How to Shoot a Basketball

If you’re looking for a guide on how to shoot a basketball, look no further. Here’s advice from one of the best shooters in NBA history, Steve Kerr.

It was June 13, 1997. The Chicago Bulls were in the final battle of the NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz. There were 28 seconds left in the game and the score was tied.

What they do next would determine if they left the arena as champions or as losers.

With immense pressure, a skinny guard by the name of Steve Kerr confidently told the team that he’ll be open and ready to sink the big shot.

The timeout ended and the team stepped onto the court. After the inbounds pass, Scottie Pippen finds and hands the ball off to Michael Jordan. Jordan assesses the court, then drives down the lane.

But two Jazz defenders cut him off and crowd him.

Jordan scans and sees a wide-open Kerr and dishes the ball to him. He steps into the shot and scores the biggest basket of his career.

The Bulls win the game and were crowned the 1997 NBA Champions.

Though this shot was arguably the most significant of his career, it wasn’t the only time Kerr stepped up to help his team score crucial buckets.

He would do it again a few years later as a 37-year-old player for the San Antonio Spurs.

Kerr was one of the best shooters in the NBA. He’s made many clutch baskets that led to his team getting the win.

But there’s really nothing special to this ability that he possesses. You, an average Joe or Jane, with work, can also attain it. You can become a really good shooter, too.

You just need some guidance.

So, here’s a step-by-step guide on how to shoot a basketball:

Get into your shooting stance (dominant foot slightly in front of the other foot, knees and torso slightly bent forward and holding the ball in the shot pocket or in front of the area in between the stomach and lower chest. Adjust stance until it is comfortable).
Now, rise up and shoot the ball. Remember to use power from your legs, tuck your elbows into your ribs, use one uniform motion as you shoot and follow through with your wrist, which is pointed at your target.
Also, make sure your guide hand is just a guide. Don’t let it put pressure on the ball because it will affect your shot. Make sure it only grazes the ball (or gently touches it).
Pay attention to your shot and notice which shots go in and which don’t. Adjust your form and power accordingly.

Also, Kerr suggests that you start from in close, master the form, then take a step out and repeat the process.

If you’re still confused on the steps of shooting, watch the following video:

Benefits of Steve Kerr’s Shooting Tips

This is the best way to learn and improve your shooting because it’ll teach you the fundamentals. It’ll force you to absorb the correct form into your muscle memory.

For instance, if, right out of the gate, you just shot 3-pointers, you may not have the strength to shoot it with skill.

This can cause your form to be all messed up in the future and it’ll be hard to fix because you’ve developed bad shooting habits.

So, the most efficient (and effective) way to learn how to shoot a basketball would be how Kerr advises –start off shooting close to the basket and master the form before working on perimeter shots.

A Drill that Compliments Steve Kerr’s Shooting Advice

One of the best drills to work on your shot this way is with the 3-6-9-12-15 Shooting Drill.

This drill is a shooting drill that focuses on shooting form. It will help you progress your shooting ability throughout the court (well, the modified version I created is anyway).

It starts off by getting you to shoot near the rim. Once you make a certain number of shots, then you can take a step back.

You can click here to learn how to do it.

Another great drill that you can do is the Brad Stevens Shooting Drill.

This drill will help you work on making shots consistently and, more importantly, not missing more than 2 shots in a row (because there’ll be a punishment if you do).

It’s similar to Around the World, but with much more pressure and running.

Click here to learn more about the drill.

Final Thoughts

Steve Kerr was one of the best perimeter shooters in the NBA in the 90s. He won the 1997 3-Point Shooting Contest and holds a career average of 45.4 percent for 3-point field goal percentage.

So, trust his guidance on shooting the ball. He’s helped develop many NBA stars that you idolize today (i.e. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, to name a couple).

***

P.S. If you’re struggling to improve in basketball, you may be training wrong.

This is why you need to check out my Old Man Game Activity Guide. It’s a convenient training system that will help you work on your fundamentals and conditioning.

Click here to learn more about it.