CFC Summer League Basketball 2002

The Art of Shooting

By Al Navata
The jump shot. The most revered and sought after skill in the game of basketball. No other shot is more attempted or missed. Everyone wants to do it but only a select few are successful. There aren't many people like the Dennis Rodmans or Al Kims who would rather do all the dirty work and have the jump shot as the last resort. It is certain that at least one time in your life someone has given you advice on how to be a consistent shooter yet you never got the results. A perfect example is when a certain left-handed shooter who had been struggling for most of his career came to me for some advice. I tired to teach him the way I shoot but it wasn't quite working for him. He realized that he was not comfortable, and the more he worked on his own style the more successful he became. You need to understand that what may work for one person may not work for another. We are all built differently and the mechanics involved will be different for each individual. This doesn't mean that you should just shoot however you want, since there are basic fundamental rules that needs to be the foundation of your shooting stroke.

The main ingredients to become a consistent shooter are your mechanics, your mental and physical preparation, confidence, and practice. I know that you have heard all of these before but where do you start? Well, let's go back to the basics. You've always seen guys shoot and notice that they have a nice shooting form. This shooting form is a combination of several fine tuned techniques that had been practiced over and over again. What are these secrets? Lets break them down:

Focus - What do you look at when you shoot? Some say you should look at the front of the rim others say look at the back of the rim. I think it doesn't really matter. Try both and see what works best for you. But make sure you always look at your target. Many shooters seem to look at the ball when they shoot or if you're playing at WIMPE, some tend to take a peek at the pretty girl who is walking on her way to workout. Keep your mind on the game.

Position - You've heard of being squared to the basket. This allows you to be balanced and aligned correctly. For right handed shooters, your right foot should be slightly ahead of your left at approximately shoulder width apart. But do what is most comfortable for you but be consistent. The more comfortable you are with your positioning the more you will develop a more consistent shot.

Grip - To achieve a nice controlled follow through, you need to develop proper finger tip control with the ball. Hold the ball gingerly in the fingers and upper part of the hands, never in the palms. There should be some air between the hand and the ball. This will allow you to have a soft and gentle release.

Release and Follow-through - Your release should be smooth and fluid. The ball should roll off the upper part of the hand and then slide off the finger tips easily. This will prevent the ever popular BRICK from happening.

Arc - When you see a shot that looks like someone is throwing a chest pass to the rim, this means that the shot has very little or no arc at all. Visualize the arc as the train tracks for the ball. having a consistent arc to your shot will result in higher percentage shooting. Again this depends on your comfort level. Some may have a higher arcing shot that looks like a space shuttle launch, but if it works for you so be it.

Rotation - I don't know how some people shoot with a side rotation or even a front rotation in some rare cases. If you grip and follow-through properly, there should be a nice smooth back rotation on the shot. Not only does it look pretty but it will actually give a ball a better chance of going in when it hits the rim. Some of those lucky bounces really aren't that lucky.

Confidence - Lets go back to that lefty. We'll call him Kenny just to remain anonymous. As I mentioned before, he struggled with his shot for most of his career. Not many people know this, but he practiced countless hours to perfect his own unique stroke. Now Kenny is one of the most feared 15ft jump-shooters in the Champaign-Urbana area. It's not the textbook form that I would teach my kids but it was what was most comfortable for him. Building his confidence with hours of practice, he then translated his success in the pick-up game level. Confidence will take you a long way. Proper practice brings success and with success comes confidence.

These pointers are only the first steps. It's up to you to take it to the next level. Reading this article a hundred times will not make shots for you. You need to practice, practice, practice, and pray. Just looking at the past year, several people have made great strides in their shooting progress and has improved their draft value. Kenny "Bradford" Kim., James "Goldeneye" Kim, and Jin "Leno" Kim are just a few notable names that has disproved the theory that you can't teach an old dog new tricks. It can happen to you to. Just keep a few things in mind, work on the basic mechanics and mold it into your own shot, be confident, and most important of all you have to want to do it. The desire to improve is what will make you work hard and practice, only then will you find your own shot.

See you at the gym.

Al Navata, probably one the most coveted players in the draft, shares his knowledge of the game. Last week, he single-handedly carried his team to an impressive 2-0 start.