Basketball Jumpshot and Scoring Tips

Becoming a great jumpshooter and big-time scorer isn't easy.

It takes practice, great technique, tons of confidence, and the desire to make it happen.

We've got some great tips to help you get a better jumper, increase your scoring average, and get more playing time.

Do you have what it takes to get a great jumper?

The secret of all great scorers

You see guys in the NBA with great jumpers. What is their secret? How do they become such great offensive basketball players?

Practice and repetition.

Being a great scorer is no accident, it doesn't happen by mistake, and it isn't the result of half-hearted or lazy practice habits. Being a great scorer is the result of practicing thousands, or even tens of thousands of practice jumpers from all over the court. It is the result of practicing your jumper day in and day out, and week after week so that you groove your form, and taking your jumpshot the ball is second nature for you. The best basketball players, and I mean the elite-level NBA players that are household names, practice their jumpers over, and over, and over again.

A great jumper is the result of establishing muscle memory so that the motion is nearly automatic, and you don't have to consiously think about your mechanics...you just release the ball with perfect form, just like you've practiced thousands and thousands of times before.

That is really the only way to get good and stay good: use good form, and practice putting the ball in the basket over, and over, and over again. Then practice it some more. Repetition is the key to grooving your jumper during the off-season, and keeping it dialed in during the season.

If you think success comes easy to even the best basketball players, think again. Top NBA players are at the top of their game because of the hard work, practice, and effort they put into improving their skills.

What Tim Duncan does that you need to do

Work on using the backboard more. It sounds simple, but how many players do you know that really practice bank shots? I don't know too many. You can set yourself apart from a lot of players if you become expert at using the backboard. Some of the best college basketball players, and NBA players use the backboard when they shoot the basketball.

It's especially useful for post moves from the block (this one is fairly obvious), but is also an important aspect when you attempt mid-range jumpers from the wing, and those slightly off-balance, slashing moves through the lane.

The number one advantage is that using the glass forces you to concentrate more, because you really have to pick a spot on the backboard that you'll use as a target. This allows you to more easily block out other distractions (like a defensive player trying to block your shot).

Watch Tim Duncan play over the course of a few games and you'll be amazed at how many times he uses off the backboard. He does it for a reason: it works.

How do you get better at using the backboard? The same way you'll get better at every other aspect of your game: practice. Not slow, lackadaisical practice, but focused, game-speed practice. Work on it until pulling up from the wing at 15-feet and kissing the ball off the backboard is as simple for you as a lay-up. Great scorers use the backboard. Do you use the backboard or not?

The next NBA game you watch, pay attention to see how many times you see players using the bank shot. I'll bet that the best players on the floor are the ones that use the glass the most when trying to score.

Basketball jumpshot mechanics: the key to good form and being a great scorer

Good form starts with good mechanics: moving the ball quickly as you go up to score, keeping your elbow in, keeping the ball on your finger-tips, shooting the ball up-and-out, and following through with a good, strong flick of the wrist.

Good form doesn't just happen. You have to work at it. Even the best players in the NBA have to practice over and over again to develop excellent form.

Break down your jumper into the areas listed above, and spend time working on improving each of these items:

- Work on shooting the ball quickly, either off a catch or a dribble. Move the ball through the shooting pocket quickly, all the way up through the shot release.
- Practice keeping your shooting elbow in tight. The shooting motion should be a fairly straight motion. If your elbow juts out to the side, it makes it more difficult to keep your shot on line.
- Practice keeping the ball on your fingertips. Nothing you do in the game of basketball should be down with the ball touching the palms of your hands.
- Practice your jump-shot form emphasizing an up-and-out motion vs out-and-up motion. There is a big difference. Focusing on an up-and-out motion forces you to put good arch on the jumper, giving you a better chance to make the basket.
- Always follow through by flicking your wrist on the release. A shot with backspin has a better chance of bouncing around on the rim if you don't swish the ball.

By practicing and working on each of these areas, your shot will improve. Don't just go out and practice without a plan. When you practice your jumper, focus on specific aspects of the jump-shot, and work on those areas.

NBA players spend hundreds of hours taking thousands of jump-shots during the off-season, and during the season to make sure their jumper is in the groove and on-track.

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