How to shoot a jump shot

How do I make a good jump shot?

The answer to how to shoot a good basketball jump shot begins with strengthening your wrist.  There are tools that increase your wrist power.  Once you are hanging in the air, you will only carry whatever vertical momentum you gain when you initiate your jump. A strong wrist allows you to better control the ball when shooting in the air.  Next you need to increase your vertical jump. A better vertical jump gives you more power as well as more space in a jump shot.  Once you have set the basic stage for a good basketball jump shot, here comes the most important part: tuning your shooting form towards a jump shot.   Basically, the two biggest differences between set shots and jump shots are that the leg on the side of your shooting hand should be in front of your other leg to ensure better landing.  Your body must be more squared up with the hoop to avoid straining your body in the air. 

When do I use a jump shot

A jump shot is best used when you are charging down the court and cannot (or don't want to) dribble pass your opponent. Make a sudden stop with both feet landing at the same time. Transfer the your forward momentum into vertical leap. Focus on the rim and shoot with techniques just like you would with set shots.
When your opponent gives you at least one step of space or you created one step of space by making a sudden stop while you dribble, that you have gained an edge over him in horizontal space  Jump shot allows you to beat the person vertically as well before you shoot. And if your wrist is strong enough it can also be as accurate as set shots.

Pros-n-cons about doing a jump shot

General step-by-step guide to shooting a jump shot

• Place your feet shoulder width apart.

• Put your shooting arm up and bend your wrist at a 90-degree angle.

• Place your other hand on the side to help stabilizing the ball.

• Hold the ball above your head at your desired height

• Elevate straight up while holding the ball tightly

• Square up with the hoop when you have reached the highest point.

• Extend your shooting arm up and snap your wrist to propel the ball towards the rim.

• The ball should leave the fingertips and they point towards the ground afterwards.

• Keep your eyes focused on a spot on the back of the rim

• Maintain a good follow-through with the wrist

Perfecting the jump shot allows an average player to become a scoring machine.  However, in the face of tougher, taller, and smarter defenders, you need more than a jump shot.  There are more advanced, air-borne basketball shooting skills like the fade-away and the leaner.  You usually have to master jump shots before approaching fade-aways and leaners given that the latter two skills in a nutshell is a jump shot while maintaining both a vertical and horizontal momentum.  Certainly, they are more than that. There are some more tricks in executing those two moves.

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