Layup follow thru
When first learning to shoot, the FOLLOW THRU should be the same as a regular shot. Your palm is facing the basket, with the ball coming off of the 1st two fingers. Flop over the wrist to get backspin on the ball for a nice soft shot. Later, when a player can jump higher, the palm can face skyward and lay the ball up softly off of the backboard with very little spin. Try not to spin the ball and be too "fancy". This should be a sure TWO POINTS-make sure that you make it.
Shoot When Tired
When you get tired while doing drills, stop and shoot some free throws. In addition to getting practice shooting free throws, you will be simulating game-like conditions in that you will have to shoot free throws when tired.
Hold your follow through
In order to get proper rotation on a shot, the shooter?s follow-through must be correct. The best way to do this is to make sure that after the ball is released, the shooter?s arm is fully extended at an approximately 45 degree angle(so the elbow is above the eye)and the hand flops over at the wrist like you are "waving goodbye" to the ball
Learn the jumpshot
Make sure you have the proper, comfortable stance and balance.
See the rim.
Extend your wrist backwards.
The basketball should rest on your fingerpads.
Try to keep your elbow in and under the ball
Use your legs... the longer the shot, the more you use your legs.
Raise the ball smoothly and in one, fluid motion.
Finish high with your arm to get good "arc" on the shot.
Flop your wrist with a constant, relaxed follow through to get that backspin for a "shooter?s touch".
Give your shot some arc
Get the ball up in he air with a nice high arc. The arc will give you a bigger margin of error and a softer shot. A soft shot will sometimes get a good bounce a roll in because of your "shooter?s touch"
Line Up for Your Free Throw
When you have mastered the proper technique for free throw shooting, you simply need to make sure that your body is lined up properly in order to ensure accuracy on your shot. The big toe on your strong foot (the foot on the same side of your body as your shooting hand), your shooting elbow, and your shooting forefinger should all align with the center of the rim when you are shooting properly.
The release
When using a jump shot, make sure that when you go up to release the ball, you release as you reach the top of your jump. This allows you to use all of your leg lift in your shot. To accomplish this, begin your shooting motion on your way up. A common mistake is to release to late and, ultimately, shoot on the way down. This causes the shooter to lose a tremendous amount of force. With practice, you will get your timing down.
Preparation
In PREPARATION for a right handed layup get a good angle to the backboard. You can do this by making sure that you pass between the "block" and the first free throw lane hash mark. I call this the "driveway". Your steps should be: right foot - left foot & up. For a left handed layup your steps are: left foot right foot & up. You can practice these while simply walking without a ball. Then try with a ball and no dribble. Work up to shooting them off of one dribble then finally, a full dribble from 1/2 court.
Shooting Progression
Because form is so important in shooting, work on making that form a habit is very important. An easy way to do this is to lay on your back and shoot the ball straight up into the air. It is very easy to check on the position of the ball, follow through, and rotation. The ball should go straight up and come straight down with proper back spin. This can be done before going to sleep at night or while watching TV during commercials.
Shot Fakes
Before shooting while being guarded by a person that is taller than you, pump faking is a very good thing to do. A pump fake is also called a shot fake. Your opponent may jump up which leaves you free for a open shot or lay-up.
Balance in Shooting
Your body must be balanced and relaxed when shooting the basketball. Here are some guidelines to good balance. First, your feet should be about shoulder width apart in order to give you a strong base. Secondly, your strong foot (the foot on the same side of your body as your shooting hand) should be about a half step ahead of the other. Finally, your head should be centered. This will keep you balanced throughout the shot and allow you to shoot without having to make adjustments. All people are built differently, so if any of these are a little off, yet you are still comfortable - that is what is important.
7-Up
A great way to practice your shooting is to play a game against yourself called 7-Up. Start by taking a shot that you have to make seven consecutive times before moving on. For instance, when starting out, you might want to shoot layups. If at any time you miss, start over until you have hit seven consecutive.
After hitting seven consecutive shots, move on to a slightly more difficult shot that you have to hit six consecutive times. Continue shooting until you are shooting a shot that you have to make just one time.
Remember, each shot should be slightly more challenging than the last. You can get quite a good workout this way.
Form Shooting
A great way for young players to work on their form is to shoot the ball back and forth to each other. Each youngster should try to shoot to their partner?s head. They can then "shoot" the ball back and forth, trying to hit the target. They can check each other for proper shooting techniques, but there isn?t the pressure of having to put the ball in the basket.
See the Rim
When shooting any shot, your eyes must be on your target through the entire shooting process. For a jump shot, you want to focus on an exact spot on the rim. Some players see the front of the rim, some look at the back. Find what is good for you and look at that spot every time that you shoot.
Hand Position on the Ball
One of the problems with young players being told to shoot with their fingertips is that they hold the ball on their fingertips. In order to control the ball, it has to rest on all of the pads on the shooting hand except the large pad under the little finger. Then, when shooting, the ball should come off the fingertips as it leaves the shooter?s hand.