Hey my shooting form isnt that as bad as it was but i still. . .(please all shooters answer)?

Question

Hey my shooting form isnt that as bad as it was but i still. . .(please all shooters answer)?
... i still have a slight habbit of using my left thumb to shoot (im right handed). my coach told me to just use my right hand to shoot with a couple months ago and i have taken my thumb off it a lot. But i still use my left thumb a little. I think i shouldn't but i feel so comfortable when i do and shots go in.
Please tell me what i should do because im gonna shoot a lot of baskets in the off season as practice and i heard you should only use good form to shoot or its foolish cause then you practicing at being bad. But then again remember i feel really comfortable and my shots go in.

Answer 1

The advice you received is correct. Spend the off-season getting your thumb off your release. The round pad that straps to the off hand is one training tool. Another is a shooting strap, check www.starshooter.net, for information on it. I recommend it fully.
Here is a story about being "comfortable".... An NBA shooting coach was working with Manute Bol. After awhile in the workout, Manute said that doing the new things the coach taught were not comfortable.
The coach said,"You are not paid to be comfortable; you are paid to make shots."
Results are what counts.
Do not go back to old form if in a week you are not shooting better. Research shows that it takes thousands of shots to relearn a movement pattern. Give yourself permission to go through a re-learning period. Results will drop for awhile, but will go back up if you are faithful to shooting with proper form. Shoot with the new form from close in and make yourself earn your way back to shooting from farther away.
What you should find yourself doing once your thumb is off your release is that the ball should come off your first finger, not the middle fingers. You cannot shoot the ball straight consistently when the ball comes off the middle fingers. Your thumb was pushing the ball off your first finger, which is the most important finger on your shooting hand.
Write me if you want more information. [e-mail]

Answer 2

If you really want to concentrate on shooting with perfect form the first thing you have to do is to make sure that when you are practicing you are shooting shots at game speed. It doesn't mean anything if you get into the gym and shoot 500 3's if you don't shoot them the same way you would in a game.

As for only using your right hand - I would keep doing as you coach told you - shooting close shots with just your right hand. Also, if you can find one, they used to make a firm plastic circle that you could strap to your left hand while shooting to ensure that you were only using it to guide the ball - worth looking for, but will probably be hard to find.

My last piece of advice is that not every great shooter has great form like Gilbert Arenas and Ray Allen (although it generally does help with consistency). There are several great shooters that have bad form (Larry Bird, Kyle Korver - just to name a couple). So its not the end of it if you can't get the form perfect. If you want to be a great shooter, just get in the gym and take a ton of shots every day at game speed.

Answer 3

get in 5 to 1o feet. put your left hand at your side and just shoot with your right hand. become consistent then use your left as a guide, but keep your left in an "L" without raising it when you shoot...concentrate on that because the tendency is to raise the left with the right which ends up with the left thumb pushing the ball and affecting your shot. get used to not raising the left then it will become muscle memory and you'll be fine.

lastly if your left thumb is affecting your shot then you might be placing an awkard spin on the ball. doing so will create an offset traction to where whne the ball hits rim or backboard the traction will turn the ball away from the basket instead of a straight rotation that most often "pulls" the ball down into the basket when it nicks the rim.

Answer 4

Shawn Marion, Kevin Martin, Michael Redd, Dirk Nowitzki, Tayshaun Prince, Peja Stojakovic, Leandro Barbosa and Kevin Durant.

Answer 5

Look at the way Gilbert Arenas shoots then compar it to Ray Allen, I am no shooter but I have heard that practice is the best instructor and in that way yu will find your shot.

Answer 6

You should really be talking to your coach about it, they probably know a resolution, or will tell you a practice method to rid of the habit.

I used to shoot in a straight line to the goal, (instead of a arch), but my coach cleared that up for me.

If after a week your shots are still less accurate than with your thumb, use your thumb, I'd say.

Answer 7

to learn how to shoot w/ your right hand heres an easy DRILL

1. hold ball in shooting hand w/ other hand to the side
2. hold it wait level
3. the way to hold it is say your giving a high five then you say down low put the ball on the down low hand
4. from there start to shoot but in the shooting motion flip your hand over in the motion.
5. after doing this for a while throw in the left hand but try to hold it like this http://www.nba.com/media/bulls/hinrich_040421.jpg that left hand shouldnt even move! its all the right hand

Answer 8

Hoop shooters, jeez. I was gonna say http://www.nrahq.org but you don't actually shoot anything except an orange ball.

Answer 9

When you shoot keep your right hand faceing you, and your left gides the ball. Your left hand should not support the ball, just guide it. Use your wrist to shoot. I think if you shoot fine with your thumb, then use it. Good Luck!