Shooting is the most fundamental aspect of basketball. Shooting technique requires proper form honed over years of practice. Learning and mastering these small details of the form can greatly improve your shooting performance, whether you are practicing alone in a driveway or taking shots that count.
Square Up
A key technique to improving your shot is squaring up. Shots taken while fading away or to the side or with your feet pointed sideways may have style points, but they also come with a greatly reduced chance of success. Even professional basketball players do their best scoring when they set their feet. Position yourself to shoot by planting your feet directly underneath you, which will allow you to project yourself up for the jump shot. Your feet should be parallel to one another and pointed directly at the basket, with the foot on the side of your shooting arm an inch or two ahead of the other.
Lift From the Legs
If you are struggling with the power on your shot, it's probably not because of weak arms -- much of the force that goes in to your shot should be generated from the knees. Start a shooting motion with bent knees and extend the legs to project yourself upward. This increases the velocity of your shot. It also sends the ball farther up into the air, increasing the arc and the angle of approach as the ball heads toward the basket. This angle improve the ball's odds of going in.
Release at the Peak
Double-clutch shots should be left for scoring legends such as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Unless you're a top basketball player, strive to release the basketball near the peak of your shot, about one or two inches below the pinnacle of your jump. This will allow the ball to travel with the momentum created by your jump, and it will make the shot tougher for defenders to block cleanly.
Focus on the Hoop
As with other sports, where you place your eyes can greatly influence the success of your shot. Once you commit to a shot, it doesn't serve you at all to look around at approaching defenders or other distractions. Your eyes should be fixed on the back of the rim from the start of your shot until the ball has left your hands. Doing so will help increase the percentage of your shots made.
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