When i shoot a basketball my thumb goes out too far?

Question

What should I do cause i try to keep it in but it feels so weird and it throws my shot out

Answer 1

just keep adjusting your hand till it feels comfortable

you cant just practice to become a better shooter

if your doing something wrong

your shooting will only become worse as the motion becomes muscle memory

the important thing is to be shooting right- here are some guidelines

there is no such thing as an ideal jumpshot as long as you follow these guides - your shot will be simple repeatable accurate and deadly

you will grow as a shooter and understand why you miss shots and more importantly what you must do to make them

make sure is the exact same release everytime releasing the ball faster or slower will only make your shot worse as you will have problems with your consistency

again i repeat DO NOT CHANGE THE FORCE OR SPEED OF YOU SHOT!!!! why should you have to practice two or more different releases? when it can all be the same with just added amounts of leg power? -theres how to get more range-

instead shoot early in the "up" of the down up motion you make when you jump this is really the key

the earlier you shoot in the up part the more power your shot will have

don't just "use your legs"

make sure you are getting all the power and stability you can get out of them because they are stronger than your arms

a shot needs to be simple and is repeatable

a release that can be used for all types of shots, free throws shots off the dribble set shots runners fade aways shots under pressure and log range shots

when you shoot, push your arm out extending it as far as it can go with your elbow locking --- this is another way to ensure consistency

if you don't push your arm as far as it will go and your arm stops short, you will have to repeat that same partial extension - thus adding variables (or things that could go wrong) and jeopardizing consistency

DO NOT SNAP YOUR WRIST!!!!! or flick it or whatever

it is hard to maintain the exact speed ind force of the snap every time. - this ensures the ball will go straight

the ball will go were yo point your arm every time

the thing you see most nba players doing is their hand flops- they aren't flicking it- theres a difference

your fingers and hand should be relaxed when you shoot

therefore your wrist will flop forward and bounce a couple of times if the locking of the elbow, the pushing of the arm to full extension

don't tense up any part of your hand because you will add extra spin and add variables to your shot

if you tense up any part of your hand or fingers when you shoot.. this action must be repeated exactly every time you shoot if you want to be consistent .. which is nearly impossible

so make sure your hand is not tense almost dead

if your doing this right the ball will go where your arm is pointing since the hand and fingers arent altering the shot

also what helps your accuracy is turning your body a little

in the video below tom is talking about this great shooter and he says in his opinion he would like his stance to be open a little more

thats what im talking about an open stance as little to 15 and as much as 40 anything else is excessive

by opening your stance you'll be able to see were the ball will go because your eyes will be aligned behind the shooting arm- (because the ball will travel where ever your arm is pointing)

shooting elbow placement-

some people like to tell you to keep your elbow in close to your body

but this creates an unnatural tension along the outer arm and wrist

instead keep your elbow out naturally - there is no true measurement on how far out it will go - it depends on how long your arms are

don't change the release due to varying distances from the basket change the amount of power your legs produce

ive said this before but i really can't stress enough how important this is... the earlier you shoot it the more power your shot will have especially for threes!!!!

you should practice you release about 5 to 8 feet from the basket whenever you can.. with no lower body power(or just a little if its not comfortable but make sure its the same amount every time) eventually if your swishing it alot close your eyes and you'll feel a closer connection to the basket and your shot

you should be at a distance where you can shoot it every time and its a perfect swish

don't be afraid to shoot high you should air for medium high arch- 45/50 to as much as 60 degrees

i guess its kind hard to know the degrees your shooting at

but just make sure your shot isn't flat and don't be afraid to shoot it up

if you ever feel you shots will be to strong just shoot it higher or release it later in the up motion of the jump (hang time)

this clip can really demonstrate some of the concepts i have stated

The Swish Method

http://swish22.com/

i really hope you look into the swish method because it really does work and i think is the #1 shooting method ever

after watching them i have a new understanding of shooting

and if you want confidence

this method will give you confidence

what's better than knowing you will make the shot

Answer 2

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;...

Answer 3

What up kb,

Sounds like you are not comfortable with your shooting style- and as you yourself said- it throws your shot off.

It's hard to describe a good shooting style- but i can tell you i learned from a textbook - you can actually check out basketball books that teach you how to shoot from a library- or find a DVD and coaches will show you good form.  You can try them out and see which one works best for you. The bottom line is if you can be comfortable with the shooting form and it's effective- keep practicing and perfecting it- and you'll find yourself with a good form.  You can always learn- because from watching NBA players- i have multiple releases that i've learned and have become pretty proficient with several of them- so just keep working on your game.

Good luck,

Nickster