3 Simple Tips to Improve Your Basketball Shot

It’s always rough when you head out onto the court for a basketball game, and you miss that all-important shot to win it. As they say, “Practice makes perfect.”

If you want to start connecting shots on the court like a professional NBA star, you’ll need to go over the basics for a while. We’ve scoured through all the information to find the best, easy tips to help you sink your shots every time.

Continue reading as we dive into these simple tips to improve your basketball shot.

Get a Solid Warm-up In Before Taking Your Shots

Ask any professional athlete if they start any game without warming up first. The answer will be a resounding no from every one of them. Just like a well-oiled machine, the human body needs to warm up before jumping into rigorous activity.

To start your warm-up, begin stretching various muscle groups for 20 to 30 seconds each. After your muscles feel loosened up, you’ll need to get your heart pumping. Increase your heart rate by engaging in cardiovascular exercise for a few minutes before the game starts.

Your basketball shot isn’t the only thing that warming up will benefit. Your entire game will improve by consistently warming up before games. These warm-ups will allow your body to limber up so you can avoid potential injuries, such as strains, pulled muscles, or hyper-extensions. Not to mention, a solid warm-up will make you feel better from the start so you can focus more on the game and your shots.

Practice the Basics of a Basketball Shot

A lot truly goes into a successful basketball shot, but the best place to start is with the basics. It takes time to get the hang of a successful shot, so don’t stress if it’s not perfect at first. The key to succeeding here is to apply these basics to your shots every time until it becomes second nature. Below are the basics of making a successful basketball shot:

• Ensure that your grip is spread across the ball properly, which means that your fingers are wide enough to balance the ball in one hand.
• Elbow placement is essential. Your elbow should be directly under the ball, and your hand needs to line up with the rim for a steady shot.
• Force is key to a good shot. You should release the basketball before you’ve reached the top of your jump.
• When shooting the ball correctly, you should land in the same position that you started from.
• Keep your wrist relaxed and remember to position your fingers correctly. Your fingers need to line up with the top of the backboard fora solid shot and follow through.

Learn and Practice B.L.E.S.H.

The famous Coach Frank Allocco Sr. developed the well-known shooting technique referred to as B.L.E.S.H. Each letter of the acronym serves as a talking point and reminder of the crucial mechanics of your shot. If you can master the B.L.E.S.H. shooting technique, you’ll be one step closer to becoming an excellent shooter. Below, you can see the meaning behind each letter.

B- Bend

Bend your knees to generate power to get your ball to the basket.

L- Lift

Lift your legs and arms simultaneously while keeping your wrist and elbow at a 90° angle until your extension.

E- Extend

Extend your shooting arm up and slightly forward as you leave the ground.

S- Snap

Snap your wrist and shoot the ball when you’re fully extended. This snap will create backspin and assist the ball in landing in the net after hitting the backboard.

H- Hold

Hold your position after the shot. It should show your index and middle finger in line with the basket if you’ve performed the B.L.E.S.H. technique correctly.

Wrapping Up

These simple tips, when practiced regularly, should help you improve your form. At the least, these tips should help you identify areas that need improvement in your shot. Regularly repeating these steps will help you perfect them and work ever closer to your goal of becoming an incredible shooter. We hope this helps and wish you the best of luck in your basketball endeavors!