Practice › Basketball › Jump shot
Basketball jump shot: check your form with your phone
A jump shot is a free throw with a jump added, and the jump has to serve the shot. The goal is simple to say and hard to do: rise straight up, release at or just before the top of the jump, and come back down where you started.
No equipment needed. Practise at home. Just do the movement properly in front of your phone: a shadow swing for racquet sports, a rep for lifting. No court, ball, shuttle or weights needed, and a racket or a bar is optional.
What good looks like
- Dip your knees as the ball comes up, then jump straight up rather than forward, so the energy goes into the shot.
- Bring the ball to your set point with the elbow up while you are still rising, so the release comes out of the jump.
- Release at or just before the top of your jump, extending the arm fully and finishing high.
- Land balanced on or near the spot you took off from, holding the follow-through until you land.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
Not really jumping
A shot taken with barely any lift loses the power from the legs. Use your legs to leave the floor and let the release come out of the jump.
Releasing on the way down
If the ball leaves after the top of the jump, the shot has lost its base. Aim to release at or just before the top.
Drifting forward or sideways
Landing far from where you took off usually means the jump was not straight. Go up, and come down on the same spot.
What Formanti checks on your jump shot
Judged once the shot has finished, with the hold of your follow-through timed.
- Release: at least 138°. arm fully extended at the release
- Release: at least 120°. shoot up, not out: the arm finishes high
- Follow-through: at least 0.45 s. hold the follow-through until the ball reaches the rim
- Landing: up to 0.6× your torso. finish where you started
- Jump: at least 0.2× your torso. jump: the hips leave the floor
- Jump (a tip, never a fault): at least -0.25 s. release at, or just before, the top of your jump
Your legs and your set point
Where the shot starts: do your knees bend, and is your elbow up before you push.
- Legs: 12–70°. bend your knees: the shot starts in your legs
- Set point: 70–150°. elbow up to about eye level before you shoot
What you hear and see when you are off
Use your legs: bend your knees as the shot starts
The coach says: “Bend your knees”
On screen: Use your legs: bend your knees as the shot starts.
Drill: Chair shooting: start each shot from lightly touching a chair seat with your hips, rise and release in one motion. 10 close-range shots.
Get your elbow up before you shoot
The coach says: “Elbow up”
On screen: Get your elbow up before you shoot.
Drill: Wall set-point holds: stand side-on to a wall, lift into your set point and hold for 2 seconds, 10 times, then shoot.
Extend your arm all the way
The coach says: “Extend all the way”
On screen: Extend your arm all the way.
Drill: One-hand form shooting from 1 metre: 15 shots, freeze each one with your arm fully straight.
Shoot up, not out
The coach says: “Shoot up”
On screen: Shoot up, not out.
Drill: Shoot over a raised hand (or a broom held up by a friend) from close range: 10 shots.
Hold your follow-through
The coach says: “Hold the follow-through”
On screen: Hold your follow-through.
Drill: Freeze drill: hold every follow-through for a count of two. 10 shots.
Land where you took off
The coach says: “Land on the spot”
On screen: Land where you took off.
Drill: Put a line under your feet and take 10 shots, landing on the line.
Jump into the shot
The coach says: “Jump into it”
On screen: Jump into the shot.
Drill: Two-foot jumps up to your set point and back down, 10 times, then 10 shots from close range.
Release at the top of your jump
The coach says: “Release at the top”
On screen: Release at the top of your jump.
Drill: Slow-motion jump shots: count 'up' as you rise and release on the way to the top. 10 shots.
Drills you can do alone
- Two-foot jumps to your set point: jump straight up, reach your set point at the top, and land on the same mark, ten times, then ten shots from close range.
- Slow-motion jump shots: say 'up' as you rise and release on the way to the top, so the timing becomes a habit, and check the replay on your phone.
How to set up your phone
Phone at chest height, 3 to 4 metres away, side-on, your shooting hand nearest to it, with room above your hands. A ball is optional. It all runs on your phone and nothing is uploaded. Filmed from the front the phone can count your shots but not judge them.
Guide values, new and not yet checked against real players. It doesn't see the ball, the hoop, or whether a shot goes in. Whether your elbow is under the ball needs a camera behind you: from the side it can't judge that. Your base (feet width and alignment) can't be judged from the side. A fadeaway or a deliberate lean is not flagged: lean is not judged on a jump shot.
Frequently asked questions
How high should I jump on a jump shot?
Only as high as you can stay balanced and still release at the top. A small, controlled jump you can repeat beats a big jump that sends you drifting.
Does the coach judge a fadeaway or a leaning shot?
No. A deliberate lean is not flagged on a jump shot, because players lean on purpose. It checks the jump, your legs, your release and your follow-through.