The most important aspect of a jump shot is understanding balance. Other teaching methods are not truly JUMP shots. They are simply set shots with a small hop at the end. One popular method prescribes that the ball should be leaving your hand as your feet are leaving the floor. Another has you facing the basket at a 30º - 45º angle so that your arm is under the ball.
This is all good information as long as you are shooting a set shot from the floor. BUT that is not what I’m interested in teaching you. I want to teach you how to shoot a JUMP shot, a technique that allows you to shoot one to two feet off the ground, depending on high you can jump. Every inch counts.
In the photos above look at Larry Bird and Ray Allen. Both players are shooting well off the ground with the ball high above their head, their elbow at eye level. This is the position where balance becomes important. In this position the ball is in balance with their body alignment. Their shooting hand is flat under the ball.
If the ball was positioned in front of their body, it’s weight would pull at the shooter, causing him to drift or tilt, often causing him to miss. If his jump was not well balanced, it would cause him to drift. This is not what you want. We will explain the keys to stabilizing your jump.
Another aspect of the shot that is explored is the art of the pull-up jumper. That is when you drive to a spot 10-17 feet from the basket, pivot into position, rise up and shoot a jumper. Sounds simple enough, but if you don’t know the proper technique it will be hard to pull off with any degree of success. You will learn the proper technique and correct practice to master it.
Balance
Larry Bird
Derek Anderson
Ray Allen
