Shooting a basketball is one of the very first things every basketball player tries to do when they touch a basketball for the very first time. However, in order to shoot the basketball successfully, you need to possess good technique to not only shoot the ball well, but to also quickly release the ball so the defenders will not block your shot. In order to become a successful shooter, like Steve Nash, Ray Allen, or Steve Kerr, you need to find a good technique that suits you well while maintaining excellent consistency. Here, I provide you with a few key pointers on how to shoot a basketball well.
Use your legs: Yes the arms are the body parts that hold onto the basketball and release the ball. However, a lot of the strength of shooting the ball comes from your legs. Make sure when you are shooting the ball to bend your knees slightly in order to generate power.
Feet positioning: When shooting the ball, you fundamentally should have your feet in a correct position to shoot the ball. Ideally, you would have your feet spread shoulder-width apart while having the foot on the side of your shooting arm be about 1/4 of a shoe in front of your opposite foot. Make sure you square your feet towards the basket so your toes are pointed towards that direction.
Keep shooting elbow bent: When you are shooting the ball, you want to bend your elbow at a 90 degree angle before releasing the ball.
Lock your wrist: As you can see on the video, a great shooter can shoot the ball well with great consistency. From the time you catch the ball, try to keep your wrist locked and bent back immediately so you can release the ball at any moment.
Extend Arm up and Flick your Wrist: Once you release the ball to shoot, there are 2 key things you want to do. You want to extend your arm to a point where you lock your elbow in order to generate good consistency. You want to then flick your wrist when shooting the ball to generate a good spin on the ball. You almost want to pretend that you are trying to reach inside a cookie jar above your house cabinet to grab the cookie.
Hold your follow through: The most important aspect of shooting the ball is to hold your follow through. You need to do that in order correctly track the ball towards the basket. To hold your follow through, keep your arm extended up in the air until the ball either hits the rim or the floor.
