keeping the shooting hand in place. The "Y" between the thumb and index finger of the shooting hand should now be centered and slightly underneath the ball, ready to shoot. The other hand should be placed on the side of the ball to balance it for the shot.
Sighting the Basket
When sighting the basket, look at the back of the rim rather than the front. A regulation rim is 10 feet high, so the back of the rim will appear underneath the front of the rim in your line of sight. Aiming for the back increases your chances of making the shot, because the odds of a ball bouncing off the back of the rim and into the basket are greater than if it bounces off the front of the rim.
Body Posture
When the feet and hands are in place, the knees should be bent slightly and the torso kept upright. If the torso is leaning forward over the knees, you will over-shoot the basket.
Make an Arch
You don't throw a basketball at the goal--you send it aloft in the air. Since the goal is 10 feet high, the ball must be sent on a journey that will take it 12 to 14 feet in the air in mid-flight. Practicing over and over is a must to find your correct arch height.
Follow Through
When shooting the ball, let your fingers do the talking by following through with the shot. Just like in golf, this is one of the hardest things for beginners to grasp, because following through is what happens after the ball leaves your control. The ball may roll off your fingers at the 12 o'clock position, but if you stopped the natural roll of you fingers at that point, the ball could fall short, and usually does. So follow through with a continuous roll of the wrist and the fingers all the way down to the 6 o'clock position.
