Becoming a Great Basketball Shooter

Becoming a great shooter takes a lot of practice! If you want to dedicate yourself to becoming a great basketball shooter, it is not going to happen overnight or remain consistent without putting in the time. Here are some tips to help you become a great shooter!
Shooting Form: In order to become a good shooter, you must first develop a good shooting form. The younger you shoot the correct way, the easier it is going to be for you when you get into high school. Good shooting form requires- BEEF
Balance: Your body should be balanced; feet shoulder width apart, and square to the basket. Your dominant foot should be slightly leading your non shooting foot and pointing to the basket. Get low, bend your knees and get in triple threat position.
Elbows: Place your shooting hand in the middle of the basketball. Line your fingertips up on the seams of the ball. This helps you get the best feel for the ball and also allows good rotation on the ball. When putting the ball in your hand, do not let it touch the palms of your hands! The ball should be up on top of your fingertips and you should be able to see a small space in between your hand and the ball! Form your elbow to make an “L” shape. Keep your elbow straight and in a “L”, do not move it to the left or right.
Eyes: Keep your eyes on the target! Don’t let your eyes wander or follow the flight of the ball. Keep them focused at the center of the basket.
Follow Through: The last part of your shot, your shot is not over after it leaves your hands! Bend and extend- bend your knees and extend your elbow to your eyebrow. Your fingertips should be facing the ground, almost like you are trying to touch your fingers to your wrist. Hold our follow through and your guide hand as if both hands are frozen over your head until the ball goes through the net. Whipping your hands down quickly or moving them to the side will negatively affect the release of your shot.
Shooting Preparation: Before you take a shot and before you even have a ball in your hands, you must first be low, athletic and ready to shoot! Too many basketball players catch the ball in a game standing straight up. This gives the defense plenty of time to recover and get a hand in your face or block your shot. The best shooters are already low when they catch the ball and can catch and shoot quickly and accurately.
Foot Work: Another important aspect of developing a good shot is getting your footwork down!  When the ball is coming to you, you want to be stepping into the ball, moving your feet and squaring your body to the basket. As you are shooting the ball, you should be jumping up and getting your feet off the ground. Don’t fade or drift away from the basket. Fading after you shoot means you are off balance and not square to the basket.
Consistency: In order to become a great shooter, you have to consistently practice your shot. While shooting around, it is crucial that you practice game speed and take game-like shots! A lot of basketball players shoot around at half speed or shoot differently than they would during a game. This is not effective and only going to slow you down in a game! The more you practice your shot at game speed, the more muscle memory you will build to become a good shooter in games. You want your body to already be trained to shoot and not think about it when a pass comes to you in a game. Practicing shooting consistently and at game-speed will build your confidence.
Be Confident: In a game, it is important to stay positive and confident in yourself. Do not judge yourself by makes and misses; judge yourself on whether or not the shot you took was a good one. Everyone has off days and it may seem like you can’t make a shot; if they are good shots, keep shooting! Don’t think too much. Once you start thinking, your shot is immediately affected. Stay confident, which all starts with practice and preparation.
Keep Practicing: The more basketball you play, the better your shot is going to be! Practice, practice, practice. Even once you think you have your shot down, it can be better! Also, your shot isn’t going to remain the same unless you keep working on it! The best shooters take a couple hundred shots every day during the season. During the off-season you should getting even more shots up!