Master How to Shoot from Deep in Basketball: Pro Techniques

We've all seen it. Players like Steph Curry and Damian Lillard casually pull up from the logo and drain shots. It seems impossible, but it's something many basketball players work hard to add to their game. Want to know the secrets to significantly increasing your shooting range?

Many younger high school players, or their parents, wonder how they can add this to their skill set. Today, you'll learn the techniques that some of the best shooters in the world use to shoot from deep in basketball.

• Engage Your Hips for More Power
• Get Your Hip Closer to the Rim
  • How Does Foot Tilt Impact Things?
• Feet Forward and Weight Back
  • The Feet, The Shoulders, and Release Point
  • Why You Stumble Sometimes After a Shot
• Adjusting Based on a Basketball Player's Deep Range
• The Nuances of High School versus University Shooters
  • High School Shooters
  • University Shooters
• Keys to Shooting from Deep
• Advanced Shooting Data Analysis
• FAQs about How to Shoot from Deep in Basketball
  • How to shoot from far in basketball?
  • What is a deep shot in basketball?
  • How to increase shooting range in basketball?
  • How to correctly shoot a basketball?
• Conclusion

A lot of players think that upper body strength is how a basketball player gets a deep shot. The reality is a little different. Power starts with generating force with your lower body.

Baseball players generate power for their swing using their hips. Boxers use their hips to deliver power to their punches and make it much the same as basketball

If you film your own shot, you can study the movement. Notice if your chest is back or upright versus forward towards the ground. You may have to attempt to load up differently.

The concept is that, as a right-handed shooter, you need your right hip closer to the rim than your left hip. This happens in a few ways depending on your scenario. It mostly comes from your shooting form.

By tilting your feet, you start a chain reaction that goes to your shoulder muscles. Many coaches would teach their students to line up their bodies square to the basket, but that can actually restrict your shoulder's natural movement. What could end up happening is that this type of advice hurts their range.

That's why a lot of people are good inside the 3-point line, but struggle further back. You should also factor in your leg drift if moving toward your dominant hand.

As you pull up on your jump shot, you could drift. This impact can change the outcome of your entire jump shot. This is another great reason why studying a film of yourself is important.

Many of the professional shooters land on one leg when shooting further away. This might go completely against your previous training. Foot positioning and tilting can make all the difference in the shooting motions and improve shooting accuracy.

When taking jump shots further out, a pendulum is formed in your body. The best deep shooters land closer to the hoop than from where they start the shot. They do, however, have a relaxed step back from where they landed.

You can visualize this process a bit; think of your feet as a singular pendulum unit. From this angle, your shoulders can get further up which makes your release point easier. This process impacts all three points in your jump shot and release.

Your starting, jumping and release point are all affected by your shooting form and how you're lining your shot up. Think about the momentum and the motion your body goes through and where your feet end up. All of the momentum should go through your entire body into the ball.

You have probably, without much effort on normal distance shots, stepped towards the basket without thinking. This changes further out, though, to try and add additional force.

When shooting from far out, have you ever noticed you step backwards sometimes? You have likely overdone your momentum. Try instead to have a controlled step, to maintain a consistent shot quality.

From further distances, your feet swinging might have gotten out of control. By having all of this out of order, you could lose balance. Next time, work on your momentum with the follow-through on your motions to avoid stumbling backward. It also helps to watch videos of professional basketball players' techniques to mimic and adjust your form for increased range.

If you shoot 3's, what is your next range limit that you're attempting to move to? Try going from your training point to five or ten feet further back to see how it feels.

It might make more sense to only increase range 2 or 3 feet, to make sure the muscle memory can hold up. Each location is different, and there is no guarantee that all of your mechanics will transfer out that way. Practicing from the free-throw circle and gradually moving back can help.

Going too far out could potentially cause your whole system to break down from head to feet. Be careful in how drastic of an increase you want your range to go. A good gauge is a volleyball line, if on a court, and you want to start pulling up from way out.

As players mature, their skills develop. The nuances are not only age and size-related but also how that changes mechanics. University basketball coaches and different support staff work with basketball players in a specialized manner versus the young high school player.

Younger high school athletes do not tend to have specialized teaching and have different ranges and techniques. This age is critical to get foundational teachings correctly for their shooting motions. The lack of individualized attention could stem from various factors.

This includes immaturity on the part of the player, the coaching staff, or the resources of the High School. The focus, in a broader sense, may not be there yet at that age.

As players grow, they become smarter, helped by their coaching and everything around them. Older players may focus more specifically on improving shooting skills or further back. They have the university experience that allows a more refined technique.

This would allow a different level of skill for the basketball player's body and understanding. At university levels, coaches might analyze players' elbow angle and wrist angle using tools like a sideline camera or even a view camera to assess shooting technique.

Understanding these key elements is vital for basketball players:

• Proper Form: Begin by positioning your shooting hand underneath the ball with fingers spread. This allows the index finger to be the last point of contact during the shot, promoting accuracy.
• Balance: Your non-shooting hand is primarily for balance and control. This improves stability.
• The Jump: The jump in a jump shot serves to elevate the release point. It also creates the shooting pocket, from which the shot is delivered.
• Elbow Position: Ideally, your shooting arm should form a near 90-degree angle. The focus is consistent.
• Release: Release the ball at the peak of your jump. Release the shot with a smooth, controlled motion with follow through from your shooting fingers.
• Practice Drills: Shooting drills such as form shooting can improve technique. Regular free throw practice can enhance overall shooting accuracy.
• Advanced Training: University and pro players often work on highly specific aspects. They also analyze shooting locations and success rates with coaches and support staff.

The coaching perspective in modern basketball relies on data-driven insights. Metrics for players are very deep and could include some of these:

Metric Description Example Use

Statistical tests, such as a paired-samples t-test, might be used to compare a player's shooting performance before and after a specific training intervention. It also works for comparing the same shooter type.

These studies often involve a specific sample size and a pre-determined shot quality scale to improve training regimens. These will improve any deficiencies.

Engage your hips, get them closer to the rim, and position yourself with your feet forward but your weight back. By lining these three mechanics up, you should be able to pull up from deep. Take into account some nuances between university players and younger ones from High School too.

A deep shot is relative. This is about having the skill of going out multiple feet behind the three-point line and draining shots at that far distance.

These are shots not usually made unless highly skilled, like a shot from the hash mark.

Increase your range by controlling your hips in motion with your upper body to impact the release point of your ball on your shot. Also, as you go out to shoot, take notice if you're stepping backward. This could be due to how your mechanics work on the follow-through.

Start off by placing your dominant shooting hand in a center position underneath the basketball. Your free hand can help set your positioning and prepare the process to shoot.

The biggest impact from deep, however is related to the points around foot and hip movements while shooting, so understand those three first. Shooting fundamentals need a foundation.

There are ways on how to shoot from deep in basketball that even experienced basketball players may have overlooked. Consider having someone film a player shooting, so they can watch how it changes when they go further back to take their shots. Study how your hips, shoulders, and feet all impact things and how you add power.

In the end, you may start shooting from very far distances consistently. Try some of these insights out.

Then, on the next play, you can pull up out at a hash mark near half-court and get buckets from deep like Lillard. You now have useful shooting tips to help with deep shooting range.