10 TYPES OF BASKETBALL SHOOTING TIPS

There’s more to basketball shooting then lay-ups and slam dunks

• 1. Bank shot: A bank shot occurs when an offensive player attempts to make a field goal with a jump shot, and the ball bounces off the backboard and goes into the basket without hitting the rim.
• 2. Dunk: A dunk, or slam dunk, is an offensive shot attempt in which a player scores a two-point field goal by jumping into the air and slamming the ball into the net while touching the rim of the basket with one or two hands.
• 3. Free throw: A free throw, or foul shot, is an unguarded scoring attempt made at the free-throw line, a line on the basketball court located fifteen feet from the net. A referee awards free throws to a basketball player after a member of the opposing team commits a personal or technical foul against them, their teammates, or an official. Free throws provide a basketball team with an opportunity to score points outside of the shot clock during a game. Former Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers power forward Karl Malone holds the National Basketball Association (NBA) record for most free throws scored in a career, while Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry has the best free throw percentage (90.66).
• 4. Granny shot: A granny shot, or underhand shot, is a shooting style in which the player holds the ball in two hands with arms extended in front of their body. The shooter bends and raises their knees while bringing the ball down their legs and releases it on the upswing. Most players avoid granny shots because of their negative connotations, but NBA player Rick Barry held a lifetime free-throw percentage of ninety percent using granny shots.
• 5. Floater: A floater is a layup variation in which the ball handler throws a high arc toward the net while jumping up on one or two feet. It is a difficult shot to master, but a great shooter can add this type of shot to their basketball skills with regular basketball training.
• 6. Hook shot: This one-handed shot requires the player to stand close to the hoop and swing their arm in a curved motion to send the ball toward the hoop and score a field goal. In a jump hook, the ball handler stands with their back to the basket and then turns on their pivot foot to jump while flicking the ball into the net. Popularized by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the skyhook has the player pivot and turn with their shoulder to the basket, jumping on one foot and hooking their arm over their head to score the field goal.
• 7. Jump shot: A jump shot is one of the most basic shooting techniques and common ways to make a field goal in a basketball game. To make a jump shot, basketball players use their legs to jump straight up while raising the ball above their heads. Jump shots are best for mid-range to long-range shots. A fadeaway is a jump shot in which the player shooting the ball jumps backward. It’s one of the most challenging shots to defend against because it creates space between the shooter and a defensive player.
• 8. Layup: Layups are also one of the most basic shots, especially within a short range of the basket. The ball handler dribbles the ball as they approach the basket and raises it with one hand to bounce it off the backboard and into the net. Once they stop dribbling to aim, they can only take two steps or receive a violation for traveling.
• 9. Pull-up: A pull-up is a two-motion jump shot in which the player drives to the net while dribbling, stops, and jumps up to take the shot. The player then lands on both feet (jump step) or in a one-two step, where they land on their right or left foot and follow with the opposite. A pull-up three is a pull-up made at the three-point line. Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets is considered a top pull-up jump shooter.
• 10. Three-point shot: A three-point shot—a three-point field goal or three-pointer—is an essential shot made outside the three-point line, the arc situated twenty-two feet from the net. It’s worth three points instead of the two awarded to other field goals. Basketball Hall of Famer Ray Allen holds the NBA record for career three-point shots, while Steph Curry has the record for the most three-point shots during finals.