How to Shoot a Basketball Perfectly

Ah, how I am reminded of Earvin Magic Johnson while writing this! A legendary basketball player, his shots and method of play is unbeatable. He had his own style and way of playing and shooting the ball in the basket. Shooting the ball in the correct manner, mind you, might appear as easy as it could get, but dudes, it is hardly the case. You need the hand-eye coordination as well as to time the jump perfectly. Doing this requires a lot of practice. Hang on!

How to Shoot a Basketball Properly

Ball Grip
Hold the basketball with your strong hand at the bottom and a bit on the side. Then simultaneously your weak hand will be at the side of the basketball. The strong arm should ideally be at a right angle or almost there while holding the ball. The key is to hold the ball using more of fingers than your palm. Between the basketball and our palm, there should be a little gap.

Footwork
Point the feet in the direction of the hoop. This applies to both - before and after the jump, in the mid air. Once you are set, leap in the air straight up, holding the basketball. Your jump could be as high as you can jump or a shorter one. Experiment with which one suits you and leap accordingly. Check out by practice too, what is the best technique for you.

Arms Again
Once you are mid air, pull the stronger of your arms back in a 45% degree angle approximately. Follow that by extending the shooting arm in the direction of the hoop and leave the ball the moment your arm is fully extended.

Final Touch
While the ball is leaving your hand with which you shoot, flip the wrist all the way down. This will lead to your fingers pointing in the direction of the ground, when the ball is leaving your hand. This is known as follow through. This is a very very important aspect when it comes to how to shoot a basketball correctly and how to shoot a basketball like a pro.

Free Throw Shots
After we have checked out the basics of shooting the ball, let's check out how is a free throw shot taken. So ready? Here we shoot!

• Stand and have a good balance at the free throw line with feet shoulder width apart.
• Point your feet and square your upper body in the direction of the basket. Your feet should be a bit behind the line. If it is comfortable, move one of your feet back an inch or so.
• When you hold the ball, the hand with which you are not going to shoot should be used for support and cradling the ball lightly.
• Make sure you place the three middle fingers of the shooting hand on the seams of the ball.
• The thumb and palm will be the additional support.
• Let your forearm be straight and keep the arm holding and releasing the ball in the direction of the basket.
• The target should be considered just above the rim and avoid shooting the ball short. If you are interested in getting to know how to shoot a basketball perfectly, this is a must remember.
• A cardinal rule when knowing how to shoot a basketball accurately is to bend your knees, this helps the player to propel himself high in the air.
• Now shoot in one smooth motion, while straightening your knees to strengthen your arm and the shot you are aiming for. Don't forget to release the ball using your fingertips.
• Finally, to end the shot by a follow through, which includes bending your shooting hand ahead, as if in an attempt to reach the rim.
• If you want to know how to shoot a basketball left-handed, whatever was given for the right hand grip, should be mirrored.

See? This is how you can shoot a basketball accurately, that is how to shoot a basketball like a pro.

This is where we come to the end of the session on how to shoot a basketball. Hope it was useful! No matter what you do, practicing shooting the ball is the most vital thing to be remembered. All the best!