Shooting

Shooting a basketball successfully over a long period requires a consistent technique and superior athletic ability. Analysts refer to this as a "repeatable stroke." As of 2011, Ray Allen is regarded by many as one of the best pure shooters in the NBA. He has won several awards during his career, including the Three-Point Shooting competition during basketball's All-Star Weekend. Many professional analysts credit Allen's consistent technique for his success.

Lift

Allen emphasizes getting significant lift on every jump shot. If you cannot jump, taller opponents will block your shot. Practice your shot from all over the court while moving and from a set position. Because fatigue often sets in, Allen does not jump as high as he can each time, instead, practice jumping the same height on every shot, even when your legs are tired.

Follow Through

Many coaches instruct shooters to follow their shot, but Allen, like all pure shooters, holds his follow through after shooting. Your arm should be straight and your wrist should be severely bent with your fingers pointing to the floor. Rushing through your follow through can lead to flipping the wrist instead of following through completely. A poor follow-through affects the rotation of the ball, which can change not just the way the ball moves through the air, but also how the ball reacts if it bounces on the rim. Proper follow-through causes the ball to bounce softly on contact with the rim, creating what many refer to as a "shooter's bounce."

Hands

Hand placement has a significant effect on your shot. Your nonshooting hand stabilizes the ball in the shooting hand, but otherwise does nothing. Pushing with your nonshooting hand can cause the ball to drift to the side, and will at least affect the rotation of the ball. The fingers on your shooting hand should be spread comfortably across the ball's surface, and only your fingers should be touching the ball. Do not let the ball sit in the palm of your hand. As you shoot, flick your wrist, pushing the ball off of your fingers as you follow through.

Drills

Perfecting your technique takes practice. It is not uncommon for even the best shooters to practice their technique with 1,000 shots each day. Allen uses games with teammates to make the drills fun. Running from one end of the free throw line to the other, you can catch a pass from a teammate and shoot each time you reach the end of the line. Compete with your teammate to see who can make the most shots. This drill allows you to take relatively short shots to perfect technique while also forcing you to shoot as fatigue sets in.