January 09, 2023   |   Tagged Coaching

Four Common Shooting Errors and How to Correct Them

Most Common Errors

1. Throwing the basketball rather than shooting it. Most young people learn to shoot incorrectly due to a lack of strength. The elbow is positioned away from the side of the body.
2. Shooting with a stiff wrist forces the shot to either be shot from behind the head or to be shot with no arch. Some great professional basketball players shoot the ball from behind the head. They get away with this incorrect shooting form because they have incredible strength and huge hands which allows them to shoot the ball primarily with their wrist, not their arms.
3. Shooting short means you do not give yourself a chance to succeed. A ball that is not above the rim has no chance of going in the basket.
4. Eyes following the ball during flight. Good concentration means keeping your eyes on the target until the ball goes through the net.

Correction

1. Concentrate on keeping the elbow under the basketball and above the big toe of the shooting foot. The best drill is shooting the ball at close range using only one hand. In order to shoot a basketball one-handed, the elbow must be in proper position.
2. Get wrinkles in the wrist. Shoot the ball in one smooth motion from the ready position to the follow through. Concentrate on shooting the ball UP first, then OUT.
3. Once again, shoot the ball UP, then OUT, (Think about shooting out of the top of a telephone booth.) Concentrate on getting more power out of your legs. If the shot is consistently short, make your target a spot on the back of the rim rather than the front of the rim.
4. Remember the target-within-a-target concept. Keep the chin still. Have a friend or coach watch you shoot to see if your eyes are on the target or following the basketball.

One final shooting tip!
Concentrate on shooting a soft ball. You do this with back spin and arch! Soft – Sweet – Swish.

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