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What Are Jump Shot Shooting Styles?

Apr 29, 2012 | By Jeff Gordon
What Are Jump Shot Shooting Styles?
Photo Credit Ronald Martinez/Getty Images Sport/Getty Images

Good jump shooting fundamentals are universal. Players generate power with their legs, and release the ball with their fingertips and finger pads of their shooting hand, using their other hand as a guide. The elbow angle and release vary somewhat even among pure shooters, but there are different jump shot shooting styles based on court position and game situation. Some players even defy convention with fundamentally unsound shots.

Catch-and-Shoot Jump Shot

Against a zone defense, a player might catch the ball in shooting position and launch a jump shot without taking a dribble. Against a man-to-man defense, a player might come around a pick, catch the ball in shooting position and launch the shot without taking a dribble. A quick release is more important than high elevation. "This is what what we do all the time, coming off screens," NBA star Ray Allen said in a TNT television segment. "You have to get the shot off quick."

Jump Shot off the Dribble

Players can use their dribble to create shooting space and get into rhythm for their jump shot. They can use one dribble or several. The key to accuracy, veteran shooting coach Hal Wissel wrote in an article for the Basketball Clipboard website, is to "jump behind the ball, pick up the ball in front of your shooting knee with your shooting hand on top." The shooter should jump straight up and land in balance.

Pull-Up Jump Shot

This is a version of the jump shot off the dribble. A player beats one defender, drives toward the basket, encounters another defender and rises up for a mid-range jumper. This shot is difficult to master because the shooter is "pulling up" after generating momentum toward the basket. Elevation can be more important than a quick release. "Going up, you want to have a firm base," Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant advised shooters in an instructional video for "Time" magazine. "You want to be on balance once you are going up."

Fade-Away Jump Shot

This is a difficult shot to master. With his back to the basket, the shooter pivots left or right, squares his shoulders to the basket, elevates away from the basket to create space from the defender and shoots the ball. "It takes a lot of energy from your legs," former NBA star Michael Jordan observed in an MVP.com instructional video. "It takes a lot of loading up from your legs to get the height and momentum going away from the target."

Floating Jump Shot

This is another difficult shot to master, since the player is drifting left, right or toward the basketball while shooting the ball. As Bryant noted, it is preferable to elevate straight up, on balance and from a good base before shooting the ball.

Two-Handed Jump Shot

Coaches cringe when they see a player using both hands to shoot the jumper. Getting a consistent release and classic top-over-bottom spin is difficult with that release. But if players shoot it enough, they can hit shots consistently. Chicago Bulls standout Joakim Noah is one example. "Unusual and a little different," is how Noah described his shot for ESPN.com. "But you have to have an open mind sometimes."

References

Article reviewed by Shawn Candela Last updated on: Apr 29, 2012

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