Keep your feet no further than shoulder width apart.

Flex your knees slightly. Locking your knees makes it easy for you to get knocked off balance. Flex your knees comfortably so you're in position to jump as soon as you have the ball.

Dip the ball down to your waist. The ball and your shooting eye should form a straight line to the basket.

Position your shooting hand elbow so it's under the ball. Your arm should be straight up and down, not out to the side.

Grip the ball correctly. Position your shooting hand so that your fingertips are perpendicular to the seams in the ball. This hand is responsible for launching the ball. Place your non-shooting hand on the side of the ball to act as a guide for the shot.

Straighten your knees and jump slightly forward when you shoot. Make sure your shoulders lean back and are relaxed.

Push the ball upward with your shooting hand. As your hips rise up and you start your jumping motion, move the ball in a smooth motion from your dip to eye level. It should all be one smooth motion.

Release the ball. Just before you reach the height of your jump, release the ball, with your shooting hand aimed at the basket. Straighten your elbow and push your wrist so that the ball arches, rather than moving toward the basket in a straight line.

Follow through. This is a hugely important part of shooting a basketball. If you shoot from your wrist without following through the shot won’t be as accurate. When the shot is complete, your shooting hand will resemble the shape of a swan; your arm is arched elegantly toward the basket, with your hand loosely cocked downward and your fingers pointed toward the hoop. This is called follow through.

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