Shooting Thumb
It is very important to grip the basketball correctly with the shooting thumb.

When a player grips correctly with the shooting thumb he or she will automatically in a natural way have a better release and more power for better distance.

Remember, just by gripping correctly with the shooting thumb so many good things will happen with your shooting.

Coach Baumgartner
Each year that I teach basketball shooting, using the shooting thumb correctly becomes more and more important. That is why I am reviewing using the shooting thumb. Picture one shows where a player should grip with the shooting thumb.

You can get more information on the shooting thumb and grip in general by reviewing the August 2008 shooting tip and the April 2007 tip.

Basketball Shooting Camps
We have done an even better job this Summer with getting players to grip the basketball correctly. The results have been great in our first two Boys Shooting Camps. We have one boys camp left and two girls camps starting in July. Any girls interested in improving their basketball shooting and over- all scoring will really benefit by attending one of the girls camps in July. We still have some openings in the two weeks of girls shooting camps.

Besides covering the different ways to shoot a basketball ( shooting off the dribble, 3 pt. shooting, free throws, step back and shoot, spin and shoot, shooting off the pick, we also cover how to score( dribbling, driving, spinning, lay-up techniques, etc. and more. We are able to teach you a lot of ways to score, because our drills and techniques are so well broken down that we can teach any forth grader what we teach an older player.
-- Coach Baumgartner

3 Pt. Footwork
Coach Baumgartner distinguishes the differences in 3 pt. shooting through footwork. There are four basic footwork procedures used for 3 pt shooting.

1-2 Footwork
The 1-2 footwork procedure is where the player steps with one foot and then the other. In spot up shooting, a right hander would first step with his or her left foot and then the right foot.

The 1-2 step is one of the most common shooting footwork procedures. It is used at times by grade school, jr. high, high school, college, and pro players.

Putting Shooting Foot Down
This footwork method for a right handed player starts with his or her left foot planted with the right foot back some. The player brings his or her right foot up and goes into the shot. This footwork procedure is used some by players of all levels. The diagram shows this footwork procedure.

Stationary Footwork
This is where the player`s feet are already positioned before he or she receives the ball. From this stationary position a player receives the ball and goes down (bends knees) and comes up and off the floor and shoots the basketball.

This is the quickest way to shoot the 3 pt. shot. This footwork method is used some in high school and college, but more in the Pros.. It is not a method taught by many coaches.

Jump Stop
This is where a player hops into the shot with both feet going down at the same time. This is also a quick way to shoot a 3 pt. shot. This footwork procedure is used by some players at all levels.

Players using the jump stop for 3 pt shooting should realize that this is a very difficult method used to time the shot correctly. Players using this footwork method usually are not consistent in their 3 pt shooting.

3 Pt. Footwork Used By Players
Some players use basically one footwork procedure to shoot 3 Pt. Shots. Some players use more than one footwork procedure depending upon the 3 pt. situation. Remember that most players have one footwork method that they practice most of the time.

Basketball Shooting Camps
Join us this Summer for a great shooting experience. With our experience we do a great job of teaching 3 pt. shooting - shooting off the dribble - free throw shooting - step back shooting - spin and shoot - floater or teardrop shooting - shooting off the pick. We also teach you shots that will help you finish well such as the conventional lay up, near arm lay-up, and power lay-up. -- Coach Baumgartner

This tip of the month will review the very important footwork used when shooting off the pick or pulling up and shooting a jump shot.

1-2 Footwork
Great shooters use the 1-2 footwork most of the time when shooting off the pick or pulling up to shoot off the dribble. Occasionally, because of foot position before going into the shot, a player will use a jump stop.

Timing The Shot And Going Into The Shot From Tough Angles
It is easier to time on-the-move shooting using the 1-2 footwork procedure. It is also much easier to square up from tough angles on the floor using the 1-2 Footwork.

Inside Foot Down First Going Either Right Or Left
It is best to square up with the 1-2 footwork where you put the inside foot down first going both ways (right or left). This is illustrated in Diagram One. It shows the inside foot is put down first and then the outside foot is brought around.

Practice
You will need to practice pivoting on your inside foot and bringing your outside foot around to square up correctly to the basket. Remember, great shooters use 1-2 footwork for on-the-move shooting most of the time with an occasional jump stop when the foot position going into the shot dictates a jump stop.

Jump Stop In Shooting
In general most great shooters do not practice a lot of shooting using the jump stop. The reason as mentioned above is because it is more difficult to time the shot off the jump stop. Check the great players on TV and you will see we teach what the great players are doing to be great.

Spot-Up Footwork
There are four different footwork procedures used in spot-up shooting. They will be covered in the near future.

Basketball Shooting Footwork Taught At Our Camps
We use great drills and techniques to teach basketball shooting footwork. We explain, show, and practice the best footwork procedures for shooting the free throw, 3 pt. shot, shooting off the pick, and pulling up and shooting off the dribble. Join us this Summer for a great basketball experience. We have successfully helped thousands of players in the past become much better shooters and would like the opportunity to help you. -- Coach Dick Baumgartner

Ideal Position
Picture 1 shows the ideal position of the shooting arm and the balance arm before lifting the ball. As you can see the shooting arm is loose and close to the side. The balance elbow is out some to make it easy to lift the ball.

Incorrect
It is incorrect to start with both elbows close to the body. It is also incorrect then to keep them close when lifting the ball. This causes a very stiff action where the player will not shoot well.

Other Shooting Arm and Balance Arm Positions
There are other shooting arm and balance arm positions that are also correct. There are some shooting and balance arm positions that are not understood which are correct. If your method is different from the ideal and you are doing well with it, I would stay with it.

One Tip To Follow
One tip to follow is to remember that regardless where you position your balance arm before you lift the ball it has to come out some after you lift the ball. This principle must be followed to keep the body action loose and not tight. You don`t want anything hindering your following through. You want to be able to use all parts of the shooting arm correctly. Picture 2 shows the position of the balance elbow after the ball has been lifted.

Picture 3 shows the player following through correctly. You can see with the balance elbow out after lifting the ball, the shooting arm is not hindered in any way. All the arm parts are in line and in the shot line with the fingers and wrist following through correctly.

Basketball Shooting Camps
Join us this summer and learn the best ways to shoot the 3 pt. shot, free throw, pull up jumper, floater or teardrop shot, step out shot, spin move shot, near arm lay-up and more. Of course, we will also cover the basics and the correct mechanics in shooting the basketball. We will also provide the best dribbling techniques so you will be prepared for the dribble, drive, shoot, pass, or go all the way to the basket offense which is the offense of today. Coaches want players who can score. -- Coach Baumgartner

Most Common Foot Alignment
The most common foot alignment is where the player aligns his or her shooting foot with the nail on the floor. The nail is directly in line with the center of the basket. From this foot position, a very good shooter will not have his or her ball in line with the center of the basket before thrusting it to the basket.

With this foot alignment If you check the shooter from behind you will see that the ball is not in line with the center of the basket before thrusting the ball to the basket. To have the ball directly in line with the basket from this foot position a player would have to cock the hand and wrist in line with the shoulder. This arm alignment is incorrect.

Word of warning: if you are doing well with aligning your shooting foot with the nail it is recommended that you stay with this foot procedure. There are good shooters who line up with the nail.

Ideal Foot Position
The ideal foot position for free throw shooting is where the player aligns his or her shooting foot a little right of the nail on the floor. (right handed player) This foot position is shown in Picture One. From this foot position a player who has correct arm alignment will have his or her ball directly in line with the center of the basket before thrusting it to the basket.

If you check the shooter from behind you will see when the ball is lifted that it will be directly in line with the center of the basket before it is thrusted to the basket.

Different Shooters Checked Throughout The Years
Almost all of the very good shooters that I have checked through out the years aligned the shooting foot a little right of center. From shooting so much they can tell a little right of center feels the best. The three shooters that I have on the free throw DVD that I produced all line up a little right of center. None of them were told to line up that way for free throw shooting. They in a natural way had figured out what felt the best.

When I checked Eric Gordon`s free throw he also had found what felt the best and that was a little right of center. No one had told him to line up that way for free throw shooting. Again a little right of center is the IDEAL FOOT ALIGNMENT for free throw shooting.

You might want to try this free throw foot position of being a little right of center. Again, if you are doing well with aligning your shooting foot with the nail, I would recommend staying with it.

Basketball Shooting Camps
We cover all aspects of shooting a free throw at our basketball shooting camps. Join us this summer and learn about the best techniques and drills for free throw shooting, 3 pt. shooting, pulling-up and shooting, step out or back shooting, teardrop shooting and more. We are teaching what players need to be a success in todays basketball game and the game of the future. -- Coach Baumgartner

Footwork
Coach Baumgartner has covered some footwork in the past, but without pictures. It is very important to have correct foot position when going into the shot from a stationary position or on-the-move.

Your feet should be shoulder or hip width apart. A general rule to follow when developing your footwork is to basically have your feet underneath you.

The most common and correct and incorrect foot positions are shown below. The foot positions are shown for a right handed shooter, just reverse techniques for a left handed player.

Feet Parallel
This foot position is correct and used by many players. The feet are basically parallel and pointed ahead.

This foot position is shown in Picture 1

Shooting Foot Straight Ahead and Other Foot Turned Out Some
This foot position is also used by many very good shooters and is correct.

This foot position is shown in Picture 2

Shooting Foot Slightly Ahead
This is also a popular and correct foot position used when shooting a basketball.

This foot position is shown in Picture 3

The three above foot positions are the ones used by the very good shooters. Don`t worry about slight variations if the player is shooting well.

Both Feet Turned Out
This foot procedure is taught by some and it is not a good foot position for on-the-move shooting.

The more the feet are turned the more the body is affected. When a player develops this foot position his or her body will turn in the air when shooting on-the-move. The body has to turn because of rotary momentum which is a principle of motion. Again, how your feet are positioned in the beginning will dictate what happens to the body when you jump up. Divers are very familiar with rotary momentum. The turning motion makes it more difficult to keep the ball in the shot line. This foot position is not recommended and is especially bad when a player turns the feet a lot.

This foot position is shown in Picture 4

Shooting Foot Too Far In Front
This is another foot position taught by some and it affects balance and getting full use of leg power. In general, it is not a good procedure to get arms and legs too far out from body when executing a shot. This heel-toe foot position is considered incorrect and is not recommended.

This foot position is shown in Picture 5

Shooting Foot Back.
This foot position is not taught, but some players get into shooting with the shooting foot back and this is incorrect. It causes players to shoot across the body which is difficult and very few players have any success with this foot position. It is considered incorrect and not recommended.

This foot position is shown in Picture 6

Basketball Shooting Camps
We use great drills and techniques for teaching correct footwork at our shooting camps. We also take great pride making sure we spend enough time on footwork drilling. What we teach is what the great shooters are doing. -- Coach Baumgartner

Incorrectly Over Cocking Hand And Wrist
One of the worst mistakes in shooting a basketball is over cocking the hand and wrist. This mistake is shown in picture 1. When a player does this the hand and fingers go too far under the ball before thrusting and releasing the ball to the basket.

Incorrect Cocking of Hand and Wrist.

Coach Baumgartner calls this mistake "dipped fingers", and he considers it one of the worst two mistakes in shooting a basketball. This mechanical mistake hurts arc, distance, and control of the ball.

This mistake is usually caused by a player starting with the shooting hand too far behind the ball with the wrist bent too much. If a player from this starting position swings the ball up he or she will automatically dip their fingers and have them too far under the ball. Picture 1, shows the fingers dropped too much when the hand and wrist are in the cocked position.

Players who cock hand and wrist in line with the shoulder are more apt to cock hand and wrist incorrectly.

Back Of Hand and Fingers Parallel To The Floor
Picture 2, shows the back of the hand and fingers parallel to the floor before thrusting and releasing the basketball. This is correct.

Correct Cocking of Hand and Wrist.

Fingers Slightly Up
Picture 3 shows the fingers slightly up before thrusting and releasing the ball to the basket. This is also correct.

Correct Cocking of Hand and Wrist.

Basketball Shooting Camps
Our basketball shooting camps are the most experienced and attended in the U.S.. Through our great techniques, drills and one-on-one we can definitely help you become a better shooter and all around scorer. Plan on joining us this Summer for a great offensive basketball experience.

Wrist Positions
There are basically four wrist positions used when shooting a basketball. Three are correct and one is incorrect. Players should develop the habit of using the same wrist position on all of their shots.


Slight Bent Wrist
The wrist position shown in picture 1 is one of the most common. It is used by many players. This wrist position makes it easy for the player to align his or her arm parts easily and correctly.


Flat Wrist
With this wrist position a player can create the most power and in turn distance. Picture 2 shows the flat wrist position. It is harder to form arm parts with the flat wrist, but once mastered the range developed from this wrist position is very good.

Eric Gordon uses a flat wrist position and has great range. You can scroll down on first page of the Website and click on More Pictures of Eric Gordon and you will see his flat wrist while shooting.


Fully Bent Wrist
This wrist position is used effectively by some players. It is not used by a lot of players. Picture 3 shows this wrist position. Since the hand and wrist are already in a cocked position there is not the natural cocking of the hand and wrist when using this method.

One big draw back to this wrist position is that a player must especially lift the ball correctly from the fully bent wrist position. If he or she lifts the ball incorrectly they will drop the fingers before thrusting the ball to the basket. Dropped fingers is one of the worst mistakes in shooting a basketball.


Bowed Wrist Incorrect
Very few players use the wrist position shown in picture 4 . With this wrist position a player has a hard time coordinating and forming arm and hand parts easily. It is also harder to time the shot correctly from this wrist position. It is definitely not recommended.

Drills
Ball-toss-out drill, and one bounce drill, are two drills where you can work on your own bringing the ball into the shooting pocket with the correct grip and wrist position. Developing a consistent grip and wrist position are important mechanics to great shooting.

Basketball Shooting Camps
At our basketball shooting camps we cover wrist position and if a player needs a different wrist position we make an adjustment during the one-on-one individual instruction. We provide more one-on-one individual shooting instruction than any camp in the U.S. Our shooting instructors are on duty morning, noon, and night.

Camp Dates and Price
We will be giving our new camp dates and prices in January 2010. Our prices and dates will be similar to last year 2009.

Coach Baumgartner

Elbow Lift
Picture 1. is showing what is called by some a 50% elbow lift. This is where the top of the arm is parallel to the floor. Remember there are other elbow lifts that are correct.

This is the most common lift used by some older boys and men. From this elbow position a player has good arm extension when lifting and thrusting the ball to the basket. With good arm extension a player uses one of the main power sources for range.

Lower Elbow Lift
When lifting the elbow lower than 50%, a player has better arm extension and in turn better distance. Some girls and women use a 50% elbow lift, but not a high percentage.

Another Correct Elbow Lift
If the elbow in picture 1 is lifted slightly higher (60%) this is an acceptable elbow lift. Several college and NBA players use a 60% lift.

Incorrect Elbow Lift
If the elbow is lifted to a 75% lift before thrusting the ball to the basket he or she will not have very good range. Lifting the ball this high is slower and provides less arm extension for poorer range.

Front View of 50% Elbow Lift
Picture 2. shows a front view of the 50% elbow lift.

What Elbow Lift Do We Teach At Our Shooting Camps?
The elbow lift that fits the age and ability of the player is what we teach at our camps. For example, most grade school players start with a lower elbow lift because it fits their over-all shooting mechanics. Again, we teach what fits the individual boy or girl.

Remember, there is not one elbow lift that fits all players.

Basketball Shooting Camps
After 34 years of teaching shooting at our basketball shooting camps, we understand very well the mechanics of shooting a basketball. With this experience we will provide anyone attending our basketball camps the best instruction, and drilling available. Check our website to see what we offer a player in four days of camp. We still have openings in all five shooting camps. Remember, we teach what the great shooters and scorers are doing.

Coach Baumgartner

Follow Through
Sometimes players neglect developing the habit of following through when shooting a basketball. Players should realize the importance of following through on their shot.

Benefits Of Following Through
1. Pulls body parts together.
2. One of the main power sources for distance
( finger-wrist action ).
3. Helps in a natural way to create correct angle of arm on release ( better arc ).
4. Correct follow through develops better touch. When the ball comes off the pads on the hand and fingers correctly a player develops a better release and in turn a better touch.

Angle Of Fingers On Release
Pictures 1. and 2. show the angle of the fingers on release. When following through make sure the fingers and wrist get into the follow through. Some players have their fingers angled more down on the finish of the follow through than is shown in these two pictures. When a player develops a very good follow through he or she will have a very good touch and feel where the ball is going.

Safe Word Usage
Telling a player to follow through is safe word usage that coaches can use when teaching shooting. Like most shooting terms it should be used at the correct time.

When To Practice Following Through In Shooting It is recommended to consciously practice following through when doing a form drill close to the basket. Get about 7 feet from the basket and do a stationary shot without jumping. In the last part of the shot you push-up and follow through. Again, develop your follow through when practicing your form drill. Make it a habit.

Players should not think about mechanical parts while scrimmaging or playing in a game. Just shoot the basketball.

At Our Basketball Shooting Camps
We teach and drill on all of the very important parts of shooting at our camps. If you want to be able to shoot accurately, quickly, consistently and easily from three point range, join us this Summer for a great shooting experience. We will also make you a great penetrator.
-- Coach Baumgartner

Most Common Grip
Picture 2 shows the most common grip used to shoot a basketball. As you can see the shooting thumb intersects the balance or support thumb at a diagonal angle.

The balance hand is on the side of the ball, and the wrist is in and bent.

How To Get Most Common Grip
Pictures 1 and 2 show how to easily get the most common grip. First put your hands together as is shown in picture 1. Then just turn shooting hand over as shown in picture 2. Again, the shooting thumb intersects the balance thumb at a diagonal angle as shown in picture 2.

Hands Placed On Ball
Pictures 3 and 4 show the most common shooting grip with the hands placed on the basketball.

Different Grips
There are slight variations to the most common grip which can be correct. Most of the variations are with the balance hand.

There is one variation with the shooting hand which is where the shooting hand is placed somewhat on the side of the ball. This is also a correct grip. Some very fine shooters use this grip. Again, most of the very good shooters use the most common grip shown in pictures 3 and 4.

Recommendation
If your grip varies some from the most common grip described and you are shooting well, it is recommended that you stay with your grip.

Shooting Camps
After doing thousands and thousands of player`s shots, Coach Baumgartner is very familiar with what grips are correct or incorrect. Besides basic grips he would understand \1. which shooting pads on the hands should be on the ball, 2. spread of index finger and thumb, 3. position of fingers on the ball, etc. All of these mechanical parts are essential for great shooting and all of them are covered and practiced at our shooting camps.

Join Us This Summer of 2009
We are now doing more in our 4 day camps than we did in our 5 or 6 day camps. Plan on joining us this Summer for a great basketball shooting and offensive skills camp experience. -- Coach Baumgartner