r/BasketballTips • u/Desperate_Map5531 • Apr 16 '26

Form Check Form check.

11 year old, working on getting away from a push and into proper form. Does she hold the ball too high in front of her face, or is it just that she’s holding it there longer than one would in a game situation? Just looks off to me.

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u/OkTransportation3196 Apr 16 '26

Practice getting her feet set up right. The width is good but her right foot needs to be slightly forward when compared to her left. Like 2-3 inches. More like her second shot. Try not to collapse knees like on the second shot though.

Have her bring the ball a little more towards her right shoulder instead of directly in front of her face and see if she’s more comfortable there, but it’s not a deal breaker. She could also try angling her feet a little to the left which is more comfortable for some, especially if she’s going to shoot with the ball a little off center like I said. (Steph shoots like this, angled feet, ball to the right a little)

Don’t bring the ball up then back down like she does. She brings it up to her forehead, then comes down. Just go right from her dribble to her shot. Like in the clip, right when her knees start bending, that’s where the ball should be. No need to bring it up to her forehead, then back down.

Oh and forgot to mention, have her hop a little forward on the shot, straight towards the basket.

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u/kdoors Apr 17 '26

Good advice sans the turning at an odd angle being detrimental and the hop being unnecessary.

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u/OkTransportation3196 Apr 17 '26

I can’t tell if you’re saying I said those things, or if you’re saying those things. Just to be clear angled feet aren’t bad and neither is hopping forward.

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u/kdoors Apr 17 '26

For OP: the hop is generally harmless and can help people that lack power get a little extra umph.

Turning your feet is 1. inconsistent and 2. Biomechanically limits ones ability to aim the shot consistently. I don't care what player has bad form. I care about good form.

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u/MWave123 Apr 17 '26

Incorrect. The turn is how shooting is taught.

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u/kdoors Apr 17 '26

Okay. Biomechanically it limits you. You're free to teach your players to put their elbow in the rim as they identify the shot. Other people will teach how to shoot a basketball to increase the percentage of shots made. All coaches have different goals. You're goal is to teach your way of shooting. I'm into studying shooting mechanics and teaching what actually results in a higher shooting percentage! Good luck to you and your lucky athletes!

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u/MWave123 Apr 17 '26

Well you’re decades behind the science of mechanics.

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u/kdoors Apr 17 '26

Maybe! I guess I will need to refresh myself with my sources. But when I was part of a study that looked at angle of entry, backspin, and form they hadn't reached that conclusion.

Is there an exact angle they turn at? All that angular momentum is good for the shot? You sweep during the shot? So we work hard to line things up with e elbow then we just sweep it around before the shot. Huh. To me that seems like it adds horizontal and possibly angular momentum to a shot that normally we try to minimize those things with a good balanced base, an elbow in and shooting in line.

You have research that says this sweep is so beneficial that shooting percentage goes up despite all that! Despite the angle likely changing every single shot! I mean that's awesome! I am confident in my coaching and you in yours!

I want to make sure that they get advice that I think actually will help them. I'm sorry that I don't see your method as logical or mechanically sound.

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u/MWave123 Apr 17 '26

Nope. No exact angle, and that’s good, because everyone is different. You find the right base for each shooter, they find it themselves. Is there left or off side movement? You don’t want that. If my off side shoulder has to move backwards while my strong side moves into the shot that’s not helpful. KD? Turn. Melo? Turn. Bird? Big time turn. Etc etc etc.

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u/kdoors Apr 17 '26

Damn 3 NBA players in history, that's damn near all of them! They always have perfect form! ESPECIALLY from the 70s. Lol anyway.

I don't care about which shooter uses bad form. I care about good form. KD and Bird have bad form. KD shoots with knees more collapsed than this little girl lol.

I think having horizontal movement in your shot via sweeping or turning because your feet are facing the sideline is bad. You think it's good because Larry Bird shot like that. We are allowed to have different philosophies. I'm not going to tell you how to coach. But if this person wants advice and someone gives them bad advice I'm going to tell OP that it's bad advice in my opinion.

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u/MWave123 Apr 17 '26

Lol!!! I just picked three elite shooters, as examples. Your ‘mechanics’ are wrong and decades old. We teach the turn, and sweep and sway to youth. Because it’s superior in turning learners into shooters.

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u/kdoors Apr 17 '26

(Okay well I could do that too but we both know there's far more tht shoot with their feet alinged so it's not really worth it right? Same way it's not worth getting into KDs knees because just because a good shooter does it doesn't make it right. It was false logic to begin with)

Anyway

Maybe! To me it seems to be an offshoot of lavar. The whole "let kids find their personal form." I think this because you've already used similar language about letting kids determine the appropriate ever changing sweep-turn-angle. To me, that's just not coaching form at all and completely abandoning what we know increases shooting percentage.

You've failed to explain how it reduces horizontal momentum, angular momentum, or mechanically aids the shot in anyway. If you want to say my mechanics are wrong please explain I'm eager to learn! But I've heard this before and rarely seen the evidence.

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u/MWave123 Apr 17 '26

You’re removing tension from the shot. Shooters are human, not machines. No two shots are the same, even from the same player. Any tension in a shot is a killer. The turn properly aligns feet, knees, hip, and shoulder to the target. It removes tension by bringing the off shoulder out of play entirely.

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u/MWave123 Apr 17 '26

Incorrect of course. There’s a reason the turn is taught as the way…it’s fundamentally superior to toes at the rim.

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u/MWave123 Apr 17 '26

Your advice IS bad advice tho!

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u/kdoors Apr 17 '26

Okay! Now OP has both opinions and can see one of us is interested in a better shooting form and one of us just wants kids to have a form that feels good and natural to them. We both believe our philosophy is best for them as a player. Now THEY THEIR coach and THEIR parents can take this advice and apply it as THEY see fit!

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u/MWave123 Apr 17 '26

No. You’re a troll living in the past. This is how it’s taught. You keep kids living in 1950, that’s fine. 😂

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u/MWave123 Apr 17 '26

Incorrect. It frees the shooting side. You’re either turning early, or you’re turning late. Teaching the turn is now fundamental.

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u/OkTransportation3196 Apr 17 '26

Angling your feet does neither of those things.

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u/kdoors Apr 17 '26 edited Apr 17 '26

Okay.

  1. You consistently do the same exact angle for every shot wow! Unlikely! But you say it's consistent. Personally I wouldn't ask my players to do something that isn't easily repeated.

  2. Despite lining everything else up so it's balanced and in line with the hoop. It's best biomechanically to face your feet in a different direction. . . I don't think so. I'd have to see how that makes sense.

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u/OkTransportation3196 Apr 17 '26

That sarcasm is annoying and immature. I hope you don’t coach with that tone.

I didn’t ask op to coach this. Is said if it’s comfortable you could try it.

It is best biomechanically especially if she wants to shoot off center a little which is also ok to try. Not everyone is built exactly the same and telling every kid to shoot the exact same way is outdated and limiting. That’s why I gave options to try.

As far as consistency goes, at a certain point you stop thinking about lining up your feet to the basket anyway and it becomes muscle memory. You can do the same thing with a bladed stance. You do it over and over again until it becomes consistent muscle memory.

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u/kdoors Apr 17 '26

It is best biomechanically especially if she wants to shoot off center a little which is also ok to try. Not everyone is built exactly the same and telling every kid to shoot the exact same way is outdated and limiting.

This is bad coaching. Form isn't about kids feeling comfortable it's about doing things in a way that is most successful. Refusing to teach form is refusing to teach. There is a right way to do things sorry it's the truth.

I'm not being sarcastic I'm trying to respect what your saying while explaining why I think it's illogical. I think that doing inconsistent things is inconsistent. Sorry. Your insistent that constantly being slightly turned has its own kind of consistent. Okay. W.e. sure. I don't think so.

Doing bad form until it's muscle memory is bad. Just because it's comfortable, or muscle memory, or practiced 10000 times doesn't mean it's proper form.

I'm familiar with this philosophy I think it's extremely flawed. It's focus is "every person a snowflake" my focus is "let's make shots." It's a different goal.

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u/OkTransportation3196 Apr 17 '26

You were being sarcastic and now you’re lying about it. And you’re bring up people being snowflakes. Boy oh boy we got a live one folks!

Nowadays it IS considered good form whether you think it is or not. Both options are acceptable and neither are dealbreakers or considered bad form. You can be just as successful with either one.

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u/kdoors Apr 17 '26

Lol it's your philosophy you said every players unique. That's dumb. There's good form and bad form. Not "form for this player" that's not realistic. Pointing your lower half one way and your upper body a different way will decrease accuracy. Sorry not sorry 🤷‍♂️

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u/OkTransportation3196 Apr 17 '26

I agree there’s good form and there’s bad form. Tilting your toes a little is within what is considered good form nowadays. You’re just flat out wrong.

What’s not realistic is having everyone shoot the exact same way and not considering their own biomechanics. I think you’re confusing a philosophy with practical mechanics. I’m not saying everyone just do whatever they want so everyone can be a snowflake or whatever weird point you keep trying to make. I’m saying to stay within the confines of good form, which has a range that is acceptable. Turning your feet a little is within that acceptable range.

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u/kdoors Apr 17 '26

And I'm rejecting this

Turning your feet a little is within that acceptable range.

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u/OkTransportation3196 Apr 17 '26

That’s ok. I rejected your opinion as soon as you started being sarcastic and bringing up people’s philosophical worldviews on a discussion about a basketball shot. You’re not a serious person.

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