How To Shoot A Bank Shot In Basketball

January 4, 2015

Tip #1: If you’re going to shoot a bank shot in basketball you better yell, “Bank!”

I’m just joking, but you know there is nothing worse than playing some lock down defense against someone and they throw up some garbage that banks in and then they try to act like they did it on purpose.

So do everyone a favor and call it when you shoot it 🙂

Of course, if you use the bank shot every single time you have the angle then no call is needed.

Think about Tim Duncan.

He uses the glass alot.

I’m sure he doesn’t call it anymore.

Matter of fact he shoot so many banks that he has to yell “Swish!” when he doesn’t use the glass, lol.

So lets get into the meat of this article and breakdown exactly how to shoot a bank shot.

The Bank Shot Hot Spot

It's never a good idea to shoot a bank shot from the three point territory.

That's just ugly.

So as you can see in the picture above the "bank area" does not extend that far out.

This shot is really all about angles so if you are good in Geometry class you have an advantage 😉 .

You must know when you are in the bank area so that you can use it otherwise you shouldn't even look at the backboard at all while shooting.

This brings us to the next point.

Where on the backboard should the ball hit?

The Bank Shot Sweet Spot

This isn't an exact science because you are not in the exact same spot every time when you shoot it so it varies by inches, but for the most part if you hit the top right of the square with a soft shot you'll make the shot.

Make The Shot Soft

The way you make a bank shot or a layup for that matter soft is by the ball hitting the backboard at the apex of your shot.

The apex is the very top of the arc of your shot before it starts coming back down.

The Complete Bank Shot Breakdown

I hope you enjoyed this short tutorial on how to shoot a bank shot in basketball.

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And if you enjoyed the video please click this link and check out my Youtube channel where I have tons of other tips, drills, and tutorials.

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