A Jump Shot Key: The Legs

The basketball jump shot: It's all about the JUMPING.

The SINGLE most important aspect of proper jump shot technique is BY FAR being able to use your legs to power your shot.

Does this sound obvious? Then why do MOST players use their arms?

We humans have AMAZINGLY strong legs when compared to our upper body. Just look at how much more you can squat compared to your bench press.

When performing a basketball jump shot, you need to maximize this "strength". The basic jump shot technique starts with a set shot. This is where you can learn how to power your legs through the shot. After mastering the set shot, you will be able to understand the timing and synchronization of how your body should be moving, and eventually you can start "jumping" and releasing the ball at the top of your jump.

If you have never read my blog, check out my article about rhythm, it talks about having your arms and legs be "in synch" to produce the most power. But what I'm talking about here is perfect jump shot technique, which involves generating power from your trunk and legs, as opposed to flinging your arms as hard as you can towards the hoop.

The basketball jump shot is performed the same way from 5 feet as it is from 25 feet, but if you watch younger players you will see they change their form depending on their distance. Again, if you're looking to achieve perfect jump shot technique, it is privy to understand this concept and adhere to it.

So a basketball jump shot requires use of the legs.......sounds obvious, right?

Here's the thing. Those who have mastered shooting, those whose jump shot technique is nearly perfect, use their hands "softly", meaning that they don't generating a lot of power from their arms. It is simply used to guide the ball.

The proper jump shot technique is to "snap" the wrist lightly.

If you are really looking for more information on the basketball jump shot or jump shot technique, it is worthwhile to buy a DVD. I'm not pushing anyone to buy any specific product but it can be a good idea to purchase something to teach you the basics, which is something I cannot do on the writing medium. IT IS TOO DIFFICULT.

If you want to have a killer basketball jump shot you need to master producing power from your legs. It's proper jump shot technique!