Basketball Hook Shot

The Hook Shot

In the book An Insiders Guide to Basketball by Forest G Campbell and Fred Ramen they mention the hook shot. For some people (shorter point guards and shooting guards) the hook shot is a very difficult shot to practice. It is difficult because it requires you are shooting the ball with one arm sideways. This means that you're body is not squared to the basket. But because it is hard to practice and make, it is also very hard to guard somebody who has perfected this shot. Generally players who have bigger hands, longer arms, and who are taller are practical for using this type of shot because it makes it harder for the opponent to block the shot if your body is between him and the ball and the length of your arm adding more distance from the opponent and the ball. In the book, the authors says to use this shot effectively you must make sure of the following

1. Make sure your body is turned to the side and NOT facing towards the hoop.
2. Extend your shooting arm high into the air.
3. Release the ball one-handed

These steps all make it harder for the opponent to block your shot because since your body is turned sideways, it stays between the defender and the ball. If the opponent wants to get to the ball, they're going to have to foul you while you are shooting (which may result in an and-1 OR you will get 2 free throws) in some way or jump higher than you and block the ball with his hand. But it is harder to block the shot since your arm takes the ball further away from the opponents grasp. Also a hook shot is always done one-handed. This means that you have one other hand to use to push the opponent away or use it to keep a bubble around you, making sure the opponent does not get any closer. A player who mastered the hook shot is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar who made this shot his go-to shot which was so difficult to guard, his hook shot was nicknamed the "Sky Hook".

Campbell, Forest G. An Insider's Guide to Basketball. Rosen Publishing's Rosen Central, 2015.