Stephen Curry: Shooting Tips From the New 3-Point Record Holder

Author:
Christina M. Tapper
Publish date:
Apr 18, 2013

Last night, the Golden State Warriors' Stephen Curry set a new single-season record for three-pointers made with 272. He eclipsed the old record held by the Miami Heat's Ray Allen, who hit 269 one season as a member of the Seattle SuperSonics. How did Curry become the sweetest shooter in the NBA?

When Curry hits his shots, it’s all about the basics. Coached by his father, Dell, Curry relies on the guidelines of the acronym BEEF, which stands for: Balance, Eyes, Elbow, Follow-through. Here, Curry shares his fundamental tips to help you improve your shooting.

Balance
“Your feet should always be shoulder-width apart and square to the basket. Depending if you’re righthanded or lefthanded, put your dominant foot half the length of your shoe size in front of your other foot. Your feet shouldn’t be parallel. Have a good bend in your knees.”

Eyes
“Your eyes should be focused on the rim. I’ve trained myself to look at the prongs that the nets are hooked to. I quickly lock in on one of the three prongs that are facing me and put the basketball right over it with good arc. You don’t want to look at the backboard because obviously that’s not your target.”

Elbow
“Keep shoulders square to the basket and keep your elbow parallel to the floor and in line with your knee. You don’t want your elbow too far out, hanging like a chicken wing when you’re shooting. Think about the mechanics of your arm as an extension of the basketball. If your elbow is too far out, the ball will go in a different direction. Your elbow keeps the ball in the line of where you’re aiming, and it helps with your follow-through.”

Follow-Through
“Hold your follow-through from the time you shoot to well after you make the shot or miss. It promotes good spin on the ball. If you’re putting your arm down before the ball hits the rim, it means you’re rushing. And also, if someone is taking a picture of you, it looks good whether you make it or not. The joke is, If you have a good follow-through, you’ll always look good shooting the ball.”