Bill Walton works with SportSkool to teach the basketball fundamentals of shooting. The fundamentals of the game are reviewed and emphasized in this segment on shooting. In basketball, the art of shooting is down to repetition. Hall of Famer, Bill Walton, tells us that it is the familiarity of the rhythm of shooting that makes a good player great. Bill Walton shows the proper shooting form mechanics for the set shot and jump shot, layups, and free throws.
Key Points:
Four laws of learning: Demonstration, Imitation, Correction, and Repetition.
Practice using consistent shooting form: The jump shot, free throw, and set shoot all need to use the same form to develop muscle memory and give the shoot the greatest chance of going through the hoop.
Shooting Form: Good form starts with a balanced stance. For a right-handed shooter, the right foot is about 18 inches in front of the left, shoulder width apart. The ball is held just in front and inside the shooting shoulder. Release the ball with a high stretch toward the basket, and then the wrist flick follow through. Your shooting form should be practiced in front of a full-length mirror without a basketball.
Layups: From the right side, jump off the left (inside) foot, extend with two hands toward the back board, drop off the left hand, and then lay the ball off the back board underhanded with the right hand. The jump is not vertical, from under the basket, but horizontally from just outside the lane. From the left side, the drill is the same. Jump off the right (inside) foot, extend with two hands, drop off the right hand, and then lay the ball off the back board underhanded with the left hand. The coordination of laying the ball up with the right hand and jumping from the left leg should be practiced in front of the mirror until it feels natural. Then reverse and extend the left hand, jumping off the right leg. Continue to practice in front of the mirror until it is automatic and your body remembers these moves.
Free Throws: They are free so make them and take them all. Develop a rhythm at the free throw line using the basic shooting form. Make sure you put your eyes on the target, not on the ball.
If you've enjoyed reading this post then please subscribe to my full text RSS feed.