The ability to shoot the basketball seems to be a lost art nowadays. With good shooters at a premium, it's important to learn and practice shooting the ball at an early age. An excellent grasp of fundamental techniques can serve as your building block to perfect form and consistent results.
Lower Body
Think of your legs and feet as the power and strength for your shot. Keep your knees slightly bent, flexed and in a comfortable position. Your feet should point to the goal around shoulder-width apart. You may be more comfortable with your feet closer together; you'll learn your preferences over time. Shooters vary in whether they place the shooting-hand foot slightly in front of the other foot or keep both feet even.
Head and Eyes
Keep your eyes on the target, picking a point to aim at; usually this will be just over the front of the rim. Keep your head still and focused on this point. Avoiding jerking your head or following the path of the ball, as this can throw off your shot.
Hands
Place your non-shooting hand on the side of the ball and to act as a guide. Remove your non-shooting hand thumb from the ball slightly to keep the non-shooting hand in a straight line and prevent pulling the ball with the off hand. Place your shooting hand directly under the ball.
A good way to learn positioning is to hold the ball in front of you, with your hand under it. Then turn it around to the flexed shooting position. There should be a little room between the ball and your palm. Cock your wrist back until you see wrinkles on your wrist.
Kobe Bryant likes to cock his wrist behind his head, while Steve Nash finds a shot pocket in front and to the side. While this is a personal preference, as a general rule the pocket can range vertically from the top of your head to higher above over head and horizontally from the middle of your head to even with your shooting arm and leg.
Follow Through
Follow through straight toward the basket. Your wrist should pop over at the end like you're reaching your hand into a cookie jar. Check that the ball comes off your hand with perfect backspin. For a free throw, rise up on your toes as you follow through.
Jump Shots
Use the same mechanics on a jump shot, with the difference that instead of rising up on your toes, you'll be jumping to shoot. At the highest point of your jump, release the ball. Releasing the ball on the way up or on the way down can negatively affect your shot. Advanced jump shooters who jump very high advocate shooting a flatter shot on a jump shot because you're so high off the ground and at a different angle. In this case, follow through more out and directly to the hoop, as opposed to up and out on a free throw.
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