Learning How To Play Basketball

Have you ever wondered how to shoot the basketball correctly? Or how to do it so that the chances of the ball going inside the basket becomes high? Then you have come to the right place. Basketball is one of the most popular sports today and in order to play the game you need to know how to shoot properly. Not everyone is born gifted with a talent for this sport but learning how to play good basketball is one thing which can be improved through practice and correct form, with correct form and posture you will be well ahead of the game. Just follow the below steps to improve your shooting habits and scores.

keep your legs and feet shoulder width apart, think of your legs as a spring that transfers power to your arms and gives you optimal force for shooting accurately. Position the dominant feet of yours slightly forward while maintaining the shoulder width stance. Keep you knees bent (slightly), this will help you ready to jump the moment you receive the ball and also helps in regaining balance quickly.

Once you are in proper stance, you will need to position the ball correctly. Make sure that the ball is in your "shooting pocket", normally it lies at a player's dominant side just a few inches above his waist. Now that you have the the ball at the position, make sure that your elbows are below the ball (not to the sides), also practice catching the ball in your shooting pocket so that its easier to shoot. If its not possible (like when you are catching a broken pass) then practice putting the ball in your shooting pocket as fast as you can, so that you can position the ball correctly as soon as you receive it.

Once you have the correct stance and the correct position, proper grip on the ball can make all the difference between a good shot and a bad shot. Make sure that you have you non dominant hand on the side of the ball while you are holding the ball with your dominant hand with its elbow straight. Your finger pads should be spread wide to grip the ball and there should be some space between the palm of your hand and the ball. One way to achieve this is to hold something in your palm while gripping the ball (a pen, chalk, anything will do).

Now that the preparation is done, let's shoot the ball. Position your arms by raising them from your shooting pocket and bringing them to your eye level, make sure that the ball is slightly above your head while you are holding it with your arms. Now jump by exerting force from the legs and straightening your knees, upon jumping keep your wrists loose and exert force from your shooting hand by moving your elbows and wrist forward. Your non dominant hand should come off the ball first, loose wrists allow the ball to travel in arc rather than straight line, fingers should be pointing towards the basket (your goal) as you release the ball and proceed with your follow through.

Use the back board while shooting, whether straight or at an angle using backboard can increase your chances of success. Always aim for the middle of the square on backboard in place of aiming for the rim. Also, Shooting in the same place repeatedly helps create muscle memory and once your body is accustomed to it, it will take the position automatically delivering accurate shots.

Last but not the least don't forget about Consistency and perseverance which lets you pass the initial days of struggling and learning proper shooting but I can assure you one thing, if you follow the steps outlined above you can be sure that you will improve your shooting percentages and become a better basketball player.