The shooting hand arm consists of the shoulder, elbow, and wrist, which work together to play a critical role in both power generation and control during the shot. While many coaches emphasize the legs as the primary source of power in a shot (and they are an important contributor), evidence shows that a significant portion of the power in the shot comes from the shooting hand arm.

The three key joints—the shoulder, elbow, and wrist—must coordinate with two primary goals in mind:

1. To position the shooting hand underneath and slightly behind the ball at the set point, enabling the player to push the ball upward and forward toward the hoop.
2. To generate enough power while maintaining hand positioning at the set point.

If the shoulder, elbow, and wrist do not work in sync, three common problems can occur:

• The shooting hand might move too far behind the ball, causing the ball to be pushed more forward than upward, affecting the trajectory.
• The ball may curve as it moves out of the set point, making distance control more difficult.
• A lack of upward force from the arms could diminish the overall power of the shot.

Any of these issues will significantly reduce a player’s shooting consistency. To avoid this, the joints must function smoothly together to create both upward and forward force during the shot.

Sequential Joint Motion

To generate power and consistency, the shot should begin with a flexed or neutral wrist, a flexed elbow, and a neutral shoulder. In this position, the ball is low enough in the player’s body to allow for the necessary power generation.

As the player lifts the ball:

• The shoulder begins to extend, lifting the ball upward.
• The elbow remains flexed to keep the ball close to the body.
• The wrist gradually moves towards a flexed position as the ball rises toward the set point, typically around nose or forehead height.

Once at the set point:

• The shoulder continues extending, providing upward force.
• The elbow begins to extend, pushing the ball up and away from the set point.

Through this motion, it’s crucial that the shoulder and elbow are synchronized, allowing the hand to remain at the bottom of the ball, with the wrist flexed. This positioning ensures that the shooter maintains control over the ball and generates the correct amount of power and spin.

As the shoulder and elbow near full extension, the wrist snaps, moving from a flexed to a fully extended position. This wrist action creates the backspin necessary for a controlled shot, ensuring the middle of the hand releases the middle of the ball in a straight line toward the target.

Front Perspective: Hand and Elbow Alignment

From the front view, the shooting hand starts near the top of the basketball in the triple-threat position. As the player lifts, the hand transitions toward the back of the ball, eventually positioning itself underneath the ball at the set point.

It is critical that the middle of the player’s hand is directly under the middle of the ball at the set point, just before the ball accelerates toward the hoop. While many emphasize getting the elbow under the ball, this is less important than ensuring that the middle of the hand is correctly aligned. As long as the hand is properly positioned, the elbow can fall naturally, as long as it moves in a straight line as the shot unfolds.

Both the wrist and elbow of the shooting hand should appear to lift in a straight line out of the set point when viewed from the front, ensuring that the ball follows a clean trajectory toward the target.