Q&A for How to Shoot a Basketball

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How do I hold a basketball properly?

Ryan Tremblay
Basketball Coach
Ryan Tremblay is a Basketball Coach and the Owner of National Sports ID and STACK Basketball. With over 30 years of experience, Ryan specializes in basketball coaching, social media marketing, and website design. Ryan created the National Sports ID as a platform to verify the age/grade of youth athletes and STACK Basketball to inspire young athletes to grow into mature individuals and basketball players. Ryan was a First Team All-Decade basketball player in Bergen County and finished in the top 20 all-time leading scorers in the county’s history with 1,730 points. He went on to Caldwell University on a basketball scholarship where he was part of three championship teams. Ryan was a two-time All-Metropolitan, All-State, and All-Conference point guard and the all-time three-point leader in the school’s history, landing him in the Caldwell University Athletic Hall of Fame.

Ryan Tremblay

Basketball Coach

Expert Answer

You'll need to hold the ball so your fingers are perpendicular to the lines on the grip.

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Question

My shots go left and right a lot, but always have good distance. What can I do?

Community Answer

Have you elbow straight under the ball. And also shoot from your finger tips. Not your palm. If you do this, your shot will (hopefully) go in straight. Practice a lot.

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Question

How do I have perfect technique when shooting a three-pointer if I'm short?

Community Answer

Use your legs and hips to provide more power. This will give you the distance.

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Question

How do I put more power into my shot?

Community Answer

Start the shot from your chest and bring it up with lots of momentum, so that the shot will have more power behind it. You could also tryto start down lower to the ground and use your legs to produce more power.

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Question

My shots don't always reach the rim from the 3-point line, what can I do?

Community Answer

Use your arm and leg power, and make sure you're following through with your shooting. You can increase your power by doing squats and push-ups.

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Question

How do I shoot if I'm young?

Community Answer

Turn more in the air, dip more, and jump forward further. Make sure that your shoulders are leaning back and relaxed. This will allow you to have more power.

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Question

What position should my hands be in when shooting the ball?

Community Answer

You should have one hand on the side of the ball, and the other hand on the back of the ball.

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Question

How do I stop airballing my shots?

Community Answer

Start the shot from your chest and bring it up with lots of momentum so that the shot will have more power behind it. You could also try to start down lower to the ground and use your legs to push up and produce more power.

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Question

How can I throw the ball from three points?

Community Answer

Start the shot from your chest and bring it up with lots of momentum. This way, the shot will have more power behind it. You could also try to start the shot down closer to the ground and use your legs to produce more power.

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Question

How do I shoot using that technique while under pressure from other players?

Community Answer

Practice, so you can get used to the feeling of pressure.

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Question

Am I allowed to shoot with two hands in basketball?

Donagan

Top Answerer

Yes, but it's better to learn to shoot with one hand.

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Question

Is it important to put both hands on the ball when trying a shot?

Community Answer

The second hand is just there to balance the ball in your hands. You're shooting with your primary hand only.

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Question

If I follow these steps, will I always shoot correctly?

Community Answer

No, but you will probably be a lot more efficient and accurate than you were prior to reading this.

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Question

Is it good to "reach into the cookie jar"?

Donagan

Top Answerer

Some players like to do that as a follow-through, but it's not absolutely necessary.

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Question

How do I shoot the basketball straight to the basket? It always hits the board and not the rim.

Adrian Jeziorski

Community Answer

Make sure your arm is straight under the ball and your fingers are near your eyebrows. Use your left hand to balance and keep the ball straight when shooting. Aim for a high arc so you have a higher chance of making the basket. Shoot in one fluid motion.

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Question

After a lot of shot practicing, I started to feel some pain in my elbow when I shoot. What should I do?

Donagan

Top Answerer

The only cure for elbow pain (probably tendonitis) is to rest the elbow.

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Question

I always have my shots going more upward than straight/arched. How can I stop doing that?

Community Answer

Don't try to shoot high, your jumping action is enough to get the ball high. Just focus on getting the ball to the rim.

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Question

When I aim for the basket, I put my shooting hand directly in front of my face. Is that correct?

Community Answer

Some people are better with different things. Do whatever works and feels best for you.

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Question

It has become a habit to shoot with two hands. Any advice on how to break my habit?

Community Answer

To break a habit you just need to keep doing it the correct way until it becomes natural. Just keep practicing taking jumpshots using one hand as your guide hand. The more you practice, the easier it will become.

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Question

How can I make my shots go in a majority of the time?

Community Answer

Practice! If you have to achieve anything, practice and the will of not giving up and staying motivated are a few essentials. Just never give up and try to beat your previous scores.

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Question

How do I shoot a three point line shot?

Community Answer

When jumping, make sure your dominant foot is aligned with the basket. As for shooting, keep your arm straight and follow through after the ball leaves your hand. Most importantly, practice.

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Question

How do I shoot on double rims?

Adrian Jeziorski

Community Answer

You have to practice having a high arcing shot so most shots swish instead of hitting off the backboard or rim.

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Question

I am in high school, and I am a decent shooter. The problem is I am short and get slapped in the wrist a lot. What do I do?

Community Answer

First of all, in most cases that is a foul. Secondly, I recommend you get a faster jump shot or jump higher when you shoot.

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Question

Will playing basketball help me build muscle in my arms?

Community Answer

Yes, it will, but this wouldn't be the most effective exercise for building arm muscle.

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Question

How do I add less power to my shot?

Community Answer

The "power" of your shots starts at the legs, or when you jump, and then goes through a motion that stops when you follow through. So basically, to get less power in your shot you want to have little or no jump, and when you follow through, make sure you have finesse and aren't pushing the ball too much.

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Question

How can I shoot a ball when there are a lot of opponents around me?

Community Answer

When you are dribbling, step back away from the opponents and release the ball quickly. The step back helps create space.

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Question

Whenever I try to shoot the ball straight, it goes slightly to the right. Why does this happen?

Adrian Jeziorski

Community Answer

Your non-shooting hand could be balancing the ball incorrectly or your shooting hand isn't directly under the ball.

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Question

How do I improve my shooting from long range?

Community Answer

Practice shooting close to the basket until you have a good shot form. Then slowly move back. Make sure you use your legs, too! And work on increasing your arm strength.

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Question

Can I still learn how to shoot without a ball?

Community Answer

Sure. Work on your form (the way your arms and legs should be positioned when you shoot). There are YouTube tutorials you can watch to help with this. Just practice holding your body in the proper position, then when you do get the ball, you'll know what to do.

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Question

How can I score from the side portion of the 3 point line? I'm good at scoring 3 points using the backboard, but can never score from the side. Is there any technique I can score better?

Jacob CHEUNG

Community Answer

Try to aim for the three triangles facing down and shoot towards the middle one.

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