SHOOTING

Improve Free Throw Shooting

Pro, college, and high school players routinely shoot free throws poorly, even in game-deciding situations. Rarely do we see players improve. Spending more practice time on foul shooting does not seem to help; in many cases players shoot even worse. Here are effective techniques that would even help Wilt or the Shaq and will definitely help the players on your team.

To improve their foul shooting your players need to work on four groups of skills, not necessarily in this order .

1. Foul Shot Technique

2. Foul Shot Practice

3. General Shot Technique

4. General Shot Practice

Foul Shot Technique

A player on the foul line needs a sensible routine to follow for two reasons. One, this routine focuses the player on the shot rather than the score or the crowd noise. Two, a tired player may relax and skip essential mechanical movements that are critical to good shooting. Here is a four-step routine.

Step 1 involves shaking or loosening the wrists. Players should wave the hands back and forth several times like a wet noodle. This only takes a few seconds.

Step 2 involves getting fingertips on the ball. Dribbling or bouncing the ball several times satisfies this second requirement.

Step 3 involves bending the knees several times. Tired or stiff players who fail to bend their knees probably miss the shot.

Step 4 is to take several deep breaths then stop. Players should not breath when they take the shot. A few breaths before the shot can help relax a tense player.

Easy to remember cues for these four steps are: wrists, touch, knees, breathe. Needless to say, players must use these cues in practice.

Another problem players demonstrate on the foul line, especially in game-deciding situations, is inappropriate shot speed. Players need to shoot at their normal speed, not slow down the shooting motion for extra care. I've seen many teams at both the high school, college, and pro level lose games because the coach told the players to slow down, to be extra careful. What you need to say is, prepare for the shot carefully, but shoot at your normal speed.

Foul Shot Practice

In a game, a player usually shoots two shots at a time under pressure after sprinting up and down the court. Sensible practice involves shooting under the same conditions. Instruct your players to shoot two shots and then sprint down the court several times while dribbling the ball. Repeat this shooting and sprinting as many times as needed to duplicate game conditions.

How to Shoot a Basketball

Swish! Don't you just love to hear that? Here is how you can hear that even more with this technique.

StepsGet your hand in the right position.

If you are right-handed, position your right hand on the extreme hemisphere facing you, and place your left hand on the left of the ball.

If you are left-handed, place your left hand on the extreme hemisphere visible to you, and your right on the right side of the ball.

Position your feet side by side about shoulder width apart. If you are right handed your right foot should be slightly infront of your left with your left foot at a slight angle (vice versa for lefties). Square up to the basket, make sure you are facing the basket and (if you are a righty)your right foot pointing to the middle of the rim (opposite for left handers.)

Focus on either the front of the rim or the back of the rim. You can do this by looking at the prongs on the rim find the one that is in the middle depending on your position on the court. This will help you more naturally put the ball in the hoop.

Bend your knees no more than 45 degrees and prepare to tippy-toe.

Release your knees and tippie-toe at the same time to form a double-'spring' movement. If your defense jumped into the air with you they may deflect the ball. Wait for them to go down just enough so that you can hit the backboard or backrim and push the ball up into the air. Make sure this pushing motion is inline with the basket and the eye. Your hand will make a slow flicking motion, not really adding power, but keeping the motion of the ball in line with the basket, this wrist motion should also add a little back spin to the ball. That hand should end up looking like a goose neck or duck bill. Your off hand should not be involved in the actual shot (just guiding the ball) and should end where it started.

Follow through with your shooting hand as you shoot. The last part of your hand to touch the basketball should be your index and middle finger, making it curve. Make a motion as if your hand were entering a cookie-jar. Keep your elbows in. When you are done making the shot your shooting arm should be straight up in the air with your wrist relaxed and hanging down a little.Remember to hold your follow through until the ball reaches the rim or wait a second hold your position then go in for the rebound.

TipsRemember B.E.E.F - B=balance, E=eyes, E=elbows, and F=follow-through.The Basket ball should be held tightly

Aim for the hole of the rim.

Try not to let your shoulders go to forward.

It is easier to make the shot if you slow down or brake completely.

Be ready to rebound and tip the ball if you hit the backboard too hard, or catch the rebound and pass it to the next open teammate.

Always remember to "square up" to the hoop before shooting. It helps your accuracy and probability of making the shot.

Point yourself at a 45 degree angle to the basket to help with your spatial perception of the hoop and backboard.

Keep your elbow in not way out where it naturally goes.

Spread your fingers so you grip the ball and stabilize it in your hand.

Once you found a rhythm, shoot the ball the same way to stay in your "zone".

BUt the best way to learn how to shoot properly is to go to a shooting camp or ask your coach.

WarningsDo not cross your feet; you may trip.

If you miss, do not get upset or all your other shots will be even worse - remember to CALM DOWN.

Just keep trying to shoot the ball with full balance

keep focused