How do I change my shooting form

[Ethan22]

I have one of the most ugliest if not "the" most ugliest shooting form out there, Shawn Marion looks like proper NBA form compared to my jumpshot. I'm a point guard, I model my game after Jason Kidd and Tony Parker. I use my ball handling and court vision to make the right plays for my team, and my quickness to get to the lane for layups and passes to the open player down the post. I love desense too, which is why I start and get more playing time. Defense makes things easier for me and my teammates. However, on the perimeter, If I'm not using the pick and roll or getting to the lane for layups I'm as big of a threat as Shaq or Ben Wallace. I'm a terrible perimeter shooter and three point shooter. My question is how should I go about changing this? Which player should I watch? Steve Nash is a favorite of mine, I've tried many things but it just doesn't work for me. My coaches have tried to change it, I'm usually working on my defense, ballhandling, and other aspects of the game instead of my jumpshot.

[G-train]

to amend shooting form, start with a flat footed free throw.

sit the ball on your fingers and balance with your off hand. hold in front of face, bend knees, and transfer energy from knees to finger tips and shooting towards the basket. Repeat about 500 times and a decent stroke will develop.

[Jasper]

I would start 6 feet away directly in front of the basket.
I suspect your shot is not over your head , but more of a front shoulder arm release from playing as a youth with not enough strength.
Need to lay in bed throw the ball up to the ceiling starting from over your head and picturing (not throwing down - but straight from your hand release)
Then move this to the court - 6 feet away ball over your head - hand controling the ball (not the elbow arms)

Slowly feel it - and work to both sides of the basket - using the backboard and watch the spin of the ball and off the backboard.
This will tell you if you are palming the ball or using your fingers.
Then slowly work drills farther and farther out till you get to the free throw line.
John Stockton's patented jumper was left lane line by the free throw line.
If you have two or three spots on the floor consistently nailing jumpers you will probably be alright.
My warm ups were always from around the bucket and lowly working out .

[Thorpesaurous]

A lot depends on the problem, but one of the things I teach for form is to start about seven feet out, dead on, about the bottom of the free throw circle. Drop the ball, and catch it with one hand on the bounce. So you pretty much have to have the ball scooped in your hand, with the hand on the bottom.
Rotate the ball up, without ever touching it with your off hand, hold it for a count, and flip it up and in. It's just about impossible to not get a good square elbow, and straight vertical lift from the shoulder from this position.

As was already said, most shooting issues arise from habits we form as kids when we're not strong enough to shoot for real (The three point line should really be abolished below the HS level, and perhaps up to the varsity level). Most of those mistakes are one of two kinds. Using your guide hand to generate extra umph, or dropping your shooting shoulder so much to generate that power, that you're forced to place the off hand in front or behind the ball for balance. By eliminating the off hand, and holding that form for just a breath before letting it go, balance will dictate that your form will square off.

Hope it helps.

[Kings_Alex]

you keep on talking about your basketball life. as a matter of fact that is all you post about. you can't teach a player to shoot in a form, it's all natural. don't let someone tell you how to shoot.

[inclinerator]

watch videos. Get it on your ipod. Replicate until you feel that the form is yours

[Paladin55]

...most shooting issues arise from habits we form as kids when we're not strong enough to shoot for real (The three point line should really be abolished below the HS level, and perhaps up to the varsity level)...

I'm only a pick-up player, and am not around the game as a coach, but I never though about this idea. That 3 pt line must be like a challenge or dare to young kids, and there is simply no way they have the strength to keep their form and shoot correctly. Instead of developing good form and extending their range as they grow and become stronger, they break their form to try those long shots. Makes sense.

You are right about getting rid of the 3 at the earlier levels of play.

Very though provoking.

By eliminating the off hand, and holding that form for just a breath before letting it go, balance will dictate that your form will square off.

If I remember correctly, Magic actually used a shot like this when he played.

The Big O also had a release with a very limited use of his off hand.

[Paladin55]

you keep on talking about your basketball life. as a matter of fact that is all you post about. you can't teach a player to shoot in a form, it's all natural. don't let someone tell you how to shoot.

I don't know the OP at all, but...

Disagree on the form issue. How is form "all natural??" Since when is shooting a basketball a natural human activity? Perhaps you have studied young children "in the wild" practicing shooting with rocks or pieces of fruit? Or have you seen youngsters watching their parents as they "shoot" pieces of food into garbage cans or waste paper baskets and imitating that form on the basketball court?

You can break down the form of any shot, and help the shooter understand exactly what he is doing. It is especially important to do this with young players.

Maybe your way of thinking is why there are so many poor shooters in the NBA.

So when you are married with children, are you going to let your kids crap all over your floors until they finally use the toilet? I here that crapping is all natural, right?

[Ethan22]

Hahaha all I talk about is my basketball life? I'm usually in the Nets forum talking about the Nets or in other conversations here that interest me. This is like the only thread I made talking about me and basketball... what a douche... thanks everyone else though. Your ideas help!

[jbot]

wrong forum. this needs to be in the streetball section. other than that, practice.

[Myth]

I would start right in front of the basket shooting with one hand. When you get the form to feel natural, then add the off hand as the guide.

[Sroek]

Just shoot all day, but not worry about whether or not you're using proper form. You will naturally develop your own comfortable shooting mechanic.

[RoseCity07]

Learn from the best: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pixEDSa5Z24

The drill where you shoot the ball straight up and have it come back on your nose is the best. Also don't forget that the ball should only be coming off of your index and middle finger.

[bigboi_baller]

Start shooting really high arcing shots just a few feet away from the hoop. I mean like getting the ball 10 ft over the rim kind of high, I'm assuming you're strong enough to do this fairly easily (ie your not a little kid).

Make sure you are getting good rotation on the ball and bending your knees properly. You are going to look like a complete idiot doing this because you will airball 2 foot shots really badly because you will overshoot the ball or undershoot it (it'll come right back into your hands or even beghind your head). Perfect your form this way. Slowly, move back and decrease the height of your arc.

Figure out what's "natural" for you, I shoot left handed even though I'm right handed. It just felt right. In 8th grade, my coach didn't let me use my left. He worked hard with me after practice working on my right hand to shoot, but I never improved. So before 9th grade, I worked on my jump shot all summer long. Every day, I would spend time just shooting by myself before my left hand was strong enough and my form was natural enough for me to repeat precisely.

As for the practice, here's my artwork (you're in the dress and thats a pigeon crapping on you):

[Kings_Alex]

you talked about how you're on a team and posted pics and all sorts of stuff. what i meant by natural is w/e feels comfortable for you, you can't compare using the toilet to shooting form. if you have a tendancy to kick your foot out after a shot, you do it, it's natural to you, you can't help yourself. look at marion, he has been told to change his shot many times, yet he can't, cuz it's natural to him, you can't change it. and i didn't mean to hate on you cuz you posted about basketball all the time, i just wanted to point that out. you took it a little too far calling me a douche.