When it comes to shooting a basketball, there are certain foundations every great player has. If you’re looking to improve your game and learn how to shoot a basketball, look no further. We enlisted the help of professional basketball trainer Ashley Corral to teach you how to shoot a basketball correctly by breaking it down into three easy-to-remember steps.
“When it comes to shooting, fundamentals are everything. I think fundamentals are what lead great shooters to be great shooters.”
Basketball is a game built on fundamentals. Whether you’re a pro or just starting out, everyone needs to practice how to shoot a basketball correctly to keep your game on point. If you want to build skill and confidence in your shot, try thinking about it with the following three pillars: base, hold, and release. We’ll take you through what each of those are and how to execute them.
Form for Shooting a Basketball: The Base
Before you get started on how to shoot a basketball, you have to start with a good foundation. Your base is going to be the beginning of every shot you take in basketball. Your power comes from your legs, so in order to shoot a basketball correctly, your base needs to be your first focus. Let’s get into it:
Focusing on Feet Placement
Start by having your feet shoulder-width apart, your weight under your hips, and your feet slightly staggered (it can also help to have your dominant foot in front of the other). This allows for dynamic movement in any direction before you shoot.
Load Your Legs
Next, get a slight bend in your knees. Do what is comfortable, because it’s through this motion that your power is going to come. If you find yourself pushing the ball to the basket, you’re probably using too much upper body.
Stay Balanced
Not only is your power going to come from your lower body, but so is your balance. Make sure your base is solid, meaning you should be balanced and always in control of your movement, (a defender should never be able to push you off balance with a good base) especially if you have to change directions on the court.
Remember, every shot, whether it be a free throw or game-winning buzzer beater, must start from somewhere. Focus on your base and get comfortable with it before you move on to other aspects of your shot.
Shooting form essentials: The Hold
As your power comes through your base and you extend your legs, you need to have the ball in your hands ready to shoot. Once you feel comfortable, then you can move on to the second pillar: the hold. When focusing on holding the ball, keep these things in mind:
Be At the Ready
Your hold is important to have down, because you want it to be automatic in a game setting. As soon as the ball arrives in your hands, you should be ready to shoot—making you a threat on the court.
Pay Attention to Your Hand Placement
Details may differ from person to person. However, there are some hand placement fundamentals every shooter should have. No matter which hand you shoot with, your strong hand should be behind the basketball while your other hand (also called your guide hand) should be on the side of the ball.
Align Your Arm
Next, think about your arm and elbow alignment. The angle you keep your arm and elbow at is going to determine the angle of your shot, so make sure it is aligned with the ball—and ultimately the basket. Keep your elbow by your side as you go through your shot form. If your shot is going wide left or wide right of the basket, it could be because your elbow is flared in or out.
Focus on Your Fingertips
As the ball comes up on your hand, it should never be resting flat on your palm. Use your fingertips to hold and balance the ball. When shooting, you want the ball to create spin and rotation, and this starts with your fingertips. Roll the ball off your fingertips when you shoot. If you’re using too much of your palm, your shot might fall flat.
When people are learning how to shoot a basketball, the hold is often overlooked in favor of the third pillar—the release. But without a proper hold, the release has no foundation to stand on. Aligning and holding the ball properly until your release point (or apex) is what will determine how stable your shot is.
How to Shoot a Basketball Correctly: The Release
Once you have your hold down and pair it with your base, it’s time for the third and final pillar of how to shoot a basketball, the release. A good release isn’t possible without a good base and hold, so make sure you have both of those pillars down first. By extending your legs through your base and having a good hold on the ball, your release should feel natural. While practicing your shot, focus on these aspects to perfect your release:
Focus on Your Arc
When you shoot the basketball, the power generated from your base will travel through your body and drive the ball towards the basket. When released, the ball should flick off your fingers, creating an arc in the air. Think of the ball making a rainbow, and watch how it travels from your fingertips to the basket.
Make Sure to Follow-Through
The arc is going to start with your wrist flick. This is a subtle yet important motion that ties your hold and release together. Your wrist flick will create spin on the ball, propelling it through the air. Once the ball has left your hand, your fingers should naturally end in a downward angle, with your arm and elbow extended vertically. This motion is known as your follow-through. Gauging your follow-though and matching it with the ball’s angle can be a good troubleshooting technique if your shot is off target from the basket.
Always Make Eye Contact
One of the most important aspects of your release making eye contact before you shoot. If you're thinking about where to aim when shooting a basketball, you should be looking (or aiming) at a specific part of the basket. This way your brain can calculate the angle and power needed to reach that specific point. While some players have different preferences, most either look at the front of the rim, back of the rim, or one of the eyelets that hold the rim to the board.
Once you get your release down, your shot should feel like one seamless motion. Build on your base, hold, and release until they become second nature. That way, in fast-paced or tense game moments, your muscle memory can take over when you need to shoot the ball.
Taking Your Shot: Applying Your Skills in Game
Now that you have the three pillars on how to shoot a basketball, you can focus on how to apply your shot in-game. Basketball is a situational game, so there will be a lot of different ways your shot can look in a game situation. However, one thing to note is that no matter the distance or type of shot you take, it will be comprised of the three pillars we went over earlier. So, before you hit the court for practice or a game, stretch (or do some basketball-inspired yoga to stay loose) and keep those three pillars in mind when you’re warming up. With that being said, let’s go over how to apply what you learned to different types of shots:
- Free Throws: Taking free throws are one of the only times in a game you’ll get to take your time when shooting. Capitalize on this by really focusing on all three pillars. Due to the distance of the basket from the free throw line, it doesn’t take much true strength to get the ball to reach. Align your arms, find your base, focus on your follow-through, and take your time. With practice, your shot should fall into place.
- Mid-range: Once you get into jump shots, your hold becomes crucial—especially off your dribble. Focus on getting one last good dribble, then immediately securing your hold. Once you pull up and extend through your base, your hold should already be there to get a shot off.
- Three-Pointers: When you’re shooting a three, you’re further from the basket. That means you’ll need to really gather power from your base for your shot to reach. With your base, focus on bringing power through your feet and extending your legs. This will give you the reach you need to get the ball to the basket.
Play Your Game
Remember, even in game situations, your three pillars will always stay the same. Every shot you take will be built from your base, hold, and release. Like many other aspects of basketball—and really, anything in life— practice makes perfect. When asked about what creates confidence on the court, Ashley said: “I definitely think on-court confidence comes from your reps. The more you rep something, the more confident you’ll become in it.”
Throughout your basketball journey, you can always work on your game with shooting drills or developing on-court speed and strength. However you improve your skills, keep practicing and perfecting your shot. You got this.