Last Updated on November 4, 2022 by admin
Perfect shooting is crucial for any basketball player. That is because, it reaches a point in a basketball game where the only option you are left with is making the three-point shot or a jump shot if you are within the D. Whether your goal is to play basketball on a team in college or at a professional level, you should focus on becoming a better shooter. This will increase your chances of getting in the game.
Learning how to shoot a basketball does not come naturally to everyone. Mastering the skill takes hours of practice and advice from coaches. For you to be a good shooter, you need to have that killer instinct and get focused in a split of a second for your basket. As easy as it may look when watching on television, making shots in basketball is not a joke, especially if you have to make several attempts at the rim.
With the rise of shooters like James Harden and Steph Curry, and how they take advantage of the three-point shot, learning how to be a better shooter at a high level has never been more important. The problem with most people is they don’t practice how they play and don’t train how they should.
5 Tips to Improve Your Shooting
This article all about the tricks and tips that will improve your shooting. To be a better shooter, this is what you can do;
Work out
Working out will help you improve form and confidence. Note that as much as your hands will be doing the shooting, strength comes from the whole body, especially the core. You need to ensure that your hands are strong enough to support your release. There are different ways of working out your hands. Workouts like pull ups and using weights will help make your hands stronger. Keep in mind that the mission is to make your hands stronger and not puffed with muscles. If you keenly follow pro basketballers, they don’t go to the gym to pump up their muscles. All they need is the right body balance and tissues that are resistant to tear. This does not mean that you don’t work out the rest of the body.
Practice
Every athlete needs to practice because it is the only way to make perfect. Even if you go online and watch hundreds of videos about shooting, without trying it out, you will never make any shots in a real game situation. You need to simulate the real game situations when practicing. There are so many shooting practices that you can use to perfect the way you take your shots. Note that when shooting a three-pointer, you need to be in a good position where the whole body is inclined with the target, which is the rim. After that, you need to calculate your release so that you put in just enough effort to get the ball to the rim. All this comes with time more so after lots of practice. Some people have gotten so good in shooting that it has become too easy. Note that even the most established basketball players still practice how to shoot. That is because they understand that the more they practice, the lesser their chances of missing.
Use the Extreme Training Conditions
This should include a more massive ball that will need you to use more effort. If you can learn to shoot a big basketball with a bad grip, you can imagine if you get a lighter ball. It has been proven that when athletes practice in adverse conditions, they are likely to perform better in real game situations because the burden will be lesser than what they are used to. Alternatively, you can practice shooting on a rim that is higher than the required standard height. Some training methods involve holding small rods in between your fingers to control your release and make it straight. This can train you on how to keep your shots more accurate to the target. It is, however, not comfortable holding the rods in place while shooting repeatedly. If you master the skill, however, your shooting will get better.
Work on Your Release
This is what makes a good shot. If you have watched a lot of basketball games, then you have seen scenarios where a player makes a shot, and when the ball is still air-bone, they are already celebrating. That is because they can feel a good shot by the way the ball leaves the hand. For you to attain the perfect release, your hands have to be used to the ball. That means you will need to spend most of your free time playing with a basketball in your hand. It is also good to understand that shooting is an art. You need to make sure that your body attains the right rhythm so that when you jump to shoot, you don’t use excess energy. As for your jumping, it only needs to be enough to enable you to project the ball. If you jump with all your might, all your strength will go to jumping and not directing the ball to where it should go.
Get Your Eyes Checked
You may think that you are a lousy shooter, but in a real sense, your eyes are the problem. Today, there are so many eye conditions that can interfere with your targeting. By getting your eyes checked, you will be reducing all possible reasons that make your shooting terrible. There are many ground-breaking medical tech that will help you see clearly. A great example is enhancing gear that can be worn by players with eye problems. However, you will have to be examined by an expert to fit it with the right modifications. There are also special contact lenses for athletes with better adhesiveness, making them hard to misplace when playing.
Conclusion
Any basketball player can become a better shooter even if they are already doing great. That is because the more you shoot, the better you become. Note that the brain is conditioned only to perfect what it repeatedly does. The moment you stop, it forgets, and it will take some more time to jog your memory.