The Perfect Jump Shot
Develop proper form and technique for a great shot
There is nothing quite as beautiful as seeing a basketball player elevate over his defender and roll off a sweet jump shot that rips through the net. SiP.com is here to instruct you on the three most important aspects of your jump shot so you can achieve the beauty described above. There are three aspects of your shot that require practice and precession in order to achieve a great shot. You must master your approach, your jump, and your wrist action.
Your approach is the most important aspect of your shot. It needs to be consistent in order to be a successful shooter. Your approach consistent of two motions; how you receive the pass from your teammate and your footwork leading up to your shot. You should make every attempt to receive and hold the ball in the area when preparing to shoot. Your footwork is simple and only involves one foot. You should choose your plant foot, usually the foot farthest away from the basket. With your free foot; you should use this to develop separation between you and the defender.
For example, if the defender is crowding your space, use your free foot as a threat of you driving the lane. This should cause the defender to ease up a bit, and will give you just enough space to complete your jump shot.
If you are in this situation described above, you need to have one certain aspect of your shot develop in order to perform your jump shot. This brings us to the second part of your shot that you must master, your jump. After all, it is a jump shot we are talking about. There are two types of jumps players use to launch their shot. One is correct, and the other is what I would call, not preferred. You can jump straight
up in the air or you can jump forward in the air. Jumping forward limits your ability to get a shot off if your defender is guarding you close. More than likely the defender will be able to defend your shot better if you are jumping at him rather than above him. This is why you need to practice your jump shot while jumping straight up in the air.
A good way to judge whether you are jumping up or forward is to practice your shot while standing at the three point line. If you land in the same spot as where you jumped, then you are jumping straight up in the air. But, if you are landing on or beyond the line, then you need to work on your jump.
The final aspect of your jump shot is the shot itself. Your wrist action in your shot is the key to getting good rotation and trajectory on your shot. A good flick of the wrist requires you to have a strong wrist. Your shot should be shot with only your shooting hand, and the ball should roll off your index, middle, and ring fingers when you flick your wrist. This is the perfect shot. It will provide you with the distance and rotation needed to knock down long jumpers.
Perfecting these three aspects will allow you to add different shots into your bag of tricks. Mastering the craft of the three aspects described above will make you one of the best shooting threats in your league.