3 Basketball Shooting Myths Debunked
What’s worse than shooting poorly? Shooting poorly and then believing you are the problem—that your form isn’t right, that you aren’t talented enough, or that there are other things holding you back from success. But many of the things we believe about the shooting aren’t true at all. Here are three basketball shooting myths debunked to help you improve your game and even increase your confidence in your abilities on the court!
Myth #1: Two hands are better than one
This old chestnut has been around for quite some time, but it’s a little more complicated than that. A lot of people shoot with one hand, but it takes both to properly execute a free throw or shot from distance. Additionally, two hands might not be better if you have poor technique; two hands can actually cause you to lean away from your shot and give you an awkward follow-through which could mess up your form in more ways than one. If anything, shooting with one hand is advantageous because it lets you practice every part of your form and gives you an idea of what happens when your second hand isn’t there to help stabilize it.
Myth #2: Bounce before you shoot
One common approach to shooting is to bounce the ball a few times before taking a shot. This helps players visualize the trajectory of the shot and focus on their breathing, while also getting them in tune with their rhythm. While effective, it’s not really necessary and can cost players valuable time in games. Plus, bouncing balls isn’t easy for everyone. If you have trouble controlling your bounces during warm-ups, you might end up making even more mistakes in actual games. Try skipping the bounce and focusing instead on perfecting your jump shot or simply moving directly into your jump shot without hesitation.
Myth #3: Keep your wrist straight
This is another shooting technique myth. Some coaches tell players to keep their wrist straight and firm in order to fire a jumper from various spots on the court, but it’s actually better to leave your wrist relaxed and in a shooting position ready to fire. A study conducted by researchers at Penn State University measured shots taken with basketballs and 3-D motion tracking systems and found that keeping your wrist rigid caused a significant decrease in shot accuracy compared to more loose wrists. Keeping your wrist loose may also be beneficial for maintaining consistency, as any movement of your arm or hand could cause inconsistency when firing shots. Think about trying not to move at all; it’s difficult! The same goes for relaxing and staying comfortable so you can make consistent shots.
Additional tips
It doesn’t take a lot of vertical leaps to be an effective shooter. If you’re not jumping super high, it’s probably because your legs are fatigued and overworked. With constant practice and a few tweaks to your form, you’ll be able to shoot as you’ve never done before. You need an unbalanced or uneven stance when shooting a basketball if you want to score consistently. Most shooters will lead with their dominant hand (usually their right) while keeping their non-dominant foot slightly ahead of it (or behind). This will naturally create an unbalanced stance which lets players have better control over their shots.
Get a coach
Getting an online basketball trainer is the fastest way to succeed. And it’s not just true for basketball; research shows getting a coach increases your chances of success in any goal, be it weight loss or learning guitar. An online basketball trainer can look at your form, analyze your techniques and provide you with tips and exercises to help you improve on the court. If you’re serious about improving, then getting a pro that specializes in shooting is a smart investment. The best thing about an online basketball trainer is the lack of traveling! You don’t have to get off the couch or leave your house–no more expensive plane tickets!
If you want to level up your shooting accuracy, we got you. We created the 6ixShooter Academy. A one-stop basketball training program to help elevate your game and become an unstoppable shooter with coach Seth McCoy a.k.a 6ixShooter. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE
If you want to level up your shooting accuracy, we got you. We created the 6ixShooter Academy. A one-stop basketball training program to help elevate your game and become an unstoppable shooter with coach Seth McCoy a.k.a 6ixShooter. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE
