Basketball is a fairly straightforward sport. Your goal is simple – score as many points as you can and have a score that is more than your opponent’s. It’s the very reason why shooting a basketball is one of the most essential skills that need to be developed if you want to excel in this sport. Shooting is a skill that is developed by learning about the right moves when shooting and learning it to such a degree that everything becomes instinctive. This is called muscle memory, a state when your body already knows what to do even without thinking of it.
The most effective way of achieving muscle memory is by performing drills repeatedly and practicing regularly. There are some things you need to think about if you want to achieve proper form when shooting.
First, you need to have balance. Shooting as a movement can make you lose your balance if you don’t know how to place your whole body. You can make your body more stable by spreading your legs approximately equal to the width of your shoulders and also by bending your knees slightly. This position is also popularly known as the triple threat position. It got this name because from this position a player can shoot, pass or dribble.
You should position your elbow directly underneath ball to give you more leverage. You should also make sure that the ball is placed on your fingertips and not on the palm of your hands.
Make sure that your eyes are looking at the front of the rim. Your focus should be on this area. One of the most common pitfalls when shooting is that you lose focus when shooting.
Finally, always remember to follow through when shooting the ball. You can do this by first putting your off-hand (the hand you won’t use for shooting) on the side of the ball to serve as a guide. Your shooting hand, on the other hand, should be spread out to cradle the ball. But make sure that your hand is not rigid. Be conscious about relaxing your shooting hand. To increase the probability that your shot will find its mark, apply a little backspin to the ball by flicking your wrist while releasing the ball to create a backspin.
As part of your drills attempt to shoot the basketball without hitting the rim or using the backboard. You can do this by aiming your basketball a bit beyond the rim front.
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