How to Shoot a Basketball? Every Possible Method to Perform Better

To shoot a basketball correctly is the most challenging & essential step you need to know if you want to play the game. Basketball is a straight sport you just need to learn some shooting tips and you must know the rules of the games & the layout of the court, your position, and various skills that will help you improve your shooting.

Today In this article I will discuss all the shooting techniques for shooting a basketball so that you can become a perfect player.

how to shoot a basketball

Learn the Steps How to Properly Shoot a Basketball

Before going into details you must remember the three most important things.

1. Shooting is the Chief Skill in Basketball

Always be confident and say to yourself that i can do it and i can be perfect in that this will give you inner strength and confidence.

Rebounding, footwork, and passing are not more important than shooting, but that stuff is part of the game. Becoming a great shooter will be useful for yourself but also for your teammates in gaining success.

2. Shooters are Made not Born

No one was ever born having the ability to shoot a basketball. All the great and famous players work hard to become good players. They become great shooters by practicing for hours and hours and hours on the basketball court and growing their stamina.

3. The BEEF

When the kids start learning how to shoot the first thing that they learn is the BEEF shooting method. It’s a simple technique created to help the under-age players in focusing the 4 major aspects of shooting a basketball.

The BEEF stands for “Balance Elbow Eyes Follow through”

All these points are important and easy to understand. Young athletes must know the BEEF it’s the basic point to shoot a basketball.

10 Steps How to Shoot a Basketball For Beginners

Read out the steps on how to shoot a basketball perfectly. Each step is described after discussion with professional athletes. So, read out the below step and learn the way to shoot it.

1. Preparation

Shot preparation is a necessary step. Most players overlooked this most important step but it can be the difference between having enough time to take a perfect shot defended by a defender closing out. There are some rules that will ensure that you are ready to shoot when you catch the basketball.

  • Slightly bend your knees and hips

When you catch the basketball with straight legs, time will be wasted jumping to shoot the ball. therefore you must bend your legs before shooting a basketball.

  • Be ready to target

Show target hands to the player where you want to get the pass. When you get the ball in your hand it is going to be crucial that you create as positive powers with your hands as possible. You need to avoid the shooting hand pushing the ball in one direction and the guiding hand pushing the ball in the other direction. You must always try to synchronize those to motions to create a strong positive power.

  • Always be prepared

When you are in a comfortable shooting range you will be mentally prepared and satisfied to shoot on the catch.

2. Rightly Placing Ball in Hand

While you raise up into a shot you must be able to quickly adjust your hands in the correct position on the basketball. This is very important that the shooting hand must be under the basketball and the balance hand must be on the side of the basketball to follow it.

The thumb of your hand and the base of the thumb of the shooting hand should be in the form of T with your balance hand. The only area that will not touch the basketball is the gap in the middle of the hand. The fingers should be spread wide on the basketball. Remember these adjustments have to be done very quickly when you receive a basketball.

3. Equilibrium Base

The most important thing to becoming a good shooter is a balanced base. But if you are unable to correct the shooting base then it is difficult to become a consistent shooter. An equilibrium base involves three major factors.

  • Slightly Narrow feet and shoulder-width apart

If your feet are more narrow then it is difficult to be in a balanced position when you are raising up for the shot and if your feet are too wide you will be unable to get enough lift in your shot.

  • Dominant foot in front

For the right-handed shooters sliding the right foot moves slightly forward. For the left-hand shooters, it is the opposite.

  • Equal distribution of weight on feet

Your weight should be distributed on both feet for shooting perfectly.

4. Direction of Feet

On the time of shooting a basketball, It’s very necessary for your feet should be turned a little bit. Right-handed shooters should slightly turn their feet to the left and vice versa.

Try to keep your line up with the rim while shooting with the base then tension is required in the chest. To relieve this tension you must turn your feet a little bit which will make your elbow and shoulder line up with the rim comfortably.

5. Shooting Pocket

The shooting pocket is the most comfortable area for you when beginning the shot. You must find where your feet are comfortable. Every time you catch the basketball to shoot you must bring the basketball back to your shooting pocket before raising the shot.

6. Eyes On the Goal

Once you find your target, be consistent with that. Front rim and back rim shooters focus on targets that are 17 inches apart to achieve the goal. you should not change your target, again and again, you have to choose on target and stick to that to gain your goal.

7. Twist the Wrist

Tip shooters who shoot with a bent wrist push the basketball toward the rim rather than shooting over the basketball or right through it. The goal is to bend the shooting hand back as much as it can go, which provides power and propulsion during the shot.

8. Keep Elbow Under the Basketball

The elbow of your shooting hand should be under the basketball. For this position, you have to keep your upper and lower arm in L shape. This will ensure that you will shoot in a straight line.

9. Keep Your Hand Balanced

A non-shooting hand is called a balanced hand. The only purpose of this in shooting is that it helps to keep the basketball balance on the shooting hand. For right-handed shooters, the balanced hand is the left hand and vice versa. This hand is referred to as a guiding hand. There must not be any force from the balance hand when the shot is taken.

10. Follow Through

Follow-through is the last part of the shot when you have done all the previous steps. It is the extension of your arm to shoot the ball and wrist motion in shooting the ball.

Conclusion

From all the above discussion it is important to note that there is not one correct way to shoot. All the famous players have different shooting techniques. The main thing is how much you spend on yourself to understand the techniques and make them easier for you and slightly change them according to yourself.

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