How to Shoot a Jump Shot in Basketball Accurately

How to Shoot a Jump Shot like a Marksman

Basketball by ~ozgurcanakbas on deviantART

Increase your shooting accuracy and become a real threat on offense.

Here are some simple tips you can implement in shootarounds, in practice and during games to develop a deadly jumper.

Stop taking ‘hero’ shots.

Here shots are dumb. They seem harmless, but every time you shoot from half court 3 or an unnecessary fadeaway or with your eyes closed or you get too fancy with the layups and dunks, you’re hurting yourself and your team.

Practice with discipline by only shooting jumpers that you would take in real games. Less is more, especially when it comes to hero shots. Stop trying to emulate Michael Jordan and just focus on getting better.

You can only get better when you become comfortable and confident shooting the ball. You can only shoot with comfort when you accept and commit to your jump shooting form. You can only shoot with confidence when you routinely take hundreds and thousands of shots with consistency in your form. Same shot, every time. This is how Ray Allen and Stephen Curry shoot lights out. They always shoot with the same form.

It doesn’t matter what your form looks like. You don’t have to listen to any coach or guru telling you that your shot has to look a certain way. It’s all about the repetition. Over time, if you practice consistently enough with the same rigorous form, you can adjust and work yourself into shooting with high accuracy. The human brain is incredibly flexible.

You know what jump shooting really is? It’s a combination of mechanics and muscle memory. How you spot up, aim, shoot and follow-through determine the arc, the distance and the rotation of the basketball. Ultimately, the more effective your habits, the better your mind ‘learns’ and the more accurate your jump shot becomes.

Start inside out.

I don’t care whether you’re a newbie or pro, stop wasting all your shooting sessions launching long 2s and 3s. If you really want to perfect your shot, master the art of the short-range.

Go around the world, 3 feet from the basket.

Essentially, you’re shooting a normal shot instead of laying it up. Notice your arc. Notice your follow through. Notice your off-hand. Notice how your focus increases, aiming in the center of the rim. This is a more difficult shot than it looks. The more of these you take, the better your form will be from long distance.

The aim, the flick, the follow through become much more fluid. Instead of shooting 500+ mid-range shots and beyond all the time, mix it up and spend more time in the short-range.

You not only become a better long distance shooter, but you also develop a softer touch for shots you need to take from 5-10 feet during games.

Think of it this way, if you can’t master the short-range shot, you can’t master the mid-range or the long-ball. Spend time here! Most people dont. That’s the best part. This is an easy competitive advantage to capitalize on.

Change it up, occassionally.

Shoot with your left (right).

I know, this contradicts the point about not taking pointless, stupid shots. There’s good reasons though. First of all, you don’t want to rely 100% on your dominant hand. Second, practicing with your left (and only the left) hand for extended periods of time can improve shooting with your dominant hand. Try shooting 400 jumpers with your offhand and then 100 jumpers with your dominant hand.

Shoot in the dark.

If you can go past midnight to your local gym, go. Chances are the gym’s empty so you can turn off the lights and shoot in the semi-dark. Shoot 400 in the dark and 100 with the lights on. Notice the difference in your mechanics. Psychologically, your mind relaxes once it goes back to ‘normal conditions’. One of the many reasons to changing up your routine.

Shoot with hands in your face. 

Get a friend to stand 2 feet in front of you with both their arms straight up as you shoot. Alternatively, get the SKLZ Defensive Mannequin or the Profender. I first saw this on Shark Tank, at which time they were selling for $300 and $500 models. That was an expensive selling price so no Shark invested, but today they sell them in $99 and $199 models. More affordable for most serious basketball players.