How To Shoot A Fade Away Jump Shot

Knowing how to shoot a fade away jump shot in basketball is a valuable skill. A fade away jumper, in which you lean back and away from the defender, puts a little more distance between you and your opponent, making your shot harder to block. It's important, though, to make sure you have a good standard jump shot before you try to learn how to shoot a fade away jump shot, since good shooting form is essential for both types of jumpers. For a few tips to make your shots harder to block, read on.

1. Maintain the same form with your hands and arms in a fade away jump shot as you would with a traditional jump shot. Eye your target at the rim just as you would normally.
2. Take a short step back and quickly go up with your shot. You're going to be shooting off your back foot instead of your lead foot, which means right-handed players will be shooting off their left foot. It shouldn't feel too uncomfortable, because you jump up with your left foot if you're shooting a right-handed lay up. But it will take some getting used to, so you don't feel awkward shooting as you lean back.
3. Try to jump the same distance back each time you shoot a fade away jump shot. If you jumping back a couple of inches one time and a foot the next time or you're leaning to the right or left, it will be that much harder to hit a fade away jumper with any consistency. Find a distance that's comfortable, yet also effective at giving that extra distance from your defender.
4. Remember that you're shooting from a little farther away from the point you started from than you would with a regular jump shot. That means you're going to have to shoot a little stronger or you'll leave your shot too short. This kind of touch only comes with practice, so if a fade away jump shot is something you want in your arsenal, get out there and practice fade away jumpers from all around the key to find your touch.
5. Try leaning in toward your defender right before you jump back for the fade away. That extra lean-in may help push the defender away just a little more and give you an even greater chance at making a shot without interference. You'll see a lot of big men do it this way, especially if they're shooting near the basket and have a defender close to them.
6. Only use a fade away jump shot when you need to get past a taller defender. You'll almost always have better odds making a jump shot if you go straight up. Some players fall into a pattern of shooting fade away jumpers with every shot and it's just not necessary or as effective as a straight-up jump shot.