Steph Curry is one of the greatest basketball players of all time and is the greatest shooter of all time and it’s not even close. However, when you think about what was taught in past generations when it comes to shooting form, Steph Curry defies all of the old teaching points. 

What Makes Steph Curry so Unique?

We don’t believe that what used to be taught is wrong, we just don’t think that there can be a one size fits all shot.

That is exactly why we highly encourage shooters to build their shot off of what they feel like is comfortable, and then to adapt their shot to make sure that they have a few of the NECESSARY shooting mechanics. This is the best and easiest way to become a great shooter. 

Here we are going to have a full breakdown of what Steph looks like shooting the basketball, key points in his shot, how it differs from what used to be taught, and why he’s able to be the best! If you want to know some of what he does, you can check out the article below. 

HOW TO SHOOT LIKE STEPHEN CURRY: FULL BREAKDOWN

Before we start realize that Steph has shot this way since high school and by repetition has become the greatest of all time.

Alignment

Steph has it so that his body is slightly off centered towards the hoop. However, every part of his body is facing the same way. His toes point the same way as his knees, which are aligned with his hips, which continues all the way up to his chest and shoulders. So although he may not be directly facing the hoop, his whole body is in unison. 

The turn

When you watch videos of Steph, or just see a picture, it almost looks as if he turns when he shoots. This is more of an illusion. It’s just because his body is facing slightly to the left of the rim, and his shoulder and elbow come straight up at the rim. This causes it to look like a major turn when in reality it´s more of a slight twist. 

The stance

Steph Curry shoots with all ten toes facing left of the bucket. Now for shooters who shoot like him that is perfectly fine. As long as the body works in unison there is no problem. But Steph faces slightly left of the target and he has a narrow stance for his feet that is slightly narrower than shoulder width. Old teachers would say this is bad, but as long as you can be explosive through the jump and have good balance than it is perfectly okay.  

The dip

This has been a divisive idea for quite some time, but if Steph does it than it can’t all be bad. The idea of the dip isn’t as much as a person needing to dip to shoot further, it’s the idea that when Steph, in particular, is catching the ball he brings it to his shooting pocket every time. This builds consistency, this builds rhythm, this also helps a player (when the pocket is lower - like Steph’s) to shoot from long distance. So when you watch a video of Steph, notice how he brings the ball (or “dips”) to the same point in every single one of his shots. 

Hand position

Steph has pretty basic hand positioning when it comes to shooting. Where Steph does set himself apart is how close the back of his hand can get to his forearm, meaning how flexed he can make it. This is important because it’s one of the main reasons for his deep 3 pointers.

Other key factors of his hands are that he gets his shooting hand under the ball as quick and early as possible, and his fingers on his guide hand are on the top of the ball. This is good because it allows him to have more pressure down on the basketball to ensure greater recoil and to keep the ball centered through the entire shot. 

Set Point

When you talk about Steph’s set point, its where is the ball in relation to everything else when his tricep is perpendicular to the ground. Steph does a really good job of making sure that angle is as small as possible. Having his bicep and his forearm touch. 

Follow Thru

When he follows through he gets a great snap of the wrist, mainly in part to all of the stuff mentioned above, but also because he snaps his fingers down to the ground. Most people stop after they’ve snapped their wrist, but as soon as they start snapping their pointer and middle finger down to the ground and letting the wrist follow, they will notice a breakthrough kind of like Steph Curry. 

WHY SHOOTING FORM IS SO IMPORTANT IN BASKETBALL

Knowing how to shoot jump shots for you personally is so important. If you ever come across a basketball coach or trainer that forces everyone to shoot the same way they don’t know what they are talking about. 

There is a reason that the two greatest shooters of all time (IMO) ,Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, shoot completely different from one another. 

Klay is your prototypical shooter whose shot path (how the ball moves up his body) is what coaches have been teaching for decades by having them come up the side of their body and shoot above their shoulder with their body square to the hoop.

Steph is the opposite. He shoots from the center of his body, with a slight turn left from the hoop, and starts his shot lower. This is newer, this is different, and this works!

However, both of them have a good shot and GREAT FORM! Find what works for you but keep some of the necessities as necessities. 

IN BASKETBALL, SHOOTING FORM IS ESSENTIAL

Whether you’re shooting a jump shot from the mid range, a free throw, a 3 pointer, or you’re trying to shoot from deep like Steph Curry your shot needs to be the same every time. Your ball path needs to be the same every time. Your body needs consistency if you want to have any chance of becoming a great shooter! 

We want to help you out. Our shooting coach is the best around. Dante played college and professional basketball and was known for his ability to shoot, shoot from deep, and shoot at a high percentage.

In college he broke numerous shooting records by making over 3 3’s a game, over 100 in a season, and shooting 38% with that volume while shooting over 50% on catch and shoot 3’s. 

Dante has worked with athletes of all kinds with their shot and has helped countless people raise their shooting percentages. His most recent success story was a Sophomore in college whose coach wouldn’t let them shoot 3’s because they only shot 21% as a Sophomore and 18% as a freshman.

AFTER ONE SUMMER of working with our coach, they raised their percentage to 42%!!!!

Start Your Journey to Shooting 42%

Conclusion

We want that same success story for you.

However, you could live far away or not have the resources to pay for a consistent trainer. That is why our app is the best thing for you. You can work with Dante through our app, and he can help you increase your percentages just like the athlete above. It’s not out of reach and it’s much cheaper than any of the alternatives. 

Come over and join us at My Basketball Academy and LETS GET BETTER TOGETHER!

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