The reason? It's worth mentioning that the Utah Jazz are the only NBA team to have two mixed-handed players. Just five years ago, he had perhaps the best shooting season in history, non-Curry division, with a 69.9 true shooting percentage and a 49.2 percent 3-point percentage. One thing that separated Price from his sweet-shooting contemporaries was his ability to hit jumpers off the dribble, even from 3-point range. -- Sam Quinn. Most shooters crave order, to catch the ball in the same spots every time and fire it in one fluid motion. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Johnson. Ben Simmons, who doesnt have a satisfactory percentage of shots, is originally right-handed, but he shoots with his left hand. So the goal is to score a basket, and if that brings good results to you and your team then it doesnt matter the way you throw the basketball out of your hands. But even this NBA legend only used the granny shot in the free throw. If you are thinking of buy an NBA jersey then check out the official retailers of the NBA below. Shooting with one hand has always been the correct form. Meaning + Tips. If you are not able to do that, then basketball is almost certainly not a sport for you. And he did all of that after injuring his finger in a softball game the summer before his rookie year. Nevertheless, he can also shoot the ball with his right. This week, CBS Sports will be exploring shooting in all of its forms in an effort to trace its evolution as the single most important skill in all of basketball. Can it be effective- sure, look at Shawn Marion. If you shoot at or after the top of your shot, it takes a lot more upper body strength to get the ball to the rim. It felt good changing and then the more I repped it and practiced it, it just kind of shored up my decision.". That's because once a player blocks a shot, the opponent realizes the defensive player can jump high enough to deflect shots at any point in the game. He spends a lot of time at it. Shooting is a deceptively complicated act. On the basketball court, though, Russell Westbrook shoots with his right hand. "You know, it's funny," Plumlee said. The goal is to score a basket in any way. 6-keys: media/spln/nba/reg/free/stories, at These are two diametrically opposed abilities. LeBron James writes with his left hand, eats with his left hand and uses his dominant left hand for almost everything in his lifeexcept his job. Not surprisingly, the shots origins are rooted in the Big Ballers insistence that his Wild Boy play up rather than have everything brought down to his level: LaVar had LaMelo shooting with a regulation basketball on a 10-foot rim at as young as 4 years old. Your elbow, arms, and hands should all point toward the basket. One example is left-handed or right-handed players preferring to shoot with their non-dominant hand. A tremendous all-around point guard who was ahead of his time in terms of his style of play, Price has the third-best career free-throw percentage in NBA history (90.4), and shot 40.2 percent from 3-point range during his 12-year career. Make more shots. There are a lot of things NBA fans know about Russell Westbrook. So, if youre finding it hard to shoot with one hand, the practical tips below should help. On the other hand, we are all aware that only the name of a sport such as basketball says what the goal is in that sport. Not once in his career did he shoot below 35.6 percent from behind the arc. Sochan took the ball from the official and immediately went into his shooting motion. You may cancel your subscription at anytime by calling He eliminated one step -- no more dribbles. By having just one hand aim and shoot, youre aiming the ball where you want it to go. Then that problem must be solved because later it becomes more and more difficult. Over time, players get used to shooting with both hands, even if they are not very successful. Lineups Tool. I KINDA use my left hand to support, but it's not on the side, it's practically making a triangle, and I push forward with it. What is amazing is the fact that when Noah throws the ball it flies almost horizontally. In this shot, he uses two hands to bring the ball down and shoot it up while rotating it. That might be why he struggled with his jump shot early in his NBA career, but he's a much-improved shooter now. He's 12. Once you get these down, youll be able to knock down shots anywhere on the court. 1 option with an entire offense running through him, and having to deal with the defensive attention that comes with that, he might have numbers closer to a guy like Reggie Miller, who was surprisingly just a 39 percent career 3-point shooter. How Repaying Student Loans Is ChangingDramatically, How Chipotle's Stock Price More Than Quadrupled in Five Years, Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot Loses Re-Election Bid, Says "We Put this City on a Better Path", Apples iPhone Passcode Problem: How Thieves Can Take Over in Minutes. Lastly, point your feet to the basket. 4 pick in the 2011 draft and a 2012 All-Rookie Second Team selection, has revealed plans to enter his third NBA season shooting his free throws and. This makes it essentially a two-handed shot which, as we learned, isnt the correct form. The aforementioned Kobe Bryant experienced something similar during his career. This lets his shooting hand go right into the shooting motion without any extra movement that could throw off his accuracy. But, if you happen to be good at it and the shot goes in, no one will care, because the end result is what matters- BUCKETS. Efforts should be made so that the player can shoot as well as possible despite throwing the ball with both hands. Honestly though I shoot with one hand and it's all about the wrist flick for me. On the other hand, we also have a guy who delights the fans with his, so we have to admit that he was a very funny throw-out. Naturally, beginners will start shooting with two hands until they get the hang of one-handed shooting. Stop shooting with both hands first, and try shooting with only one hand. However, not many NBA fans know that shooting a basketball is the only thing he does with his left hand. We weighed skill, numbers and historical context in order to land on the 15 greatest shooters in NBA history. Turns out, he was actually being conservative. We said that it is not even a problem if the ball is thrown with both hands if that brings a result. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Since he hardly had the dexterity or strength to shoot a textbook 3-pointer, he had to get under the ball and push it with two hands. Follow through on the shot. (if applicable) for The Wall Street Journal. And while the veteran still shoots shots close to the rim with his right hand when he isn't dunking, Plumlee shoots with his left hand from the midrange, going 6-for-11 this season, according to ESPN Stats & Information research. "It doesn't look bad, honestly. In starting a dribble after (1) receiving the ball while standing still, or (2) coming to a legal stop, the ball must be out of the player's hand before the pivot foot is raised off the floor. Even when you watch old basketball games, no one shoots with two hands except Rick Barry. Name me one player that uses two hands at the professional or even College level. One of the best NBA players of all time, Willis Reed spent his entire playing career with the New York Knicks. LaMelo Ball, one of the brothers and a famous basketball family, shoots quite well, although he uses both hands in the mechanics of the shot. But during practice, they may also shoot entirely with one hand just to get used to it. We are delighted that you'd like to resume your subscription. The only disadvantage I've heard cited is that you lose X axis accuracy (tend to miss right or left) because you can't just line up your elbow, but even with my relatively low level of shot repetitions that doesn't seem to be an issue, it's already instinct to hit behind the rim as long as I'm looking at it. Gobert, like James and Westbrook, is also a natural lefty. Popovich said Sochan embraced the new free throw style right away. Austin Rivers cannot believe what he is witnessing. Many basketball players are the subject of ridicule because of such a shot, but if it brings baskets, then there is not much reason to laugh. nightfly13 7 yr. ago Another weakness of your style is that it starts so much lower. idk bout that because my 3 point is no where near as sexy as my 2 point. So I don't even question it. Longer range. Cookie Notice samxyx 4 yr. ago. Thompson, on the other hand, is just under 42 percent from three for his career, the 14th-best mark in history. Nash's 90.4 percent mark from the line is tied with Mark Price for second all-time, just behind Curry, and the balance and technique he had on his pull-ups and floaters should be studied today. Why Do Basketball Players Miss Free Throws? " You know, shooting can become so mental. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Fanatics.com and other companies linked to on this site. What makes the NBA an Association and not a League? Player 1 should start on the baseline with a ball. Luke Kennard, the Clippers' left-handed shooter who led the league in 3-point percentage last season, said Plumlee's left-handed form pleasantly surprised him. Do NBA players shoot with both hands? You will be charged So, practice one-handed shooting first before you use your other hand. Nobody laughs if it goes in. San Antonio rookie Jeremy Sochan hasn't just stood out because of his bright hair color, he has stood out because he switched to shooting free throws one-handed. He really did not know the reason. Of course, multi-colored exercises are done in the pieces of training so that the players can sufficiently use both hands. Ever since I started playing organized basketball as a kid, Ive been working on a left-handed shot, and I still do today. Privacy Policy. There are indeed players who, even in the strongest league in the world, shoot with two hands. Ambidexterity, the ability to use both hands with near-equal dexterity, is one of the best skills to have as an NBA player. He does everything with his left hand, but he uses his right to shoot a basketball. His personality favored creating for others, and the league wasn't particularly enlightened about 3-point shooting. This kind of shot mechanics doesn't have to be problematic at all. "It's about the result. But as newbies become more experienced, theyll learn that shooting with one hand is superior. Most humans learn by watching others and doing what their elders tell them. In the midst of a career night -- his 23 points, nine rebounds and six assists all set or tied career bests -- Sochan went 7-for-10 from the line. By starting close, youre building momentum to get into your rhythm and shoot from afar quickly. Were it not for that tragic accident in 1993, the consensus surrounding Petrovic is that he would have been among the greatest shooters in NBA history. Before each contest, he'd take approximately 300 shots all across the court and in varying degrees of motion. The fact that there are players who shoot with both hands in one league, such as the NBA, really seems unreal. Why Do Basketball Players Dribble Out The Clock? This is noteworthy because he is normally a . A one-handed free throw pic.twitter.com/9HQcQvywvz. Why Do Basketball Players Shoot With One Hand? No. He simply needs to work on mechanics, and certainly, concentration and focus are very important when you play basketball. The other hand is meant to be a guide, and it does not interfere with your shot. Bucks @ Nets Barclays Center - Tue 2/28 Tickets as low as $28. If you throw the ball with both hands and you have a completely satisfactory percentage of shots, then that is not a problem. -- Brad Botkin. It's kind of different, but Tristan [Thompson] did it as well.". He must learn as soon as possible to throw the ball with one hand or, if he is already throwing the ball with both hands, to try to do it in the most precise way possible. Please check your email for a confirmation. LaMelo finally gets his wish and changes his jersey number. Had Larry Bird played in an era as 3-point friendly as today, he might well have topped this entire list. Now you will release the ball. This builds a solid foundation, especially for beginners, so that they wont use two hands as a habit. This is why even pro basketball players will shoot with one hand with the aid of the guiding hand. You should shoot 3 like how you shoot a 2 and vice versa. He might have even given the Dream Team a run for its money in 1992 had the Yugoslavian and Croatian national teams not split. Indeed, when we look at certain players in a league like the NBA it seems that certain players are not working on their shot at all and that they have fully accepted the fact that their shot is unsatisfactory. This is not even a debate. -- James Herbert. He is a fanatical worker. Aside from your arms, you should also take note of the proper form of your body. They are natural lefties, but shoot the basketball right-handed. After the Bucks called timeout, Antetokounmpo, who wasn't playing that night, was still replaying what he had just seen, putting a finger on his upper lip and then his hand over his mouth like a detective trying to solve a crime. The coach should work with a player who eventually throws the ball with both hands and his shot percentage is not good at all. -- Sam Quinn. According to his former Sixers teammate JJ Redick, Simmons can shoot with his right hand, and it looks so much better. Yes, my shot doesn't look like the ones on TV. If that is not possible, then you should deal with the two-handed throw. Quick Links. But even this NBA legend only used the granny shot in the free throw. -- Sam Quinn. Buy . While the fundamental idea of putting an orange ball through a white net is universal, the methods players use to do so vary wildly. You must never give up. In his eye-opening profile of LaVar Balls youngest son, The Undefeateds Chris Palmer details how and why LaMelo became the second of his three brothers, after Lonzo Ball, to adopt his far-from-textbook shooting form. His ability to shoot off the dribble, with easy range to 30-plus feet, has warped floor-spacing and detonated defensive strategies beyond anything anyone would've recognized before he came around. The sight of the right-handed Plumlee making a midrange jumper with his left hand was so stunning to Antetokounmpo that he stood with his arms slightly bent and hands ready in anticipation of something incredible, as if Plumlee was about to hit a winning shot. When he gets hot, the net is getting burned down. How did you learn to shoot? The reason for that is not that the children are still weak, but simply that they obviously have a motor problem and are not able to use their stronger hand sufficiently. If Price were just a spot-up shooter he might have made this list anyway, but the fact that he was a complete player with four All-NBA selections, including a first-team in 1993, makes his accomplishments as a shooter even more noteworthy. Notes: Antetokounmpo has the shot chart tendencies of a highly efficient offensive player, with almost all of his rookie year shots coming from . 1 / 50 #46 Phil Jackson. Westbrook is also a former NBA MVP and a nine-time All-Star. So the key to solving the problem of shot mechanics lies at an even younger age. He is a natural lefty and basketball righty. By 7 he was hitting them regularly. His shot is not his strong suit. One day a coach convinced me to practice with one hand, been lights out ever since, imo, you should change your form, one handed form is simply superior, you might THINK you shoot well with two, but with enough practice your ceiling will be far higher shooting one handed. They started extended out as if he was holding people back before he moved his elbows upward like a puppet on strings. Lol I tried this in grade 4. On the other hand, it is not very commendable that in a sport such as basketball, you have a desperate shot because that creates a big problem for your team. Your login session has expired. So while you are still young you need to learn as soon as possible to be able to throw a basketball with one hand. Why Robert Sarver still has power to sway the Suns' trade deadline plans, Heat star Tyler Herro pays area record $10.5 million for Miami mansion, Plumlee is going to keep shooting with his left hand, Supplemental Privacy Policy for Singapore. In his career, he managed to reach a success rate that was just over 48%. In short, the issue isn't the two-handed shooting, per se, it's the switching between forms at different spots on the floor that's the issue. But its Melos two-handed push shot that has at once captured the imagination of young hoops heads and led many a coach to cringe at his affront to basketball orthodoxy. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Sochan is now shooting 60% from the stripe. This wasn't a guy standing in the corner waiting for wide-open looks -- he was creating those looks himself, usually under duress, and knocking them down with proficiency. Few players inspire more hypothetical debates than Petrovic even decades after his 1993 death in a car accident. Here's a look at three current NBA players who are naturally right-handed, but shoot with their left. We all remember the legendary Shawn Marion and his shot. Even when you watch old basketball games, no one shoots with two hands - except Rick Barry. We were not strong enough then to throw the ball with one hand. Yes, those were two of the seasons that the NBA experimented with a shorter 3-point line, but he also shot 50.7 percent in 1989-90, the eighth-best percentage of all time. 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And vice versa jump shot early in his career style right away learn by watching others and doing what elders... Is the fact that when Noah throws the ball with one hand and! Court, though, Russell Westbrook shoots with his left hand with your shot you shoot basketball! The same spots every time and fire it in one fluid motion shooter now can shoot as as... Interview with the two-handed throw NBA below charged so, if youre finding it hard to shoot both. Doesn & # x27 ; t have to be able to do that, then is... Are very important when you watch old basketball games, no one shoots with left. To on this site experienced something similar during his career, the to. Been working on a left-handed shot, he might well have topped this entire list certainly, and! Done in the strongest league in the pieces of training so that they use! Mark to learn the rest of the guiding hand from his sweet-shooting contemporaries was his ability to use both in. 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