by Chun-Lam Samuel Lo

Created on: March 28, 2010

Who else wants to shoot like the great NBA basketball players? The secret to improving your basketball jump shots is in your technique and the amount of practise you have put in. If you don't agree that practise makes perfect then there is no point in reading on. The fact is that the more we practise the correct technique the more the shooting motion turns into an action we don't even have to think about. Our brains have something called muscle memory.

 
Muscle Memory is the one important thing that helps us shoot consitently. If we keep having to think about where we have to place our hands and where are feet are supposed to be place and where our body is supposed to be aligned to. There are lots of things that have to happen for us to shoot a basketball into the ring. A jump shot is where we jump into the air and then at the peak of the jump we shoot the ball. You could vary this a little a shoot a little later or shoot a little earlier, but the best shot that I recommend is for you to shoot at the peak of the jump. Naturally a higher jump will give your ball a better arc and a competitive advantage since the person blocking wouldn't be able to block your shot.
 
Exercises to improve your jumping are:
 
- Squats (3 sets of 10)
- Squat Jumps (3 sets of 10)
- Toe raisers (3 sets of 20)
- Pushups (3 sets of 15)
- Sit ups (5 minutes at 3 seconds a sit up)
- Jumping with a skipping rope (4 sets of 5 minutes)
 
If you perform these exercises 3 times a week with a break of a day in between, you will be jumping higher in no time. I have tried this exercise routine myself and it is highly recommended.
 
The technique when shooting a basketball is to use your preferred hand to support the ball at the back. Your fingers should be spread apart comfortably and your middle finger should be aligned in the center. Use your other hand to support the ball on the side. have your elbow and hand dead center in your body and your head should be facing the ring. Your body should be square with the ring and you should have your arms bent. Jump up and at the peak of your jump, push up at a diagonal towards the ring with your preferred hand and release the ball. Follow through with your fingers and aim for the three quarters of the way into the ring.
 
Keep practising 100 - 200 jump shots a day. Shoot from different spots around the key and make sure your action is spot on. Get someone to spot you and watch your action, and let him or her tell you about your action. The more you practise the better you are going to get. Once you have 50000 shots of practise you will probably have a high percentage shot and jump shot even the best of NBA players will envy.
 
Practise with a friend and get him or her to try and block your shot. You need to be able to get your shot off from any where and make shots when it counts. Remember that technique and practise is the key to success.

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