How to Shoot a Basketball

We see professional basketball players in the NBA always making shots, so shooting a basketball almost may seem effortless. One might think it's simply throwing a ball in a hoop. However, it's far more than that. Shooting a basketball not only takes a lot of practice but proper mechanics and form. This project is intended to give a step by step guide on how to properly shoot a basketball with good form.

You want your feet almost shoulder-width apart along with a slight bend in the knees in an athletic position. You also want to make sure that your shooting hand (usually the dominant hand) is slightly forward, allowing your shot to be more accurate. This would mean angling your foot in a manner that would allow your right hand aligned with the basket. In this example, notice how the right foot is slightly above the left foot? This allows an angle for the right hand to be more aligned with the basket, making the shot more accurate.

Your shooting hand (usually the dominant hand) should be placed underneath the ball (as the picture above shows). You want your fingers spread comfortably wide to give you enough control/handle of the ball while maintaining space in between the palms. The other hand is used as a guide, so it's placed next to the ball.

With your knees slightly bent and your feet shoulder width apart, this would allow you to have a comfortable and balanced jump. It's important that you don't jump for height here. Instead, you want an athletic yet comfortable jump that allows you to also focus on the shooting aspect with your arms (as shown in the picture). You should also jump while moving forward; never jump backward! When shooting the ball, you should release your shot at the peak of the jump (as shown in the picture above). The jump and the shooting of the arms should be smooth, try to aim for a one-motion movement.

Flicking your wrist puts a spin on the ball and adds an arch to the shot, which is needed because you don't want your shot to be a straight line towards the basket. Instead, there should be an arch from when the ball leaves your hands till the rim of the hoop.

When putting all the steps together, the final shooting form should look like one motion. The knees were slightly bent, the hand placement on the ball was great, an athletic jump, and at last, the flick of the wrist when shooting the ball as well as the follow-through of the arms were perfect and smooth.

Notice that even when the ball leaves the shooter's hands, the shooter's arms are still held high while flicking the wrist to add torque and arc to the shot. Although these are the steps to a proper shooting form, you must practice shooting to create muscle memory and ultimately, become a better shooter.