Drive from Wing to Middle Jump Shot
By Hal Wissel
Creating a jump shot by driving from the wing to the middle is easier for most players when dribbling to the strong-hand side. From a triple-threat stance, make an aggressive drive step. Keeping your weight on your pivot foot, create space away from your defender by pushing your dribble out with your outside hand (the hand away from the defender). Protect the ball with your inside hand and your body. When dribbling, always keep your eyes on your target just over the front of the rim. Use at least two dribbles. Align your shooting side knee with the ball as you jump behind the ball. Pick the ball up in front of your shooting-side knee with your shooting hand on top of the ball and with your non-shooting (balance) hand under the ball. When your shooting hand is on top of the ball, your shooting hand will face the rim when you raise the ball to shoot. By picking the ball up at your shooting side knee, you are able to change sideward momentum to upward momentum and jump straight up on your shot, rather than float to the side. Shoot a jump shot and land in the same spot. Exaggerate your follow-through until the ball reaches the basket.
Driving from the wing to the middle for a jump shot is more difficult when going to your weak-hand side, because you will have farther to go in order to pick up the ball in front of your shooting-side knee. To help you pick up the ball in the correct spot and align your shooting-side knee with the ball, you should use a crossover dribble to your shooting-side knee on your last dribble.
Drive from Wing to Middle Jump Shot