Basketball-getting faster arms?

Question

i need to get my hand faster to put the ball through my leg and then do a dunk. i jump fast enough but i cannot put the ball through my legs fast enough. Any suggestions? please

Answer 1

Chances are, you can actually move fast enough to put it through well. Try the motion without a ball and you'll see what I mean- it's probably not about hand speed. However, you might not be able to do it with a ball- either it will just fly out of your hand, or you're not strong enough.

First, get your shoulders, chest, and arms stronger with some weight exercises. To get really strong, see if you can find a pair of suspended hand rings like they do in men's gymnastics. You actually don't need that much strength for this, since a basketball isn't that heavy.

Do some between-the-legs practices. Toss the ball up about 8 feet, let it bounce, jump, and catch it and put between the legs. Try to make a layup or finger that way. Just keep doing this, and with practice you should be able to make the layup/finger roll shot more easily. Just have to learn to trust your hands to keep holding the ball at high speed.

It's also possible you just can't jump high enough; if you can barely dunk, chances are doing a between-the-legs is impossible, and you'd have to improve your vertical. I think that if you set it up for yourself, catching it from a bounce is easier to go under the legs than jumping while holding the ball.

Basically, though, just practice until you are used to it. And if you're not already doing so, try catching it off a bounce.