Shooting Baskets Is Physics, Not Magic

When we see Stephen Curry knock down 100 three-pointers in a row, it looks like something supernatural. Even professional players are left amazed. But what’s really happening isn't magic—it’s mastery of mechanics.

Shooting the basketball isn’t about superhuman ability. It’s about repeating basic shooting principles that result in reliable outcomes. Once you understand these principles and how they work to make the ball go in the basket, with practice, you too can consistently knock down shots from any distance.

Here are the 4 foundational principles of shooting that can transform your game:

1. Types of Goals and Their Required Trajectories

Different sports require different shooting paths. In hockey and soccer, you shoot forward toward a horizontal goal. But in basketball, we shoot into a vertical goal.

This means every shot must rise into the air—it needs arc. Passing is outward, but shooting is upward. This distinction is critical. When you miss shots, it often comes down to misunderstanding this principle: you’re either not aiming upward enough or your target is inconsistent.

Once you commit to an upward trajectory, your shooting begins to align with the basket’s design.

2. What Is Shooting in Physics?

Shooting isn’t exclusive to basketball—it’s a universal physical action used to launch an object in a specific direction. Think of pulling back the lever on an old pinball machine, striking a cue ball in pool, or firing a handgun. Each involves a controlled mechanism that sends something flying.

In basketball, shooting works the same way. When you form an “L” with your shooting arm and extend at the elbow, the ball in your hand is launched in the direction it’s facing. That elbow is your fulcrum—your point of leverage, like the middle of a seesaw.

If the ball is tilted upward, it will rise. If it’s pointed forward, it will move forward. The key is to control the angle of your forearm and where the ball is aimed. Once you understand that your arm is a lever and your elbow is the pivot, you’re already thinking like a physics-minded shooter.

3. Target, Angle, and Distance

Target

You need a visual anchor. Your aim shouldn’t just be “the basket”—it should be the front of the rim. That’s your launch point. Due to inertia (objects in motion staying in motion), aiming just before the rim allows the ball to travel through the hoop, rather than clanking off the back.

Aiming at the back of the rim can often overshoot your shot. Focus your eyes on the front rim, and let momentum do the rest. Remember, if the ball is going up then targeting the front rim will be its 1st stop on the way down, and due to forward motion of the ball, it will travel slightly further into the nest.

Angle

Every angle on the floor requires a specific adjustment. The wing, the corner, the top of the key—all offer different looks. Each position has a corresponding link on the front rim that lines up with your body’s orientation. Practice seeing these visual cues on the front rim and targeting them so your body and vision can calibrate to each spot. Repetition breeds familiarity.

Distance

Shooting from various distances is a skill that must be developed intentionally. Ever notice the hash marks along the key and the free throw line extended? These aren’t just decorations—they’re training tools.

Start at the first hash. Master the distance from there at each angle. Then, gradually step back, one hash at a time. As your range increases, the closer shots will become second nature. Eventually, you’ll shoot from NBA range with comfort—because you’ve built up to it.

Distance is developed over time and space, literally. Even Einstein knew this!

4. Foundation: Using Your Body Effectively

Your legs are your energy source. Without support from your base, your shot loses power.

To transfer energy into your shot legs must be engaged. Whether stationary or moving, a controlled drop into your stance gives you just enough balance and energy to power the shot motion. It's not about jumping high—it's about using your legs for balance, energy, and support.

I like to call it "getting your legs".

Velocity matters. Whether it’s a spot-up jumper, a pull-up, or a turnaround, each shot has its own rhythm and sequence. Discovering that rhythm is the result of practice. But the principle is constant: the shot comes from the ground up.

Conclusion: Shooting Is Simple—If You Understand It

If you commit to these four principles—physics, trajectory, targeting, and foundation—you will discover that shooting is not complicated. The game itself is perfect. It doesn’t need to be changed. We just need to align ourselves with its truths.

You’re not broken if you’re missing shots. You just need knowledge and development. That’s why I teach these mechanics in both shooting and passing—it reveals the simple physics behind them.

Master these mechanics, and you’ll shoot with purpose, precision, and peace.

Shalom.

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