Editing Basketball (section)

===Shooting===
[[File:Navy Midshipmen women's basketball shot.jpg|thumb|upright|Player releases a short jump shot, while her defender is either knocked down, or trying to "take a charge".]]

Shooting is the act of attempting to score points by throwing the ball through the basket, methods varying with players and situations.

Typically, a player faces the basket with both feet facing the basket. A player will rest the ball on the fingertips of the dominant hand (the shooting arm) slightly above the head, with the other hand supporting the side of the ball. The ball is usually shot by jumping (though not always) and extending the shooting arm. The shooting arm, fully extended with the wrist fully bent, is held stationary for a moment following the release of the ball, known as a ''follow-through''. Players often try to put a steady backspin on the ball to absorb its impact with the rim. The ideal trajectory of the shot is somewhat controversial, but generally a proper arc is recommended. Players may shoot directly into the basket or may use the backboard to redirect the ball into the basket.

[[File:Basketball through hoop.jpg|thumb|left|Basketball falling through hoop]]

The two most common shots that use the above described setup are the ''[[set shot (basketball)|set shot]]'' and the ''[[Jump shot (basketball)|jump shot]]''. Both are preceded by a crouching action which [[Isometric exercise#Isometric presses as preparation for explosive power movements|preloads]] the muscles and increases the power of the shot. In a set shot, the shooter straightens up and throws from a standing position with neither foot leaving the floor; this is typically used for free throws. For a jump shot, the throw is taken in mid-air with the ball being released near the top of the jump. This provides much greater power and range, and it also allows the player to elevate over the defender. Failure to release the ball before the feet return to the floor is considered a traveling violation.

Another common shot is called the ''[[layup]]''. This shot requires the player to be in motion toward the basket, and to "lay" the ball "up" and into the basket, typically off the backboard (the backboard-free, underhand version is called a ''[[finger roll]]''). The most crowd-pleasing and typically highest-percentage accuracy shot is the ''[[slam dunk]]'', in which the player jumps very high and throws the ball downward, through the basket while touching it.

[[File:Dunk.gif|thumb|Slow-motion animation of a dunk]]

Another shot that is less common than the layup, is the "circus shot". The circus shot is a low-percentage shot that is flipped, heaved, scooped, or flung toward the hoop while the shooter is off-balance, airborne, falling down or facing away from the basket. A back-shot is a shot taken when the player is facing away from the basket, and may be shot with the dominant hand, or both; but there is a very low chance that the shot will be successful.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 17, 2016 |title=WATCH: Curry pulls off circus shot and gets a foul |url=https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/11/17/16/watch-curry-pulls-off-circus-shot-and-gets-a-foul |access-date=January 8, 2021 |website=ABS-CBN News |language=en}}</ref>

A shot that misses both the rim and the backboard completely is referred to as an ''[[air ball]]''. A particularly bad shot, or one that only hits the backboard, is jocularly called a [[brick (basketball)|brick]]. The ''hang time'' is the length of time a player stays in the air after jumping, either to make a slam dunk, layup or jump shot.