Many players struggle to make a jump shot consistently and it holds them back from taking their game to the next level. Often, weaker players will sling the ball from their hip while taller players will shoot behind their head. There are too many inconsistent jump shooting forms to name, however, there is a solution to all of them: change your form. Now in no way did I originate this jump shot, rather pro shot academy invented this jump shot by analyzing NBA players and their forms. Their website is http://focusedshooter.com/ if you wish to attend one of their camps. While this jumper is not mine, I prefer to teach it differently than Pro-Shot does. They teach through the FOREST acronym that is effective but is simply not my style. Without further ado, allow me to teach you how to shoot the ball correctly.
Make your shot straight
Before working on distance, first make sure that your jump shot is straight towards the middle of the hoop almost every time you shoot. To accomplish this, you must turn slightly towards your dominant hand to allow for your arm to go straight comfortably. The degree of your turn is unimportant as long as it does not cause discomfort. Now that both your upper and lower body is turned, your index finger should be placed in the dead center of the ball with all other fingers pointing away from your index finger. Once this stance is accomplished, bend your knees and move the ball straight up from your dominant hip while keeping a straight off hand. On the release, your shooting arm should completely cover your dominant side’s eye. This is known as being a one-eyed-shooter. This essentially means that your arm is straight and towards the basket if you aimed correctly. If you notice that your shot is not going straight after following these instructions, here are some common mistakes:
Your guide hand is altering the balls path
You are not shooting the ball with a dominating index finger(meaning the most force comes from the index finger)
Your turn gives you discomfort.
You are jumping sideways on your shot.
If you are still having issues after addressing this, email me anthony@snbdaily.com
After practicing keeping your shot straight, Shoot to make
Once your shot is straight about 80-90% of the time using the form detailed above, start working on these things that make your shot go the appropriate distance.
The first thing is that full extension is key. Your arm should have no bend in it upon the release of the ball or else the shot will likely fall short. Also, when you shoot, have some sway in your shot. No sway is not jumping forward, rather it is the natural swinging of the legs because of the full extension. This in no way makes your shot easier to block, and, if anything, it makes your shot harder to block because it increases your rhythm and the speed of the shot. After extensive practice with this jumpshot, you should be straight cash in practice. However, shooting is meant for game situations.
How to make your shot better in game
In 5 vs 5 basketball, shooters now more than ever must have a quick shot release to avoid getting rejected by taller defenders. The way to do this is to increase your rhythm before the shot. So what you want to do is hop into your shot as it is more powerful than the 1-2 and is a lot quicker. You should leave the ground as the pass is coming to you and land while you catch it. From the hop, you should naturally bend your legs and get into your shot. You can do this off-dribble as well with practice. This should give you extra space to get your shot off. Also, as soon as you catch the ball, let it naturally drop down to your dominant thigh and explode your shooting arm back up to get maximum speed in your shot. This action is called the dip. When done right, the dip gives a significant boost in rhythm and does not penalize the speed of your jump shot. The incorrect way to dip the ball is to push the ball down. When you catch the basketball, let it naturally fall to your thigh and get into your shot.
Ultimately, this jump shot will allow you to shoot from long ranges with no consequences. Not only is the shot super quick and efficient, but it always goes in when done correctly. The results of this shot are impeccable and even turned my personal game from a bench-warmer to a starter that comes off screens and shoots over taller defenders. This shot is really a must-have for ALL competitive basketball players.
Again, if you have any issues with this jumpshot, either contact me at anthony@snbdaily.com or go to focusedshooter.com for more details.
